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June, Johannesburg: South Africa commemorated National Youth Day on Sunday, 16 June 2024. This year, we celebrated Youth Month under the theme: “Actively Embracing the Socioeconomic Gains of Our Democracy.” This theme highlights the nation’s efforts to eradicate unemployment and create equal opportunities for all. P&G South Africa continues its mission to create opportunities and …
Investing in public transport to enhance accessibility
Government has invested a cumulative total of R69 billion in public transport, which was spent towards infrastructure and operations in an effort to enhance accessibility to public transport and mobility.
Addressing a media briefing on the state of the transport sector, Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, said a total of R55 billion was spent in 13 cities between 2006 and 2024.
This has translated into 131 stations; 253 kilometres of dedicated and bidirectional trunk routes; 302km of mixed traffic by-directional trunk routes, as well as 260km of two-way cycling, pedestrian, and non-motorised transport facilities.
In addition, 2 628 bus stops were built; 11 depots were constructed; 44 million passengers were carried per annum as of 2023/24. Integrated Public Transport Networks (IPTNs) are operating at 14 – 20 operational hours daily, with approximately 1 020 vehicles.
Eight cities are implementing initial phases and planning expansions to other areas that include Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, George, Polokwane, Nelson Mandela Bay, and Rustenburg.
“It must also be noted that 14 Vehicle Operating Companies have been established and contracted by municipalities to provide public transport services in IPTNs.
“The most important benefit has been the formalisation of informal taxi operators and their economic empowerment in the IPTN. The majority of these Vehicle Operating Centres are run by taxi operators," Chikunga said on Monday in Centurion.
Taxi industry
Government has continued to implement taxi industry reforms to improve the industry.
“To date, from a target of 135 894 old taxi vehicles to be scrapped, a total of 83 713 taxis have been scrapped and about R5.9 billion has been paid out to operators through the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (TRP),” Chikunga said.
Moreover, the Department of Transport has committed to the various commercial projects for the taxi industry, which include the Taxi Broad-Based Ownership Structure, where the taxi industry owns 60% of the taxi scrapping entity, with 40% owned by a technical partner.
A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between the parties.
Chikunga said the signing into law of the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill by the President will see the consolidation of the economic regulation of transport into a unified framework and policy.
“It aims to primarily promote the development of a competitive, efficient, and viable South African transport industry, contributing to economic growth and development.
“It will also promote the development of an integrated system of economic regulation for the transportation of passengers and goods through airports or ports and by road or rail; as well as promote efficiency, reliability, safety and performance in the management and operation of transport facilities and services, in accordance with recognised international standards and public demand,” she said.
The bill also seeks to establish appropriate institutional arrangements and procedures, which will support the consistent economic regulation of transport facilities and services.
It will also enhance transparency in the management of transport facilities and services.
Last year, the Department of Transport tabled at Cabinet the Draft National Public Transport Subsidy Policy.
“The basic principles of the public transport subsidy are to have a subsidy that is user-targeted, equitable and sustainable in the medium to long term. We have, irrespective of our challenges and constraints, managed to realise major milestones in the area of public transport, almost as much as we have progressed with improvements in the implementation of other mandates, and these have positively affected the lives of ordinary South Africans,” the Minister said.
Learner transport
Chikunga said the National Learner Transport Programme remains an important avenue towards easing mobility for learners, the provision of safe transport to educational centres, improved school attendance and academic performance.
“We have been able to implement that in 4 204 schools nationally. This programme is fully funded and provides a free service to learners with a budget allocation of R4.7 billion.
“The 2001 National Bicycle Programme, known as Shova Kalula, adds an important facility for the mobility of learners who do not fit the criteria for scholar transport. To date, 122 307 bicycles were distributed to learners as part of the National Learner Transport Policy,” Chikunga said.
Under the sixth administration, the Department of Transport distributed 32 307 bicycles nationally in all provinces, targeting underprivileged and rural learners. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Tue, 06/18/2024 - 14:41
President Ramaphosa re-elected to lead South Africa
Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected as the President of the Republic of South Africa, who will lead the seventh democratic administration.
