South Africa's electricity

On the afternoon of July 4, a new round of power blackouts began in South Africa. It is winter in the southern hemisphere, and many South African homes rely on electricity for heating, lighting and cooking.

South Africa has suffered a severe power crisis since 2008, beginning a history of rolling brownouts. The latest data released by the Scientific and Industrial Research Council of South Africa shows that in the six months from the beginning of 2022 to now, South African power groups have reduced power generation by 2,276 GW, which is close to the level of the whole of 2021. The blackout period has exceeded 90 percent of the total electricity duration of 2021.

On July 3rd Investec, a South African investment bank, said South Africa's economic growth would be hit hard in the coming months if the current power cuts did not improve, and the country's rating on international markets could fall further.

South Africa relies heavily on coal-fired power plants for its electricity supply.To reduce pollution, South Africa is looking to increase the amount of electricity it generates from solar and other renewable sources, though experts say it will take at least 2024 or 2025 to significantly increase the country's power generation capacity .