The World Cup Was a Reminder: South Africa Can Keep the Lights On

By Mkhatswa Shantel

SOUTH AFRICA: Let us be honest with each other. For years, South Africans have been told that load-shedding is simply “the new normal”. That our ageing power stations are beyond saving. That we should accept the darkness, buy candles, invest in generators and get on with our lives.

Then something remarkable happened.

As millions of South Africans followed Bafana Bafana during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which ran from June to July, the country experienced a period of improved electricity stability. The tournament itself was hosted in the United States, Mexico and Canada, but its matches brought renewed attention to South Africa’s ability to keep the power system running during a major national sporting moment.

For many households and businesses, that taste of normality mattered.

It reminded us that reliable electricity is not an impossible dream. It is something South Africans should be able to expect.

A Nation Holds Its Breath, Then Breathes

When Bafana Bafana travelled to the World Cup, South Africans once again had a reason to gather around their televisions, follow the fixtures and support the national team.

There was no shortage of anxiety. South Africans know too well what it feels like to plan a major event around an electricity schedule.

But this time, the bigger story was happening beyond the football.

Eskom was reporting improvements in the performance of the national grid. The utility said its Generation Recovery Plan had helped return more than 5GW of generating capacity over three years, while unplanned outages had fallen significantly. By July, Eskom reported that its Energy Availability Factor had risen to 65.46%, compared with 58.94% during the same period the previous year.

That matters because electricity stability is not just about whether someone can watch a football match.

It affects whether a small business can operate, whether food remains refrigerated, whether students can study, whether medical facilities can function properly and whether households can get through an ordinary evening without worrying about when the power will disappear.

For shop owners and spaza shopkeepers, reliable electricity means refrigerators can keep food and drinks cold without relying constantly on expensive generators.

For students, it means being able to study without having to depend on candles, torches or charged phones.

For small businesses, it means more predictable working hours and less money spent on alternative power sources.

For families, it means being able to cook, work, study and rest without constantly checking an electricity schedule.

That is what reliable electricity should look like.

It should not feel like a miracle.

So, How Did We Get Here?

Eskom’s recent improvement did not happen overnight.

The utility has pointed to its Generation Recovery Plan, improved maintenance, reduced unplanned outages and the return of generating capacity as some of the reasons behind the stronger performance.

In July, Eskom said more than 1.19 million customers had been removed from load-reduction schedules, while Limpopo became the sixth province to be declared free from load reduction.

These developments show that targeted interventions can make a difference.

But they also raise an uncomfortable question.

If maintenance, planning and operational improvements can produce better results, why did South Africans have to endure years of unreliable electricity before seeing these improvements?

The answer cannot simply be that the country was unlucky.

South Africa has engineers, technicians, workers, infrastructure and energy resources. What has often been missing is consistency.

Maintaining the power system cannot become a priority only when the country is under pressure.

But We Should Not Celebrate Too Early

There is another side to the story.

A period of improved electricity supply does not mean South Africa’s electricity crisis has been permanently solved.

Eskom continues to face ageing infrastructure, maintenance challenges and pressure from winter demand. The utility’s own figures show that while generation performance has improved, work remains to strengthen the reliability and sustainability of the system.

That is why South Africans should welcome the progress without becoming complacent.

Those weeks of improved stability should be viewed as evidence of what is possible, not as proof that the problem has disappeared.

The lesson is simple: when maintenance is prioritised, when generation improves and when there is accountability, the system can perform better.

What We Can Learn From This

For ordinary South Africans, the electricity crisis can sometimes feel too big to influence.

But communities can still play their part.

Keep emergency lights, phones and power banks charged when electricity is available. Stay informed about Eskom and municipal electricity updates. Support local businesses that have spent years absorbing the costs of unreliable electricity.

Most importantly, keep asking questions.

Why are certain power stations performing better than others?

What is being done to maintain ageing infrastructure?

How much is being invested in new generation?

What is being done to ensure that improvements are sustainable?

These are not political questions reserved for experts.

They are questions about our daily lives.

We Deserve Better

South Africans have become experts at adapting to electricity shortages.

We charge our phones whenever the power comes back. We cook ahead of time. We keep candles in drawers. We buy rechargeable lights. Businesses purchase generators and inverters. Students change their study schedules.

We have adapted so much that we sometimes forget that this should never have been normal.

Reliable electricity is not a luxury.

It is essential infrastructure.

It supports education, healthcare, businesses, employment and household life.

The improved electricity performance seen during the World Cup period therefore offers more than a reason to celebrate. It offers a reminder.

South Africa can do better.

The challenge now is to make reliable electricity the everyday reality rather than the exception.

The World Cup may have given South Africans another reason to come together around football, but the bigger lesson lies beyond the pitch.

We should not be satisfied with a few weeks of stability.

We should demand a power system that works every week, every month and every year.

Because keeping the lights on should not require a World Cup.

It should simply be the standard.