ITWeb | Forum

	Section editor: Sinisa Jovanovic Tue, 22 May 2012

Forum	All forums \| Comment on this


South Africans have become accustomed to the term "load-shedding", as Eskom struggles to come to terms with current electricity demand -- and the situation is unlikely to improve soon. Is load-shedding affecting your business and what companies do to protect themselves against power outages?

Is load-shedding affecting business?
Martin Czernowalow [12 Dec 2007]
- South Africans have become accustomed to the term "load-shedding", as Eskom struggles to come to terms with current electricity demand -- and the situation is unlikely to improve soon.
  Is load-shedding affecting your business and what companies do to protect themselves against power outages?

Power goes out again !!!
WEE (White employment equity) [19 Dec 2007]

Eskom provide a huge amount of power to our neibours, IF WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGHT POWER, WHY STILL GIVE POWER TO OUR NEIBOURS. Goverment got the report from Eskom in 2000, and goverment ignored it.

I have lost hughe amount of equipment, damaged by this loadshedding. This all happen when they switch the power back on, we get approx 5 power spiked before the power turn on, these power spikes are the cause of the equipment damage.

Our goverment is doing NOTHING to boost this country, internationally. As long as they can get their salary (and sleep in parlement) they just dont care about anything else.... OOhh yes, dont forget, Eat garlic and beetroot and you will not get sick!!!.

How can we work with mentality like this????

I revently had international visitors, they could not believe how disadvantage we are, power cuts, A public health system that is so corrupt and does not work. And to top it all off, as if back empower ment is not enough, If you repond to any tenders from Eskom, you will know that you dont get any work if you do nto have a black woman running your compnay, HOW CURRUPT and BULLSH!T.

And you wonder why we do not have enough power, even if we have enought power, eskom does not have the skill to man the powerstations, all their brains left the organisation because they were treated like crap.

Comments

Power goes out again !!! - [12 Dec 2007]

Eskom - Hellkom — Tamil Tiger [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — Yes, our business is impacted severly with staff sent home early fully paid. Eskom or rather Hellkom needs to come clean and let us all know how big this problem actuall is

— AV [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — Is the Pope Catholic? Smaller business(es) with manageable energy consumption could of course invest in high-quality diesel gensets. For large industry, especially where energy-intensive processes are used, there is no real alternative to ESKOM, sad to say.

SMME will suffer the most.... — Peter [1 Feb 2008 ]

[1 Feb 2008 ] — Look the SMME Businesses are going to suffer the most. A good non Chinese genset will set you back 100k. I expect to see many small businesses closing their doors.

Traffic and time spend travelling — JJ [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — Business needs to start complaining, not only about loss of income and productivity due to the lack of electricity, but also lack of productivity for those trying to travel to do their business. Traffic authorities are going to have to come to the party also and provide solar powered traffic lights or pointsmen. The loss of productivity due to hours spent in traffic during load shedding is not acceptable. If we are going to have to live with load shedding for years, then an apology from our President is not enough. They need to provide alternatives - information as to where and when load shedding is occuring, and the ability to allow traffic to flow despite the lack of electricity!

Class action suit against Eskom — JTheMan [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — When power goes off, we lose money. Immediately.

We have no way of working around this power problem.

The amount of money we`ve lost with the recent load shedding could very well harm our business for the next few months!

Does a chicken have lips? — Macman [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — Is a frog water-proof? Of course it affects business, large and small. We are going back to the dark ages (sic)

Seems that this country is following the rest of Africa. It was only a matter of time since 1995

Grow people — mto [22 Jan 2008]

[22 Jan 2008] — Try and speak sense, what are you trying to say? Please choma-do urself a favour, be transformed. Your comments has something to do with times!

Comment on Eskom not on times-we`re in this new mill so we can have a common aproach and thinking. wHAT makes you better than others

Knowledge workers grind to a halt — pfzzit [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — Most businesses are heavily reliant on power to perform knowledge worker functions. When the lights go off, there`s only so much filing that can be done before employees are unproductive. If you take hourly rates * load shedding down time, it costs the country billions of rands every month.

