MANAGING CRISIS WHEN THE LIGHTS TURN OFF
from completely collapsing .
expected
“ If South Africa experienced a complete blackout , it would take us two weeks to restart the system ,” Dr . Steve Lennon , sustainability executive for Eskon . “ The consequences would be severe across the entire country and in every sector .”
So , what would that mean for South Africa ’ s economy ? To put it plainly : not great things .
As previously stated , blackouts can derail industry production . On
‘ Under the direction of a new CEO , Eskom is looking to increase its capacity through new plants and upgraded infrastructure .’ top of that , it also can drive industry from the region , as skepticism could cause businesses to think twice before moving in . This effectively halts any economic growth in the region .
“ Eskom is in dire straits ,” Teneo Intelligence ’ s southern Africa risk analyst Anne Fruhauf said . “ South Africa cannot dream of reaching a higher-growth path without an increase in baseload capacity .”
As Eskom provides more than 95 % of the country ’ s electricity , it ’ s very aware of the issue .
“ Eskom is committed to keeping the lights on whilst at the same time maintaining a sound basis for sustainable operations ,” the company told Burkhart in an email .
Under the direction of a new CEO , Eskom is looking to increase its capacity through new plants and upgraded infrastructure . However , these efforts have been marred by setbacks and construction delays .
There is certainly support behind the company , as failure simply isn ’ t an option .
“ It has to succeed ,” Eskom ’ s former CEO Jacob Maroga told Burkhart . “ It ’ s the heartbeat of the economy .”
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