Tag: load shedding

Walkie-talkies seem to be a relic of a bygone era, but they still offer tremendous benefits. Remember walkie-talkies? Before smartphones, they were a staple of crime and policing movies, and many thought they were among the most wonderful toys that boys could have.

The satellite industry is rapidly expanding, and we are starting to see the growth of new industry sectors and the implementation of new applications. With global Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations such as OneWeb driving the development of the African market and Starlink announcing services in selected African countries, both awareness of, and demand for, satellite connectivity services are growing.

Determining the true market value of a home is about more than design, amenities, kerb appeal, location and size. While those are of course important elements of home valuations, they only paint half the picture for buyers and sellers looking to enter into property transactions.

South Africans are getting poorer as wage increases lag behind inflation as the "Great Resignation" trend continues to grip employers. South African employers expect to award wage increases of 4% to 6% in the next 12-month period, which is substantially below the current 7% inflation rate, denting employee disposable income and placing pressure on companies to find new ways to keep staff engaged and retain critical skills.

There is no greater threat to South African businesses than load shedding. It is that simple and that stark. It touches every aspect of us as a nation, as a people and as industries attempting to stabilise and grow the country. It is the most disruptive challenge of our generation.

By now you would be hard-pressed to find a South African who is not familiar with the terms Stage 1-6 of load shedding, or even the tongue-in-cheek, Eish-kom. All of these are used to describe the instability of the national power grid.

At a time when the country is facing a significant energy crisis, the report provides a consolidated overview of the electricity market from consumption to generation to financing. We have launched our South Africa-focused market report, providing a comprehensive overview of the state of play of the country’s energy sector.

At first, the response to government’s power moves, announced at last month’s Budget Speech, was overwhelmingly positive. Energy packages, which offered tax incentives for households and businesses to offset the steep financial toll of load shedding, were introduced.

With recent research showing that only 14% of South African consumers are ready to go completely cashless, retailers should be looking at ways to accommodate their customers’ preferred way to pay, while also reducing their operating costs.

Zimbabwe and South Africa share a common destiny to electricity supply Armageddon. Both Southern African neighbours and traditional trade partners are currently reeling from unprecedented power shortages, with the scourge looking like it is not dissipating any time soon.