Critical upgrades to leave Cape Town residents without electricity

The City of Cape Town’s Electricity Generation and Distribution Department has announced essential infrastructure upgrades set to take place later this month in Observatory, Salt River, and parts of Woodstock. Residents in these areas are urged to stay informed about the scheduled improvements,

According to the city, the upgrades will be carried out overnight on Friday, 24 January 2025 from 8pm to 8am on Saturday, 25 January 2025.

Depending on weather conditions, the work could be rescheduled to take place on 7 February 2025 from 8pm to 8am on 8 February 2025.

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MAP: Areas affected

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Electricity restoration

“The outage duration is estimated and restoration could be delayed due to the complex nature of the infrastructure work. Our teams will work as quickly as possible to complete the work within the communicated time.

“If the electrical loads are too high on restoration, or unforeseen matters occur, the restoration times could be impacted,” it said.

Furthermore, the city urges residents to check the city’s official communication channels, including its social media channels, or contact the call centre for any updates on the upgrades.

“The electricity supply could be restored at any time and customers must treat all electrical installations as live for the full duration of the interruption,” it said.

Residents are encouraged to switch off appliances as a precaution and to avoid damage caused by power surges when the power comes back on.

“The City apologises for any inconvenience caused, and thanks residents for their cooperation and understanding.”

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Load reduction remains suspended 

While cautioning that “if a significant spike in consumption is detected, City Power may be forced to” resume emergency load reduction measures, the utility has highlighted the necessity of using power sparingly during this time.

Many South Africans may experience power interruptions when they return to work following the holidays, as the new year begins with a number of scheduled outages that will impact both residential and commercial sectors.

As part of City Power’s vital maintenance program, certain areas of Johannesburg will see scheduled power outages throughout January.

“[It is] necessary to do essential maintenance work on our network, which is part of our program of constantly striving to provide a better service,” the utility said of the disruptions.

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