How is it possible that Eskom allowed overpaid execs to get away with such poor planning? Will we all get a tax break to compensate for loss of income? Public appologies don`t put food on your table.

Costing money? ..... Costing lives! — concerned [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — As an organisation that seeks to provide life-saving information to paramedics and victim`s families in a crisis, the loadshedding is costing little more than money .... without electricity, and with notice of no electricity, it is costing lives!

SOHO affected badly — Nico [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — I am talking for my wife here, as she runs a small business from home, doing corporate gifts, flower arrangements and those kind of things.

We have a generator at home, so ADSL, computers and all other stuff keeps on running. The problem however is with her suppliers - mostly also small businesses in the area. Many of them do not have generators so they are not able to process orders, take payments or in some cases even take telephone calls.

So what is the knock on effect for my wife? She has two choices: 1) Spend extra money on fuel and drive to alternative suppliers (costly, given the current petrol price) or 2) Delay her orders, which is not good for the business`s image.

So yes, it effects much more then what Eskom or our government realize - or are they just too afraid to admit it?

Now I still have a question: can a business keep the utility provider or the government liable for losses due to poor planning on their side? If the government can hit our pockets to teach us a lesson (think interest rates), then maybe it goes both ways...

Let`s see action — Picksie [12 Dec 2007]

[12 Dec 2007] — Perhaps rephrase the topic to "what is the impact to business and what action can business take." Keep in mind that Eskom is a monopoly, same as Telkom. In first world countries Eskom would be the loser because of competion, however in our third world mentality each business and man-on-the-street feels the impact and can`t do much except complain???? Hello government!!!

We South Africans are the POWER - let’s use it — Sad commited South African [13 Dec 2007]

[13 Dec 2007] — If the authorities (Govt and Eskom) just do their part in making 100% sure that ALL illegal power connections are disconnected permanantly imagine how much power will be available. These illegal connections must cost 100`s of Million Rands which could have been used to service and reopen moth balled power stations. So will power be available to us who pay for it!!!!

It becomes mind boggeling when we see the unaccepatable salaries and bonuses Govt Ministers and Eskom management are paid which they get first from the (used to be called Gold Pot) before there is any money left for service rendering to the SA legal (paying) users. If I stop paying my minisiple bills my electricity is cut off and dare I illegally connect it again I end up in prison. How come all these squatter camps etc just have the privelage to have free power for as long as the want.

It is about time all us SA who are law abiding and pay for our services stand up against the fraudulant activity that takes place in this country. 80% of people in Govt high positions and Eskom are totally incompetant in what they are managing let alone if they have any background or experience in the subject/job they are doing. It seems to be that it is not what you know that gets you a prime job but who you know.

Laws in SA are there to protect the criminals and not law abiding South Africans.

There is no way that any judicial system will be able to charge 15 Million law abiding South Africans if we make a stand and stop paying for services we are entitled to that we do not get as we pay for these.

Govt promises the poor the worl of free living at the cost of the hard working citizens only for political favours to retain power. It is about time all South Africans wake up, rich and poor and see that after more than 10 years, South Africa is no better off than it was with the prvious govt. There is much more unemployment than 15 years ago.

Maybe we should all assit each other and buy our own power generators, canddles etc and see how long Eskom and Govt rich hot shots have a job when no money pours into their accounts for salaries or businesses.

Sadly SA has chosen the same road to our future as Zimbabwe, its just a matter of time!

Re: Is load-shedding affecting business — Romeo Mabasa [13 Dec 2007]

[13 Dec 2007] — Eskom requested the pre-warning system which should have been bought and installed a long time ago, the thing is we know that South Africa is growing at an alarming rate, surely someone should have seen this coming. This has a negative impact on business since it slows down production and kills the staff moral. With companies wrapping up for the year, it`s important that processes are put into place in preparation for 2008. Load shedding is not cool, I say!

Wasted Resources — Amazed Resident [13 Dec 2007]

[13 Dec 2007] — South Africa being a country rich in natural resources should be able to have alternative power sources. Coal, gas, to name a few, why is Eskom not looking at gas as an alternative or coal as a source of power? If the govt can afford to spend 2 billion rand on the Gautrain then it wouldnt be a train smash to invest the same in looking at other power sources as an alternative.