After a full day of proceedings during the first sitting of the National Assembly of the seventh Parliament, Ramaphosa -- the President of the African National Congress -- was on Friday evening nominated for the position of President.
The sitting took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in the Western Cape.
Three hundred and thirty-nine ballot papers were issued and counted, with 12 invalid ballots. Ramaphosa received 283 votes against Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, who received 44 votes.
African National Congress Member of Parliament (MP), Mdumiseni Ntuli, nominated Ramaphosa for the position of President, and was seconded by Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader and MP, Velenkosini Hlabisa, during a process that was presided over by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
The President’s election came after former Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly after a vote in the House.
READ | Didiza appointed new National Assembly Speaker
Didiza was declared by Justice Zondo as a Speaker after receiving 284 votes against her contestant, Veronica Mente from the Economic Freedom Fighters, who received 49 votes.
The Democratic Alliance's Dr Annelie Lotriet was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly for the seventh Parliament. This after she received 273 votes, while fellow nominee, Vuyolwethu Zungula, the African Transformation Movement leader, received 54 votes.
The first sitting of the National Assembly took place after the General Election on 29 May. The day’s proceedings started with the swearing in of Members of Parliament, who either took an oath or affirmation that enjoins them to be faithful to the Republic of South Africa, and to obey, respect and uphold the Constitution and all other laws of the Republic.
READ | New Members of Parliament sworn in
South Africa’s recent National and Provincial Elections were the most contested and most compelling since the dawn of democracy in 1994. As in the post-1994 election period, President-elect Ramaphosa is expected to lead a Government of National Unity into the future.
This will be his second term as the leader of South Africa’s government.
He is expected to be inaugurated next Wednesday, 19 June.
Messages of congratulations
After Justice Zondo declared the re-election of President Ramaphosa, various political parties took turns in congratulating him.
Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said the day is a historic day for the country, and the start for a new chapter of building, cooperation, and putting the country’s interests and future first.
“In these elections, the voters chose not to give any party its own majority, and in doing so, they have told us that they want us to work together to build a prosperous non-racial, united South Africa, with a great economy that works for everybody. We must now rise to the occasion and rise to the call of South Africa,” Steenhuisen said.
EFF leader Julius Malema also congratulated the President, saying his party accepts the results and the voice of people of South Africa expressed during the elections.
“We are going to ensure that this Parliament is functional,” Malema said.
Inkatha Freedom Party leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said this is the beginning of a new era.
“The IFP stands ready to serve in the government of South Africa. We enter the government of national unity with an open mind and eyes wide open.”
READ | Date set for Presidential inauguration
Ramaphosa was sworn in as the President of South Africa for the first time on 15 February 2018 and again on 22 May 2019 after the 2019 elections.
The early years
The President was born on 17 November 1952 in Johannesburg. His family was moved from Western Native Township to Soweto in 1962, where he attended Tshilidzi Primary School.
He completed high school at Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda in 1971.
Ramaphosa began his studies at the University of the North in 1972, where he became involved in student politics, joining the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC).
The President holds a law degree from the University of South Africa, and has received several honorary doctorates from local and international universities.
He received the Olof Palme prize in Stockholm in 1987 and was awarded the National Order of the Baobab in Silver in 2009 for his contribution to the multiparty negotiations and for chairing the Constitutional Assembly.
Prior to becoming the President of South Africa, Ramaphosa served as the Deputy President since 2012. – SAnews.gov.za
Matona
Sat, 06/15/2024 - 00:09
Panyaza Lesufi re-elected as Gauteng Premier
Panyaza Lesufi has been re-elected as the Gauteng Premier for the seventh administration.
Lesufi was elected unopposed during a Special House Sitting on Friday at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature at the Selborne Hall in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature held its first sitting since the General Elections last month.
Former Arts and Culture MEC in Gauteng, Marakane Mosupyoe, was elected Speaker of the Legislature unopposed.
Judge President of the Gauteng High Court Dunstan Mlambo presided over the swearing-in of new members of the Legislature.
