Cape Town to implement an 8-hour power outage on Saturday
The City of Cape Town has announced a critical power outage affecting several coastal suburbs as part of essential maintenance of high-voltage…
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The City of Cape Town has announced a critical power outage affecting several coastal suburbs as part of essential maintenance of high-voltage infrastructure.
The planned work will run from 22:00 on Saturday, 22 August until 6:00 the following morning. Should conditions not allow the maintenance to proceed as scheduled, an alternate date of Saturday, 29 August, has been set aside, as the work is weather-dependent. The city has warned that the stated timeframe is only an estimate, and restoration could take longer than planned, given the complexity of the high-voltage work involved.
Areas set to be affected by the power outage
Sea Point, Camps Bay, Clifton and Signal Hill are among the areas expected to feel the impact of the outage, with both the blue and purple sections on the City’s outage map affected. Residents in surrounding areas may also experience disruptions, even if their suburb is not listed directly. Those wanting to check whether their specific street falls within the affected zone can consult the city’s area outage map.
The city has stressed that supply interruptions will be limited strictly to the mapped areas and only on the confirmed dates, meaning households outside these zones should not expect any disruption to their electricity supply.
Safety precautions for residents
Because power could be restored at any point during the maintenance window, the city has urged residents to treat all electrical installations as live throughout the full duration of the works. As a precautionary measure, households are encouraged to switch off appliances before the outage begins, reducing the risk of damage from power surges once the supply is reconnected.
The city has apologised for any inconvenience the maintenance may cause and thanked residents in advance for their patience and cooperation during the upgrade work. Officials say the interruption is necessary to enhance the overall quality and reliability of electricity supply to the affected suburbs going forward.
Residents are advised to plan for the outage, particularly those relying on electricity for essential medical or security equipment, and to keep an eye on official City communications in case the maintenance date shifts to the alternate slot at the end of August.