South Africa’s persistent power crisis has taken a significant toll on the country’s economic growth and stability. Recent estimates from the Reserve Bank suggest that the daily cost of load shedding, a common practice of scheduled power outages, amounts to a staggering $51 million, draining the country’s GDP and undermining its potential for sustained development.
Despite efforts to address the issue, South Africa’s economy continues to suffer, with the country’s growth rate projected to plummet from 1.1% in 2022 to a mere 0.3% this year. Governor Lesetja Kganyago has expressed his concern over the impact of load shedding, noting that without it, the country’s GDP growth could have reached a far more respectable 2.3% this year.
As South Africa’s power crisis deepens, experts warn of an impending economic disaster that could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s future. According to the central bank, the country is expected to experience a record 250 days of blackout in 2023, representing a historic loss of $12.7 billion and further exacerbating an already dire situation.
Last year alone, there were over 200 days of power rationing, severely impacting the country’s economic growth and stability. World Bank data reveals that the economy slowed to a mere 0.2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2022, with projections for 2023 now downgraded to 1.9%, a reduction of 0.2 percentage points relative to earlier forecasts in April.
For the past decade and a half, South Africa has been grappling with a severe power shortage that has threatened to cripple the country’s economy. The situation has worsened in recent times, with widespread outages lasting up to 12 hours a day, leading to massive revenue losses across all sectors. Experts have raised concerns that these developments have raised the likelihood of a recession in the country to 45% this year.
The blame for this energy crisis has fallen squarely on the state-owned power monopoly, Eskom, which has failed to upgrade its coal-based plants to keep up with the increasing demand for electricity. These non-renewable sources have long struggled to meet the power needs of South Africa’s 61 million citizens, resulting in a devastating impact on the country’s economic growth.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has stepped up to tackle the power crisis by offering a $14 billion bailout to Eskom, which will cover half of the company’s debt. The move is aimed at addressing the utility’s crippling financial challenges and enabling it to improve its services.
Eskom has been the subject of numerous allegations of corruption, with outgoing CEO André de Ruyter facing an alleged poisoning attempt after attempting to rid the company of corrupt managers. These revelations have further compounded the already dire situation, highlighting the urgent need for systemic reforms to overhaul the company’s operations.