“The people of the province have spoken and we have heard them. We’ve been asked to work together... We’ve been asked to combine our ideas for a better Gauteng, to combine our ideas, we will do, together (sic),” Lesufi vowed.
He told the Legislature that he accepted the Premiership with “deep humility” before declaring that “no one will be left behind” in this new administration.
“Our task from today is to build a better Gauteng. Our task from now on is to make Gauteng attractive for all families, all forms of investment, for workers, youth and students and attractive for sporting and cultural events.”
He also highlighted the importance of the safety of women and children in the province.
“Our mandate is simple: crime and lawlessness, your time is up. Our mandate is simple: municipalities play your part, we will play our part.
“Our mandate is simple: Johannesburg CBD, Alexandra township, Sethokga hostel, Makause informal settlement, we are ready to make you beautiful again.”
The Premier expressed his appreciation to all the political parties in the House and urged them to make the government of unity a reality.
“My sincerest appreciation to the officials and staff of the Gauteng provincial government and former leaders and members of this legislature.
“I am nothing without the ANC and our alliance partners. The movement of the people, by the people. Thank you so much for assigning me to be an instrument of change, an instrument of liberation.”
"Failure is not an option but success is compulsory. Less talk, more work. Let us grow Gauteng together,” Lesufi said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 06/14/2024 - 15:04
Johannesburg, South Africa – The much-anticipated SA Podcast and Music Festival is set to debut at the Red Roman Shed in Emperors Palace, bringing together major media powerhouses for a one-of-a-kind event focused on the development and empowerment of content creators. Festival organizer Nicolas Regisford remarks, “The opportunity to collaborate with SABC and Arena Holdings …
Johannesburg, Gauteng – Friday, June 14, 2024 – Marcomm Group (Pty) Ltd, a preeminent South African public relations and digital marketing agency, is excited to announce its expanded partnership with three prominent fashion brands: Inga Africa, Ascend Label, and Dandelion by Angel Ntuli. Marcomm Group will serve as the integrated marketing partner, encompassing a comprehensive …
The Stellantis Customer Care Promise commits to four key aftersales guarantees: All new passenger cars backed by 5 years/100 000 km warranty Mobility guarantee for warrantied vehicles standing for more than 48 hours at an approved Stellantis dealership Mobility guarantee for vehicles standing for more than 30 days at an Approved Autobody Repairer due to …
Farmers had been working communal land near Phalaborwa since 2014
A-OSH 2024, scheduled from 11 -13 June, focuses on delivering solutions to mitigate workplace occupational safety and health risks, and ensure compliance with the occupational health and safety (OHS) Act. In many industry sectors, there is an increasing emphasis on companies taking ownership of health and safety. Recent events, such as the tragic building collapse …
Following the announcement of their multi-year partnership in March 2024, Tennis South Africa (TSA) and American Express are pleased to host the Amex Tennis Town, a fan park during The Championships, Wimbledon 2024. American Express is operated in South Africa through its licensee Nedbank. The Amex Tennis Town will be held from 5 to 14 …
MultiChoice Group (www.MultiChoice.com/) demonstrated resilient operational performance for the year ended March 2024 (FY24), delivering a 26% trading profit margin in South Africa, while increasing trading profit in the Rest of Africa by 48%, despite very challenging macro-economic conditions. Clear strategic milestones were reached, with the group successfully launching Showmax 2.0, SuperSportBet and Moment, all of which are now revenue-generating and supporting the group's future growth prospects.
Download document: https://apo-opa.co/4cj3eXQ
“Four years after setting out a clear strategy of building Africa's entertainment platform of choice and investing in services to support a broader ecosystem, our three core segments are now fully operational: video entertainment, interactive entertainment and fintech. Our focus now shifts to building on these solid foundations to drive growth in these new areas, and on further enhancing business efficiency across our operations.
While we are not alone in feeling the challenges of a weak consumer environment, I am proud of the speed and effectiveness of the team in implementing strategic actions to retain customers, safeguard cash generation and drive costs savings which surpassed our targets. It is the strength of this team, the quality of the underlying business and the clarity of our strategy which underpins my confidence in delivering on our potential,” said Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO.
