#PowerUp is a series of articles honing in on how South Africa’s electricity supply crisis is affecting young people.

Written by Lerato Jiyane

“It has cost me my job and my dignity.” These are the words of a devastated 24-year-old, Vutlhari Khosa, a former employee at an internet café in Lenasia. The café closed down due to load shedding – an experience he describes as heartbreaking. Khosa is no longer able to afford basic household goods and his friends – who are currently employed – no longer treat him as they did before, as they feel he will now be dependent on them. 

Young people in Lenasia have struggled tremendously due to load-shedding. Many continue to lose their jobs as businesses are closing or contracting because of the economic repercussions of blackouts. Others are losing hope in finding jobs as opportunities are scarce. Economic and electricity challenges are exacerbated by corruption and poor governance. Many corrupt acts also seem to be deliberate. One has to ask how the government expects young people to survive. This is the question on many people’s minds as more and more communities believe that the only way to express their frustration is by striking or holding a ‘go slow’. 

The lives of many young people have been affected negatively as they have had to drastically change their lifestyle – even forced to say goodbye to their social lives as having network coverage is now a luxury. Applying for vacancies online is also a real struggle, not to mention how easily food gets spoiled, leading to unnecessary waste and expenditure. 

The broader community is also severely affected as many youngsters end up putting themselves in debt by borrowing money from loan sharks just to make ends meet. Many young Lenasians say wryly that if Eskom continues to decline at this rate, they will have to revert to older methods of survival such as farming, cooking with fire, and relying on newspapers for vital information. One beacon of hope in Lenasia is an initiative being discussed by the community to switch to solar energy. Whatsapp group chats are ablaze with community members pleading for local solar businesses to kindly consider offering their services on an installment basis. Although many young people feel their future is in the dark, some are also venturing into entrepreneurship to sustain themselves. Here’s hoping there’s a silver lining for all of us!

Sheena Adams