FAQ

You may or may not have heard about the term “Loadshedding”, in South Africa. Loadshedding has been implemented to distribute the demand for electrical power across multiple power sources. When the demand for electricity is higher than what the primary power source can supply, this technique is used used to relieve stress on the primary energy source. Customers are grouped together into “zones” and their power supply is limited by the operator. Homes and businesses are affected, as the power in the designated zone’s electricity conductors is then turned off and on intermittently until the network is stabilised.

There are different stages of load shedding that determine how many times a day your area will be affected, as well as the period of time, whether 2 or 4 hours at a time. The best way to keep track of the load shedding schedule in your particular area is to follow https://loadshed.org/ or download the ESP EskomSePush App for Apple or Android.

Thankfully, as a property or business owner, there is the option of having a generator or an inverter and a battery available on their premises. However, these come at an incredible expense, where it is then weighed up against the benefit gained or lost during power cuts. A diesel operated generator can either power the entire building or selected items, depending on the size and output of the generator. An inverter and battery also serves as a backup power source, allowing you to continue using certain electrical appliances and devices. It’s important to note that the capacity of the inverter and the battery will determine the number of appliances and the duration for which you can use them during a power cut. Most inverters also have a solar / photovoltaic (PV). A solar or photovoltaic (PV) inverter is a crucial component of a solar power system. Its primary function is to convert the direct current (DC) electricity generated by solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity that can be used to power the home or fed into the grid. 

Higher-capacity inverters with larger batteries can support more devices and provide power for a longer duration.

Certain properties have a generator or inverter on site. There are also certain coffee shops/restaurants that have a generator or inverter, with their WiFi fully operational during these times, should you be happy to simply step out to one of these spots in order to get work done. This is a vital factor to consider when determining which home/apartment and location is best for you to not lose out on productivity during these power outages.

When the property does not have a generator or inverter, the minimum requirement should be whether the property has a small battery backup box for the Wi-Fi router, often referred to as Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) or battery backup device. This works by providing a temporary power source to keep your router and internet connection running during a power outage, in order to continue working on your laptop.

It’s almost obvious and one of the most important factors to consider when looking for a spot to work remotely. Make sure to check what internet connection the home/apartment has or whether there is WiFi access. As well as the speed and stability of the connection to avoid a lagging nightmare! You can ask the owners of the property to do a speed test here.  If the connection at home is not that much of a priority, you could also check public work spaces or coffee shops nearby.

Fibre connection is quite common in South Africa and as a result, the download and upload speed usually is very good (Download > 100 Mbps / Upload > 25 Mbps) so you shouldn’t run into any problems. The stability is also great. However, in some cases the latency can become a small issue when connecting to overseas servers. The following are a number of factors that may affect latency -> Distance, Network Infrastructure, Routing, Internet Service Provider (ISP), Internet Traffic Congestion, and Network Configuration.