Some key points for the past financial year:
MultiChoice is by far the largest producer of original content on the African continent. In FY24, the group again produced over 6 500 hours of local content and its local content library now has more than 84,000 hours of content, a 12% increase YoY.
The highlight for the year was Shaka Ilembe, which launched on Mzansi Magic in June to become Africa's biggest TV series. Filmed entirely on location in South Africa, it was created through the skills and contributions of over 8 000 people. The premiere episode attracted over four million viewers and was the top-performing show with an audience share of over 45% in its time slot.
Other content highlights of the year was Reyka (season 2), Devil's Peak and White Lies on linear (co-produced with Fremantle, Canal +, Abacus Distribution and BBC Studios-owned Lookout Point) and Spinners, Original Sin: My Son The Killer, and Catch Me a Killer, on streaming. Across Africa, the group launched 3 new proprietary channels - in Ethiopia (Maaddii Abol), Uganda (Pearl Magic Loko) and Mozambique (Maningue Magic Kool) while also producing content in Africa's 4th most spoken language, Oromo.
SuperSport broadcast 34 490 live events during the year – arguably more live sport than any other broadcaster in the world. Highlights included the Rugby World Cup in France, the Cricket World Cup in India, a second SA20 season in South Africa, AFCON, FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, as well as the Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
SuperSport Schools more than doubled its registered user base during the year. The fast-growing platform displayed more than 49 000 hours of live programming across 43 different sports codes, covering 900 school sport festivals and events, featuring more than 1 100 schools, and over 14 500 teams.
SEGMENTAL REVIEW
South Africa Pay-TV (MultiChoice South Africa)
Due to a strong focus on retention initiatives, the decline in active subscribers in South Africa was limited to 5%, despite the challenging environment. The base now stands at 7.6 million households. Power outages experienced on 275 days of the year further discouraged potential subscribers without backup power.
Although the Premium bouquet is trending toward a stable base given the targeted retention efforts, the premium customer tier (which includes the Premium and Compact Plus bouquets) declined by 8%. The mid-market Compact base, which is most exposed to the macro-economic challenges, was down 9%, while the mass-market tier was 2% lower due to pressure in the Family base, the impact of loadshedding, and reduced decoder subsidies.
A consequent 3% decline in subscription revenues and softer advertising income weighed on the segment's total revenues (-2% to ZAR33.6bn), but was partially offset by strong traction from new revenue streams, especially the insurance business (NMSIS) which reported a 35% increase in premium revenue to almost ZAR1bn. Several interventions to reduce costs enabled the SA business to achieve a trading margin of over 26%.
Rest of Africa Pay-TV (MultiChoice Africa)
The business in the Rest of Africa faced the toughest macro-economic conditions in its core markets with high, double-digit inflation and extreme depreciation of local currencies, (especially in Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and Zambia) which impacted USD revenues by 32%.
The active subscriber base declined to 8.1m, but effective retention efforts contributed to an improved subscriber mix.
Due to the challenging market dynamics, the short-term focus of this business shifted from subscriber growth to safeguard profitability and cash flows. Several cost-saving initiatives were implemented, including scaling back significantly on decoder subsidies (-46% YoY or ZAR1.3bn), and reducing SG&A costs by ZAR500m. These interventions enabled the Rest of Africa business to increase trading profit by 48% YoY to ZAR1.3bn.
Sub-Saharan Africa SVOD (Showmax)
FY24 was a pivotal year for Showmax as it relaunched across 44 markets in sub-Saharan Africa on Peacock's world-class platform, which is 4K/HDR and ATMOS ready. Almost 100% of the eligible customer base was migrated to the new Showmax platform, and 88% of those migrated had reactivated their accounts in the seven weeks to year-end.
