Joburg power outages surge as storms, vandalism and ageing infrastructure collide

Residents across Johannesburg and surrounding areas have endured repeated power outages over the past month as heavy thunderstorms battered Gauteng. Some suburbs were left without electricity for more than 72 hours.

According to City Power, the city recorded over 150mm of rainfall during November and December, putting severe strain on an already fragile electricity network.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says repair teams have been working around the clock as outages mounted during the festive season.

Cable theft and vandalism worsen outages

While storms have been a major factor, Mangena says vandalism and cable theft remain a serious contributor to prolonged outages.

“When streets are quieter during the holidays, criminal activity increases,” he explains. In some areas, stolen cables and damaged mini substations have forced teams to rebuild infrastructure before power can be restored.

In Roodepoort alone, nearly 11 metres of cable were stolen over Christmas, triggering a spike in outage reports.

What is the official turnaround time?

City Power’s service-level agreement allows four hours from the time an outage is logged for technicians to be dispatched and faults assessed. After that, customers may escalate complaints.

However, Mangena cautions that restoration times vary widely. “If we need to dig through concrete roads, rebuild a mini-substation, or wait for materials, repairs will take longer,” he says.

Access is another obstacle. In some areas, teams have been blocked from entering sites due to community safety concerns, delaying repairs further.

Capacity stretched during major storms

When outage calls exceed 3,000, City Power deploys all available personnel. On 26 December alone, nearly 4,000 outage reports were logged — mostly concentrated in Roodepoort.

Mangena says this year’s figures are lower than last year’s 5,000–6,000 peak calls, which he attributes to ongoing maintenance work aimed at stabilising the network.

Ageing infrastructure remains a weak point

Many of the worst-affected suburbs rely on infrastructure that is decades old — some substations and cables are more than 60 years in service.

City Power says targeted upgrades have improved stability in some previously problematic areas, but budget constraints mean replacements happen gradually. The inner city remains particularly vulnerable due to frequent vandalism.

Residents dispute response times

Councillors and residents have challenged City Power’s claims, saying outages often last days rather than hours. One councillor reported being without power for six days, despite repeated escalations.

Mangena acknowledges the frustration and says City Power plans to streamline communication by engaging directly with customers, rather than relying on councillors to escalate complaints.

“I don’t want councillors working for City Power,” he says. “We need to hear directly from residents so we can respond faster.”

As thunderstorms continue and infrastructure pressures mount, Joburg residents remain braced for further disruptions — while hoping promised improvements translate into quicker, more reliable power restoration.

For more information, listen to Mangena using the audio player below: