Load-Shedding Costs --- and Benefits

We learned a new word living in South Africa this time: load-shedding. 

Electricity supply is not keeping up with demand in South Africa.  So, this time (unlike 2012), we experienced frequent power outages.  Load-shedding is the word used here for rolling power outages that occur in different parts of the city – two hours at a shot.  They are somewhat planned.  Schedules are announced.   Sometimes posted schedules are accurate; sometimes not.  So you’re never quite sure when load-shedding is going to hit.

Of course, many jokes circulated about load-shedding.  My favorite was this one.  Radio Announcer:  I have some good news and some bad news.  First, the bad news:  “The shit is going to hit the fan.”   Now, the good news:  “Because of load-shedding, the fan will not be running.”

Load-shedding happened all semester.  One of our students, Betsy King, became the load-shedding expert.  If you needed to know what the announced power outage schedule was on any day, you only needed to ask her.

High Costs of Load-shedding.  As exam week and due dates for class papers loomed, you could hear the groans swell whenever the power went out.  University classes would be canceled.  And, businesses were highly affected.  Imagine being a restaurant – and frequently having to shut down for hours.

A piece of Aya's work

One person we knew was hit disproportionately hard.  You may remember our friend – Aya – who lives in New Brighton township and is a potter.  We visited her home studio several times in 2012 – and again this year.  She uses an electric kiln to fire her pottery.  And, living in the township means that her electricity outages were sometimes even more frequent.   Imagine losing not only two hours of electricity, but a whole kiln of your livelihood.  Sometimes she would lose up to two week’s worth of her work.

Jim,  Aya, Connie, and Aya's sister

Unexpected Benefits of Load-shedding.  When our students first heard that wifi was spotty here and that there would be no electricity for hours at a time, their first reaction was … panic!  As Taylor Haag put it so eloquently:  “We’re gonna die!”   But, starting from the very first outage, load-shedding turned out to have its advantages. 

The students would gather in someone’s candle-lit room and tell each other life stories.  They’d sing. They’d play box games.  Sometimes, when the lights came back on, they’d groan and turn the lights back out again!  Many have talked about the value of being ‘un-plugged’ from their phones, computers, Facebook – and being really present HERE.   A few are talking about artificially creating a “load-shedding” night once a month when they get back home.    I hope they do it!