Category: News

It’s not sunshine and rainbows for South Africa’s retailers as they brace themselves for what could be some of their toughest months yet. The Numbers Speak June 2023 saw retail sales volumes dip by 0.9% year-on-year, according to Stats SA. A slight sigh of relief, perhaps, since the 1.6% drop in May (originally thought to […]

The grid’s feeling the heat, and Koeberg’s Unit 1 isn’t helping much. Remember that promise of the power unit whirring back to life by mid-2023? We’re going to need a bit more patience. Longer Wait Times After taking a sabbatical since December 2022, everyone was eagerly waiting for Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s Unit 1 to […]

As the summer sun shines bright, South Africa’s power giant, Eskom, has a tightrope to walk. Balancing increased planned maintenance without flipping the switch to more load shedding isn’t a beach vacation. The Maintenance vs Load Shedding Tug-of-War After a chat with some of the brightest minds in energy, one thing’s clear: Eskom’s game plan […]

As we gear up for another power-restricted week, Eskom lays out its schedule and there’s news from the corridors of power regarding the nation’s energy crisis. Shedding Schedule For those hoping for relief, brace yourselves. Eskom has stated that full-day load shedding is in the forecast for the entire week. The drill is pretty straightforward. […]

In light of recent concerns, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa stood his ground on the whopping R9 billion expense allocated towards diesel consumption. This, he explained, was crucial to ensure uninterrupted power amidst load shedding sessions. Burning Diesel, But Still Within Limits According to Ramokgopa, the cost might be monumental but remains under budget. The drive […]

In a Sunday briefing, Electricity Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, shared a promising update about Eskom’s energy trajectory. The national energy supplier, plagued by issues in the past, now shows a noticeable uptick in its energy generation capacity. From 28,000 MW to 29,000 MW: The Climb Continues This past week alone, Eskom’s energy generation jumped from […]

Power Updates at a Glance: Behind the Outages: Eskom’s had a challenging time with a staggering 21,000MW of power offline. Digging deeper: In a brief respite, Eskom noted, “Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit at Arnot and two generating units at Matla power stations were returned to service.” But it wasn’t all good […]

Facing the Load-shedding Bill This year, South Africa braces for a potential financial hit estimated at a jaw-dropping R1.6 trillion, a result of persistent load-shedding. To put things in perspective, that’s a hefty R400 billion more than last year’s tally. The Economic Toll: By the Numbers During a lecture held at the University of Pretoria, […]

Big Moves in Renewable Energy One of South Africa’s leading financial institutions, Nedbank, has reportedly set aside a staggering R24 billion, specifically designated for green energy projects across the country. The news comes directly from the horse’s mouth – Nedbank’s COO Mfundo Nkuhlu, during an in-depth chat with ITWeb. This conversation followed closely on the […]

Catching Sun and Thieves In the wake of an energy crisis, solar panels dotting the South African landscape have come to symbolize hope and independence from Eskom’s unpredictability. But there’s an unexpected twist: a surging wave of solar panel thefts. As more folks turn to the sun for power, crooks have sensed an opportunity, leading […]