‘n boer maak ‘n plan
Well, winter is just about here and there’s no relief from loadshedding in sight. In fact, most predictions are that it’s only going to get worse, particularly if we have some really cold snaps this winter.
In case you missed it, loadshedding here has been near constant since September last year. We’ve only had a few days off, mostly around holidays, over the last 8 months. This means we’ve been dealing with multiple 2 or 4 hours blackouts every day for almost 240 days.
Eish.
This constant loadshedding is not only a major annoyance, it also wears on your emotional health. When I first got here, it was Stage 2 (2-4 hours a day) with some Stage 4 (4-6 hours a day) mixed in. But in the last 8 months, it’s escalated to Stage 4 with extended periods of Stage 6.
Stage 6 is 8-10 hours a day of blackouts with at least one 4 hour block a day. Everyone has their least favorite block, and mine are the 4pm-8pm or 6pm-10pm… which really messes with dinner time. The rest of the day we can work around. Sure it’s still a moerse pyn, but it’s still somewhat manageable.
Now we’re looking at the possibility of Stage 8 or higher this winter. My fok, Marelize, Stage 8 is 12 hours a day…three 4 hour blocks spread throughout the day.
And higher? Right now Stage 8 is the maximum (that we know of) but there’s talk of going to Stages 9, 10, or even 11!
I can’t even begin to imagine what those would be like.
So there’s a saying here in South Africa… ‘n boer maak ‘n plan…a farmer makes a plan.
So, that’s what we’ve done.
Ons plan (Our Plan)
Living with loadshedding at this level (and possibly worse) isn’t for the weak. It requires you to be resourceful, flexible, and resilient.
Though if you ask some South Africans, we’re tired of being resilient…we’d love to have uninterrupted electricity…seis!
Here’s some of the things we’ve done that you can do in order to prepare for the possibilities:
Gas braai - Pretty much essential. I know braai purists (you know who you are) will say it’s cheating, but when loadshedding comes and it’s dinner for the two of us, this is great for making a quick meal. Plus I use it like an American BBQ grill, so there’s that.
Camp stove - Morning loadshedding stopping you from making coffee? Not any more. These handy little things run off of spray paint size cans of propane and are really efficient. They’re small and portable yet big enough to throw a frying pan or sauce pan on there to cook.
Rechargeable Light Bulbs - These have been a lifesaver. We recently bought some for R99 (~$5.50) each. They have battery backup and last for 2-4 hours. We got the really bright ones and put some more lamps around the house, which really made a difference this weekend.
Firewood - If you have a ‘real’ braai or a fireplace, this is another essential. We get a mix of ‘real’ wood and long burning logs (like Duraflame logs in the US) to keep the house warm on colder winter days…like this past weekend when it was cold and rainy.
Rechargeable Lights - Different than lightbulbs, these are portable lights (like the Magneto ones for R269, or ~$14 each), or ones that you can hang in the house. We have both. The latter we have in the bedroom with two led bulbs over the bed.
Head Torch - Yep. Great for navigating in the dark and reading in the dark and cooking outside in the dark and…well, you get it.
UPS for the Wi-Fi - Another essential, particularly if you work from home. Plus, as there’s no such thing as ‘unlimited data’ here as in the US, having Wi-Fi during loadshedding keeps you from chewing through your monthly data allotment…and, depending on where you live, keeps you connected to the rest of the world. Where we are, the cell signal isn’t that strong, and houses here have metal roofs which blunt the signal, so when the wi-fi is out…
Power Banks - Essential for keeping cell phones charged during the longer blackouts. We have a couple of these and keep them charged at all times.
…and then there’s other options…
Gas Space Heater - We just bought one of these R2-D2 size things recently. We have electric space heaters, but loadshedding, ya know, kinda turns them into nothing more than paperweights.
Inverter Trolley - This was our biggest purchase so far. This will keep the home office running during loadshedding. It ran us about R14k (~$775). Ours is a Lalela Lithium Ion Pure Sinewave Inverter, meaning it can fully charge in about an hour. Plus it’s big enough to run the office for anywhere from 10-20 hours depending on what’s being powered. We picked ours up from Incredible Connection and it’s now charged and ready to go. Best part is it’s got wheels, so we could roll it into the bedroom and use it to watch TV if we wanted.
Yet, In Spite of it All
We love our life here. Yes, loadshedding is a pain in the ass, but with preparation it’s manageable. It sucks that we have to manage it, but such is life. We have no plans to leave this amazing country where we’re truly living our best life. Longer term we’re looking at going off-grid with solar. Right now it’s a long waiting list, so while we wait, we improvise, adapt, and overcome.
Life is beautiful here and there’s nowhere we’d rather be.
So for now, ons sal 'n plan maak.
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