Alongside local content from M-Net, Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic and Maisha Magic, Showmax ramped up its local content, releasing 59 original movies and series in SA, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana (FY23: 48). Popular shows that drove viewership included Tracking Thabo Bester, Koek, The Mommy Club, Youngins, Red Ink, Adulting, Outlaws and Real Housewives of Durban in South Africa, Cheta'm, Real Housewives of Lagos, Dead Serious, Wura and Flawsome in Nigeria, and Single Kiasi and Second Family in Kenya.
Showmax revenues for the year grew by 22% (+22% organic) to ZAR1.0bn, while trading losses increased to ZAR2.6bn. These losses came in below the expected range of ZAR3-4.0bn. As noted before, due to the partnership agreement signed in 2023, 30% of Showmax's funding requirements is contributed by Comcast.
Technology (Irdeto)
Irdeto's strong execution, enabled it to become the market leader in managed security services for video with a 22% market share. It also saw significant success in combatting piracy, taking down some 30 000 streaming piracy services during the year. Revenue increased by 17% (7% organic) driven by external customers across video entertainment, gaming and connected transport, with some additional uplift from a weaker ZAR against the USD. Disciplined cost management supported a 23% trading margin.
Irdeto shipped its first keyless solutions to leading customers, including one of the largest fleet operators in the US market. This resulted in a revenue increase of 119% YoY in the connected transport division, with revenue from new services now representing a combined 35.7% of total revenues.
Sports betting and interactive entertainment (KingMakers)
KingMakers reported strong growth in the online business in Nigeria, with monthly active users up 37% YoY and online gross gaming revenues up 26% YoY in constant currency. New products were also launched, including BetKing Casino and BetKing FootballGO, a virtual football sportsbook service.
Revenue of USD147m was affected by the weak Naira, while the business reported a positive EBITDA of USD2m. At the end of its December year-end the business had a retained cash balance USD113m to fully fund its growth initiatives.
KingMakers launched the SuperSportBet business in South Africa in January 2024. Its pre-game shows and live feed integration with SuperPicks, as well as the Playbook preview show were key drivers of uptake, further supported by SuperSportBet becoming the official betting partner of local soccer clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Fin-tech (Moment)
After being founded during FY23, Moment officially launched in FY24. The business played a vital role in the Showmax relaunch stepping up to fill a critical payments gap. In January this year, Moment also began processing MultiChoice's payments for DStv, reaching a milestone of processing USD85m in payments in early March 2024.
To-date, Moment has processed local and cross-border card payments in 44 Showmax markets and is already accounting for more than 20% of Group's payment volumes. It also joined real-time payment networks in 18 countries, including South Africa, and is currently piloting instant payment and account activation for DStv.
The business raised an additional USD22m of funding, with MultiChoice contributing USD8m. As a result, Moment is now valued at USD82m and MultiChoice owns a 26% stake.
FUTURE PROSPECTS
The linear video-entertainment business remains the mainstay of the group's operations and provides a valuable base from which to expand its service offerings. The new streaming, interactive entertainment, fintech and connectivity services are having a positive impact on the business, and more importantly, on the lives of its customers. Going forward, the group will focus its efforts on scaling Showmax, Moment, SuperSportBet, as well as on driving growth in insurance (NMSIS), DStv Internet and DStv Stream.
To counter the challenges around an uncertain economic recovery globally and across the group's operating footprint, the group will continue to drive business efficiency and cost optimisation, with an increased cost savings target of ZAR2bn.
Not only should this mitigate the ongoing impact of currency volatility and consumer weakness on performance, but together with the company's strategic plans to continue adapting its platforms to cater to customers' evolving needs, it positions the group well to prosper once currencies stabilize and economies rebound.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MultiChoice Group.
