A number of articles have now hit the press indicating that Eskom has been burning through billions in diesel in an attempt to keep votes with the ANC in the run-up to elections. The original loan from the Chinese in order to keep Eskom afloat, is also in jeopardy as what the money is supposed to be used for and is currently being used for (buying diesel by the stadium full) are material terms of the agreement not being adhered to by Eskom (aka the ANC government).
Had the government of the day invested the kind of money into renewables, that they have thrown down the proverbial toilet at Kusile and Medupi, we would not be in our current situation. The kind of money we are talking about here would have comfortably brought more megawatts on line, cheaper, cleaner and way more sustainable than the money pit that is Eskom’s latest trick. I am sure Dire Straits don’t mind if I use that line as the earworm reverberates in my head and i type this commentary.
The bottom line is that you cannot rely on the ANC to fix this, they just do not know how. Even if they could, it will take 5-7 years to bring the grid back to a point where it is the reliable (and once cheapest in the world) power source it once was, pre-2005. As a business, this is not only a relatively quick fix for most of your power needs, it also buys you independence and security. Your competitors are already trying to turn this into an advantage, productivity is one major one.
Take the plunge, or are you going to rely on the government to sort it out.
https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/eskom-spent-r474bn-on-diesel-in-the-past-10-years-20190505