A real problem? — FedUP [14 Dec 2007]

[14 Dec 2007] — I am not sure if there is a real problem or is load shedding just an excuse to create demand. I recently went to the Building Regaulation office in Braamfontein where large construction projects are still accepted and approved. This means that there is enough Power to supply these units

No reliable power, no globally competivite IT businesses — Frustrated IT Professional [16 Dec 2007]

[16 Dec 2007] — There is another, indirect, way that the power shortage could affect businesses - when their skilled IT staff start emigrating in even greater numbers, because the lack of reliable power raises frustration levels to unbearable levels. We already have to deal with an expensive telecomms monopoly that strangles small internet businesses with crazy bandwidth costs. Run an international web based business from your own home... provided you have power and can afford it? Much cheaper and more reliable to take it offshore. Sad.

For most of us IT people reliable power and internet connections are vital, even in our private lives.

I`ve never considered emigrating as I love my country, but when the government runs this country the same way some taxi operators run their taxis - literally until the wheels fall off - before they act, then I can`t help thinking that perhaps it is time to start looking around.

Bordering on going off topic here, but the way I see it is that it is all related to the largely African attitude that maintenance is a waste of money, e.g. don`t fix it if it hasn`t broken yet. That will have to change, quickly, or we are in trouble.

I hope our will government learn from the power situation. Perhaps then it was "cheap at the price" that we have already and will continue to pay over the next couple of years.

And hopefully, we can come up with some creative solutions.

— HDC [18 Dec 2007]

[18 Dec 2007] — Two blown (VERY expensive) power supplies later - thanks Eskom, govt ad Telkom - for all our years of keeping you alive, this is how we are rewarded - I have now just had it and I`m out of here. Open your eyes people..!!

www.eishkom.com Yes its real — PrivateInSa [19 Jan 2008]

[19 Jan 2008] — Yes, business will suffer, but with the web site www.eishkom.com we can make Eskom suffer as well

Only markets give you a choice — Bondai [20 Jan 2008]

[20 Jan 2008] — Government told Eskom in 1996 that they were going to open the energy market to competition. Eskom put investment on hold. Government changed its mind on privatisation and forgot to tell Eskom. The result? Yet another state failure. When will we learn that only the market can guarantee us a choice of suppliers.

— LooneyBandit [21 Jan 2008]

[21 Jan 2008] — I am in the IT Industry - we cannot work when there`s no power - we are down to 20% of our monthly turnover in January - How will I be able to pay my staff`s salaries, rent etc etc if I have no income? I don`t have deep pockets like Eskom - please guys, make a plan

of course — we`re_in_the_dark_here [21 Jan 2008]

[21 Jan 2008] — Of course - everyone will suffer because of the government and Eskom`s supreme levels of incompetence. This situation could and should have been foreseen years ago and proper planning could have prevented this chaos.

Noone is on time for meetings anymore because of disaster apon disaster in the trafic due to traffic lights not working. Day to day activities are disrupted in offices and productivity is affected. This is to name just a few things...

The people responsible for this should be held accountable but they probably got paid huge bonuses... *sigh*

What happened to my post? — Ed [22 Jan 2008]

[22 Jan 2008] — Uhmmm, I wrote a post questioning the legitimacy of these power outages, and raising the question as to why when we had no "shedding" prior to the Koeberg incident last year, we still have them now wih apparently no prospect of even returning to anything close to the situation we had prior to the Koeberg issue.

Where has this post gone?

Wrong pick! — Percy [22 Jan 2008]

[22 Jan 2008] — I respect Eskom reaction, may government be help responsible for this crisis. Eskom, switch off lights in government offices instead od private companies, we are not your enemies Choma. Please, start with Pres. Mbeki`s office and end with Minister of health`s house.

Interesting things to think about.... — Russel [25 Jan 2008]

[25 Jan 2008] — Eskom did tell government back in 1992 that new power stations would be required and that they should start investing now. Their request was turned down. Fast track to 1996 and again Eskom asked for capital to build new stations.... turned down again!!