MultiChoice Group Contact Details:
Litlhare Moteetee
Senior Manager: Corporate Communications
Litlhare.Moteetee@Multichoice.co.za
Meloy Horn, Head of Investor Relations
Mobile: +27 82 772 7123
meloy.horn@multichoice.com
About MultiChoice Group:
MultiChoice Group (MCG), listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), is a leading provider of entertainment and related consumer services, with an expanding ecosystem, underpinned by scalable technologies, and a track record now spanning almost 40 years. MCG provides video entertainment products and services through its linear and streaming platforms to 23.5m households across 50 countries on the African continent and continues to grow by producing and acquiring the best local, sport and international content and offering tiered subscription packages and aggregated streaming services to its customer base. MCG's superior technology capabilities enables it to continue innovating around distribution, digital and payment solutions and content security to offer the best customer experience across the continent. Reaching up to 100 million individuals on a daily basis, the MultiChoice Group is using its scale and distribution to expand its platform to include sports betting and interactive entertainment, fin-tech services, household services (focused on internet connectivity and emergency response services) and ed-tech. Irdeto, MCG's technology business, provides platform cybersecurity services which protect over 6bn devices and applications globally for some of the world's best media and technology brands, as well as clients in the connected industries sector.
11 June 2024 – Set to become South Africa’s biggest culinary extravaganza, the Mzansi Food & Drink Show will rock the Kyalami International Convention Centre from 15 to 17 June 2024. The brainchild of RX Africa, the company behind some of the country’s premiere events, including Decorex, Comic Con Africa, Africa Travel Week and FAME …
Families living in Lindokuhle Mnguni informal settlement in Johannesburg say they’re being harassed by police and AmaPanyaza
In the heart of Newtown, Johannesburg, lies a bustling hub of creativity and connection—AMPD Studios, a place where passion meets productivity. Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jon Savage, a former radio DJ at 5FM and the visionary behind the African Podcast Network, to delve into his mission of empowerment within the …
Johannesburg Water to be impacted by Rand Water maintenance
Johannesburg Water has reminded customers to store enough water in preparation for the upcoming one-month planned maintenance to be undertaken by Rand Water.
This as Rand Water will be conducting extensive maintenance on its infrastructure from 22 June to 29 July 2024 to improve reliability and efficiency of water infrastructure.
The maintenance work will affect Johannesburg Water’s systems that are supplied by the Palmiet and Eikenhof pump stations, and the Daleside Booster Station.
The work will impact some of its customer’s systems, including Johannesburg Water and other municipalities and industries.
The systems to be impacted during the maintenance period include all Sandton and Midrand systems, the South Hills Tower, as well as the Alexandra Park, Randjieslaagte, and Linksfield reservoirs.
“This kind of preventative maintenance is imperative to make Rand Water’s systems more efficient and reliable for their customers, such as Johannesburg Water. During this time, Johannesburg Water customers will be impacted by low pressure to no water supply.
“Johannesburg Water will make arrangements for alternative water supply at strategic areas like hospitals, clinics, schools, municipal offices, police stations and shopping centres. However, residents are encouraged to store water in preparation for the maintenance,” said Johannesburg Water.
During the maintenance period, pumping at Rand Water’s Palmiet Pumpstation – which feeds several of Johannesburg Water’s systems – will be reduced as follows:
– SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Tue, 06/11/2024 - 12:06
Introduction Maximizing the potential of a small exhibit space can be challenging. This blog focuses on strategies to effectively use a 10×10 trade show booth and 10×10 trade show exhibits to create a compelling and functional display. Strategic Layout and Design In a 10×10 space, every inch counts. Prioritize the layout to …
In honor of World Environment Day for the month of June, Discovery Channel Africa proudly presented the premiere of X Trillion, a compelling documentary that highlighted the urgent issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. The special screening took place on Discovery Channel Africa on Saturday, 8 June, at 18:00 CAT. X Trillion follows the …
11 June 2024 – On Sunday, July 28th, the Nicarela Charity will host their annual Potjiekos competition at George Hay Park in Parkview. Teams will cook and sell their Potjiekos dishes while attendees enjoy the delicious food under the warm Johannesburg sky. With over 30 pots to choose from, including vegetarian options, there’s something for …
This is a clear message to verify bank account details before paying
City Power implements load reduction
Johannesburg’s power utility, City Power, is expected to begin implementing load reduction in areas it says have “exceedingly high” electricity usage levels.
The load reduction is expected to be implemented from this morning.
More than 80 areas will be affected and grouped into six blocks for load reduction, which will not exceed 2.5 hours per block.
