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Not for the first time, ordinary South Africans are stepping up where the government isn’t… From creating apps to alert others about load shedding, to parking their cars and assisting as point guards to keep traffic moving, our collective ability to take care of each other when the chips are down might be the last thing keeping us going.

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At the height of Stage 6 blackouts on Tuesday, the highest stage since the beginning of the year, Daily Maverick spoke to Soweto business owners who said they are on the verge of shutting down.

A swarm of flies hovers at the entrance to the shop and around Solomon Sugebo’s 11 refrigerators. The flies are attracted by the smell of food that started rotting in the fridges due to rolling blackouts. The fridges have been emptied and cleaned, but the smell lingers. 

“Sometimes the power cuts can even have implications in the fight against crime,” Sugebo says.

“A man was shot and killed outside my shop, but I could not help the police because there was load shedding and my security cameras were not working,” he said.

Some 45 minutes after this reporter entered the store, a customer walked in with a milk sachet, claiming it was sour. Sugebo poured some into a glass, smelt it, and promptly refunded the customer.

“This is because the fridges are not running for many hours each day,” he says.

According to Sugebo, all his fridges have had to be repaired after they were damaged during regular power surges. The fridges were running on Tuesday, and the deep freezers were packed with meat.

Sugebo said there were two ways businesses were losing money during the power cuts. “Losses are a result of either dwindling business or replacing damaged and spoiled goods,” he said.

Sugebo’s store is packed with groceries, fresh produce and hardware goods. There is almost always a customer standing at the fenced-off till point. During rolling blackouts at night, candles are lit and the door is shut. Customers are served through a small hatch cut into the door.

“I close the door because I will not have control of my customers when it’s dark. It also helps to prevent theft when there are no lights.”

Sugebo said he was losing R4,500 a day as a result of the blackouts. He also has to pay two staff to keep an eye on customers. 

He said the area has been without reliable power for more than six months. He was expecting Stage 5 at 2pm on Tuesday, but it hit at 4pm.

Sugebo said he was reluctant to reconnect his security cameras for fear of them being damaged in the repeated power surges.

“I have already lost a lot through the power going off and then returning. I cannot risk any more losses. To be honest, if things do not improve, I will close the business.”

Monki Maile is a busy man. The 37-year-old alternates between running his two stores, which are adjacent to each other.  

“For me, when the rolling blackouts occur, I am not bothered. What bothers me is when I cannot make a plan for my customers. Luckily, I do have a plan. I own a generator,” said Maile.

He said he was not worried about having to spend money on fuel for his generator, because he is building loyalty among his customers.

“I must ensure that they know they will always find what they are looking for here, whether there are blackouts or not. That is what I am most concerned about,” Maile said.

Maile said concern for his customers did not mean he was not feeling the cost of the power cuts.

“It’s very tough, especially when you consider that a full tank for a generator costs about R500,” he said. When the power is off twice a day, he spends about R1,000 on petrol.

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“It also depends on the stage of load shedding. I don’t spend as much during the lower stages because I don’t have to run the generator for as long as I do during Stage 5 and 6,” he said.

Maile has a large customer base. In addition to selling groceries and airtime,  he also operates as a locksmith and attracts customers from across Soweto.

Maile is one of the few shop owners Daily Maverick spoke to who owns a generator. In many cases, people can’t afford the equipment or the fuel.

“The only concern for me is making my customers happy,” said Maile.

Tebogo Sempu holds a bowl of potato chips. They have gone bad as a result of the blackouts.

“I normally preserve the potatoes with salt, but even that cannot go on for days on end. Eventually the potatoes will get spoilt,” said Sempu.

According to Sempu, the bowl of chips could make him four or five kotas, at a cost of R20 per kota. 

“As a result, I have lost between R80 and R100 just from that one bowl.”

Sempu said he lost a further R3,600 after rolling blackouts forced him to close his business for four days from Thursday last week. He resumed business on Tuesday.

“The load shedding schedule times coincide with my busiest times. During these times it’s crazy. Customers are phoning me to place their orders,” Sempu said.

“I blame no one but Eskom and the politicians. They are the cause of all our suffering,” Sempu said.

Sempu’s business is relatively new, having opened a few months ago. However, he has worked hard to establish himself as one of the best kota-makers in the area. His customers are local residents and workers in the retail stores in the area.

“My only worry is the power cuts. I have been out for four days already and I’m scared I might be forced to close down completely if the blackouts are intensified again,” he said.

Sempu said his loyalty to his customers stemmed from their support for his business. However, he is worried about the immediate future.

“My business will not survive any more load shedding.” Sempu employs an assistant to help prepare the food.

Eskom has said Stage 6 blackouts are likely to continue until Thursday. DM

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Blackouts are tough on these guys. Not nice to see any business suffer because of the incompetence of the ANC. I wonder who these people voted for in past elections. Hopefully not the ANC because obviously then they would have themselves to blame. Bheki, this was a good article as it shows what suffering and harm Blackouts cause to small businesses. What I would like to have known, is what these shop owners think of the idiots that cause the problem in the first place. Do they repeatedly support the ANC abusers at election time. I am interested as I have never understood why a victim of repeated abuse, more often than not reconciles with the abuser.

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