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City Power customers endured months of power cuts, even after Eskom stopped loadshedding in March last year. But instead of “loadshedding,” it was called “load reduction.” That ended in Johannesburg in February this year, but power outages certainly haven’t.
City Power publishes data on reported power faults, and the numbers tell a worrying story.
The most serious faults, on high-voltage power lines, began rising toward the end of 2024. These outages affect large areas and are classified as “critical,” City Power says.
But the steady increase has been on the medium-voltage distribution network – the system that carries electricity from high-voltage lines to the low-voltage network that powers our homes. Medium-voltage outages usually hit an entire suburb or even multiple suburbs.
In March alone, 494 medium-voltage outages were reported.
City Power does provide real-time updates on the progress of repairs to high- and medium-voltage faults via its various public channels.