“The decision to initiate load reduction follows extensive efforts to encourage customers to use electricity wisely and efficiently in recent weeks.
“Despite warnings about the constrained electricity network in the city, residents have not reduced their electricity consumption, and energy demand has continued to rise,” the utility’s spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said.
Mangena explained that consumption in the metro has reached “critical levels, forcing… City Power to embark on stringent measures to protect the grid from total collapse”.
“City Power has recorded an enormous increase in the average evening peak load in some areas, which went up by 65%, from 25MW during the summer months to 33MW between April and May 2024. In some instances, the load reaches 42MW, constituting a 110% increase in consumption levels in comparison with the warmer season.
“During January and March this year, the average off-peak consumption at some of our substations has been sitting at 20MW. Between April and May, consumption shot up by 50%, increasing the off-peak load to 30MW. With temperatures expected to drop even more between June and July, the consumption levels could have dire consequences on our network infrastructure if load reduction is not urgently implemented,” he said.
The power utility is also embarking on other measures to work in tandem with load reduction.
“Part of our measures to lighten the load on the grid through load reduction includes the installation of ripple relays. A ripple receiver is part of a load management system used to control the electricity supply to the geyser during peak hours.
“Geysers are among the biggest electricity guzzlers, accounting for up to 50% of monthly household energy costs. These ripple relay receivers at different households are connected to at least 69 of our substations, and we can monitor customers’ consumption load remotely. City Power will remotely switch off the customer geyser once they reach high consumption levels,” Mangena said.
Illegal connections
The spokesperson said illegal connections are also contributing to an already “severely strained” electricity network.
“City Power continues to intensify the removal of illegal connections and revenue collection operations across the City of Johannesburg this winter season. This seeks not only to alleviate pressure on the system but to recover the billions owed to it and send a strong message to non-paying customers to pay for the services they use daily or have their power supply cut off.
“From our observations, those who are illegally connected or tampered with meters, are amongst the highest consumers of electricity, because they do not experience the financial consequences of keeping high and irresponsible usage,” he said.
The schedule for load reduction is available on the City Power website. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Mon, 06/10/2024 - 10:41
Founders Events, in partnership with Outsourced CFO (OCFO.com), is thrilled to announce the return of Scale Up Con, the premier event designed to empower entrepreneurs and business leaders to take their companies to the next level. Set to take place on 20 June 2024, at the Crystal Towers in Cape Town, this year’s conference promises …
Johannesburg, 10 June 2024: Daybreak Foods, a prominent player in the agribusiness sector, has taken a commendable step towards addressing the critical issue of youth unemployment in South Africa. The company is launching a partnership with the Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme, an initiative that is a beacon of hope for many young individuals who …
Navigating the modern suburban life, Lebang Kgosana, a dynamic hip-hop mum of six, has seamlessly blended her personal and professional passions. At just 33, Lebang has carved out a unique niche in the podcasting world with her show, “Life with Lebang,” focusing on providing support and insights to new parents. We met her at Smile …
Net closes in on illicit goods trade
The South African Police Service (SAPS) says it remains relentless in its pursuit to dismantle the trade in counterfeit and illicit goods nationwide.
On Friday, the National Counterfeit Goods Unit led an operation in the Johannesburg CBD which resulted in the arrest of two Chinese nationals and the seizure of counterfeit goods with an estimated value of R5.8 million.
Police also arrested two Ethiopian nationals for contravening the Immigration Act No. 13 of 2002 during the operation.
Almost 7 000 counterfeit items imitating well-known brands were seized, which included sports apparel, clothing, shoes, perfumes, sunglasses, watches and bags.
The team comprised SAPS members from various specialised units, officials from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Gauteng Traffic's Saturation Unit, Brand Protectors, Crime Prevention Wardens and private security.
In the past eight months, the National Counterfeit Unit, in collaboration with its various crime fighting partners, seized over R400 million worth of counterfeit and illicit goods during various takedown operations in different parts of the country. The unit was established in November last year. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Mon, 06/10/2024 - 11:56