Expect load shedding to stick around for another five years: economist

DESPITE the government’s ‘best efforts’ to address South Africa’s load shedding crisis with a sense of urgency, rolling blackouts are unlikely to end any time soon – and definitely not within the 12 to 24-month timeframe put forward by politicians.

This is according to Nedbank economist Johannes Khosa, who says that progress on turning embattled power utility Eskom around is slow, and that load shedding is likely to stick around for the next three to five years.

In the banking group’s latest Guide to the Economy for 2023, Khosa noted that persistent electricity shortages in South Africa have had a massively disruptive effect on all industries in the country and would remain the main drag on the economy in 2023.

“Load-shedding will likely worsen in the second and third quarters as demand for heating increases over the winter while the electricity supply remains severely constrained. It is becoming clear that