Government is squarely responsible for this crisis! Where Eskom goes wrong is in how they handle it. If we know exactly where, when and how long power will be out we can plan around it. But to tell us that power will be out somewhere between 12:00 and 18:00 for between 1 and 5 hours isn`t helpful!

As per a post above I can`t see that our power usage has escalated by more than 7% since the Koeberg incident. What happened to that 7% reserve? Winter brings peak usage of power due to heating requirements but we are having fairly moderate summer weather right now.

Makes one think.....

Root out the incompetents before we can move on — Ed [29 Jan 2008]

[29 Jan 2008] — I see a few apologies around the place from government, and like the "new" approach seen from certain disreputable politicians like shrub and bliar, we are being lined up to be urged to "move forward" and gloss over the fiasco.

Unfortunately, I don`t think we can "move forward" until the people who are responsible for this farce have been taken out of the driving seat.

Small mistakes can and should be be tolerated.

However, people whose incompetence or dishonesty leads to a national disaster (and this IS a national disaster), cannot be left at the wheel.

Police do not allow a drunken driver who has just caused an accident to order a hire car and drive home from the scene.

By the same token, we cannot allow the same people who caused this disaster to carry on running the show.

They obviously aren`t capable enough in the first place, so unless they are replaced by competent people, we will not get this situation sorted out any time soon.

I don`t personally know whether government or Eskom are responsible.

All I do know is that we need to establish exactly where the break down occurred and why.

Then we need to replace the incompetents with competents and get on with it, and yes, we can all play a part to help get ourselves out of this (and that side of it CAN start right now).

This is not about some middle-management type getting it wrong, this one or more people at the top, decision makers, who have botched on a monumental scale, and that`s the level that needs to be sorted out.

However, I`m not exactly holding my breath on this score.

Fire first then we can move forward — Peter [1 Feb 2008 ]

[1 Feb 2008 ] — Fire the people accountable and then we can move forward, Why are we protecting the management and government leaders.

Reality Bites — Dismayed [29 Jan 2008]

[29 Jan 2008] — Whether it is some BEE transport deal that has backfired (Carte Blanche), no maintenance, wet coal BS, excessive demand, power to neighbours.... this is incompetance on a grand scale, and the persons accountable should be removed from office - not be paid obscene bonusses.

RE: Reality bites — MM [1 Feb 2008 ]

[1 Feb 2008 ] — This discussion is for mature people, who are willing to come with solution. If you are for criticising, please keep your hands away from the keyboard.

Reality Bites — Dismayed [4 Feb 2008 ]

[4 Feb 2008 ] — Ditto.

Compromise — Mandla [1 Feb 2008 ]

[1 Feb 2008 ] — We can talk too much or be racist about, criticise BEE because you dont want to have changes. This is not the problem caused by black people, it`s has been said for the past two decades. But we currently having a problem, and for the sake of business and economic success in our country, I think business can try to adjust to the time of load shadding. For example, Eskom can have a fixed load shadding schedule and communicate it with businesses, then business can adjust their business hours according to load shedding schedule. For argument sake, let say load is going to affect Sandton between 5am and 10am, then businesses in Sandton can start operating from 11am. Whether or not, we all need to pay a sacrifice. It is obviously going to affect our working schedule but our Economy is going to be sustained but us compromising.

Compromise? — Nitro [4 Feb 2008 ]

[4 Feb 2008 ] — This is not a racial issue - this is a competency issue. I admire your patience, but businesses cannot be run on promises and bad management. Compromise will not fix the roads, the railways, the electricy supply, health care, the crime problem etc. It will drive away investment - and kill the economy.

Let`s compromise for the best of our Country — Mandla [1 Feb 2008 ]

New Legislation - A move to prevent class action against ESKOM and Government? — Peter [1 Feb 2008 ]

[1 Feb 2008 ] — Is the impending new legislation that will be promulugated in April 2008 intended to protect ESKOM and Government from class action law suites? Is there as sinister driver behind this move that does not only include rationing and savings.

Comment on this