An important point near-universally missed by white locals, nevermind visitors.
Well into the 90s, the black majority cooked with paraffin (kerosene). Electricity was almost completely unavailable in the townships. Underlying the current “energy crisis” (rotational powercuts) in South Africa is a story of massive — albeit inadequately planned and financed — electrification.
The infrastructure of the 90s was near-exclusively reserved for the small minority. It’s hard to imagine how you would *not* get a decline in quality, or a reversion to the mean, given the population now entitled to use it does not (yet) have the means to pay for it.
That is from Marcel. Two other points are neglected when it comes to South Africa and electricity. First, as of March 2024 partial deregulation is in the offing (Bloomberg):
The Electricity Regulation Act Amendment Bill, which will facilitate the opening of the national power grid to private generators, was approved by the National Assembly on Thursday. The bill provides for the creation of an independent transmission system operator, a precursor to the establishment of an electricity-trading platform…Besides opening up the grid, the government has exempted private power project developers from requiring licenses and stepped up efforts to procure clean energy to reduce its reliance on coal-fired power.
Power generation is often cited as a major reason for thinking South Africa is on the verge of collapse. But the entire story — its most recent installments included — is actually a reason to be (somewhat) optimistic about the place. It is not just that electricity is important per se, but also this example shows South Africa can move toward solving a problem through a mix of policy and technology.
That is from Marcel. Two other points are neglected when it comes to South Africa and electricity. First, as of March 2024 partial deregulation is in the offing (Bloomberg):
More here. Second, solar power is likely to save South Africa in a big way. And decentralized rooftop solar has doubled since 2022.
Power generation is often cited as a major reason for thinking South Africa is on the verge of collapse. But the entire story — its most recent installments included — is actually a reason to be (somewhat) optimistic about the place. It is not just that electricity is important per se, but also this example shows South Africa can move toward solving a problem through a mix of policy and technology.