Cape Town announces a planned 10-hour power outage

The City of Cape Town has announced two planned power outages in Langa as part of what it describes as critical infrastructure maintenance. The scheduled work will take place on Tuesday, 17 March, and Thursday, 19 March, affecting specific substations and surrounding areas.

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In a notice to residents, the city said it “advises Langa residents of upcoming critical electricity supply interruptions for infrastructure maintenance,” adding that the work forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure a reliable electricity network.

Power outage maintenance schedule and affected areas

The city confirmed that technicians will work from 8:00 to 18:00 on both days, if operations proceed as planned. On Tuesday, 17 March, maintenance teams will focus on Langa Station 1 and Langa Station 2.

Two days later, on Thursday, 19 March, crews will shift their attention to Bhunga Avenue, Haarlem and Papu Square substations.

The city stressed that the interruptions will not affect the entire area.

“Interruptions to supply will only impact the areas on the maps and only on the relevant dates,” the city stated.

This means residents outside the identified zones should not experience power cuts during the scheduled maintenance window.

Safety warning: Power may return unexpectedly

The city cautioned residents to remain vigilant throughout the 10-hour power outage. According to the notice, “the electricity supply could be restored at any time, and customers must please treat all electrical installations as live for the full duration of the planned maintenance work.”

This warning highlights the risk of assuming that power lines or home installations are safe to handle while maintenance teams work on the network. The city urged residents to avoid tampering with electrical systems and to exercise caution until work concludes.

Protecting appliances from power surges

To prevent potential damage, the city encouraged households to switch off electrical appliances before the power outage begins. It said residents should “switch off appliances as a precaution to avoid damage caused by power surges when the power comes back on.”

Power surges often occur when electricity supply resumes after an interruption, posing a risk to sensitive electronics such as televisions, refrigerators and computers.

The city apologised for the disruption, stating it “apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks residents for their cooperation.”

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