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To all fellow South Africans on Fodors.
What is your opinion on the current status of our electricity situation. The reason I am posting this is because we all as operators, friends, whatever are experiencing up to 4 hours a day without power. I have installed 2 generators in my office to take care of this problem and as I write this my generators are running.

It is the one thing that is really driving me mad living here.

It has not been so bad in Port Elizabeth where I live, but it really makes me think I am living in a 3rd world country.

Hi Coline
Thanks. Get yourself a genny as it is going to be for the next 5 or 6 years. Game lodges and all hospitality places have already installed them.
WELCOME TO AFRICA

Power just came back on. I was off for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

It's part of a long, slow spiral into decay. 30 years from now, we won't be able to recognise the country that we now know or knew.
Thabo Mbeki has apologised for the Government's incompetence, but that doesn't make things any easier. Unfortunately Eskom, like most other Departments, is no longer a utility company, but an employment agency. When you aspire for nothing more than medocrity - at best, and the gutter is acceptable, that is unfortunately all you'll get.

What a horrible way to look at it, yes it is bad and yes it is unpleasant and especially when the area that I live in has been hot 4 times a day lately, but i can only hope that it will get better. I cannot think that in 30 years we will be in rack and ruin and I seriously doubt that the world stage would allow that to happen, I relaly hope that we are going to grow and flourish and they will sort the problems out and things will get better.

Baobab if you think the gutter is where we are headed why not leave?

We had to the same, Generators.
We moved our booking office from Botswana to SA for the internet reliability.
Still we have to roll with the punches.
Kasane in Botswana had no internet or phones for a day, due to all the rain, ie. no solar power.
So for us SA still better to have our booking office.

I came to South Africa from the U.K.in 1995, when all the doom and gloom merchants were heading the other way.

Things have improved considerably in the time I have been here, the opposite of what was expected.

The lack of electricity is however a big pain.

I don't think SA will go down. Well, I certainly hope not as I love it here.
Anyway, it is gross incompetence and I think some heads are going to roll.
Off this morning for 2 hours and right now its off again.

Is there any news articles on this situation? Can you please provide links...I would like to educate myself on the situation

There are many, but here is one to start.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...0831390C904410

Here's another link
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...4454463C230705

safarichat - Please forgive me for interjecting (from the peanut gallery) as this was directed to South Africans. But if I put myself in your shoes I would also be endlessly searching for ways to be ‘self-contained’ while maintaining hope that the situation gets better from a more desirable source for the masses.

I for sure would get genny’s for business and for personal use if I could, but I think I would like a combination of resources and am sure not all in my life could afford such. Chances are since you have to deal daily with this, you are aware of all kinds of large and small scale creative solutions, if you have already seen this then someone else might find it handy or just get a kick out of Dr. Cedrick Ngalande’s inexpensive power source idea for Africa that I ran into this morning on the www.afrigadget.com blog.

While I have not researched it, at a glance it appears quite clever to me and I think I may have some youth look into this one for a service project for some of my friends in EA. Hmmm, my lights are flickering as we are having a snowstorm with thunder and lightning (cool combo) at the moment!

Den

Den
Thanks very much for your input but I have set up both my offices with genneys and UPS's already and as I write I am running on generators.

PS: There is nothing like being self-sufficient. I love it and I LOVE Africa