DALL·E 2023-02-07 10.12.40 - south african zulu woman in energy crisis at night

Fix for power crisis

South Africa’s energy crisis is a result of a combination of factors including a lack of investment in new power generation, an aging infrastructure, and increased demand for electricity. The country relies heavily on coal-fired power plants, which are becoming less efficient and more expensive to maintain. Additionally, a lack of maintenance and underinvestment in the country’s power grid has resulted in frequent blackouts and power outages.

AI-generated image of south african woman braving energy crisis

The government has attempted to address the crisis by implementing measures to increase the country’s generation capacity, including investing in renewable energy sources and initiating the construction of new power plants. However, these efforts have been hindered by a lack of funding and political opposition.

The energy crisis has had a significant impact on the South African economy, with businesses and households facing increased electricity costs and reduced access to power. The situation has also led to widespread job losses, as companies struggle to remain operational in the face of electricity shortages.

In conclusion, South Africa’s energy crisis is a complex issue that requires sustained effort and investment from both the government and private sector to resolve. It is essential that the country finds a sustainable solution to its energy problems to ensure its long-term economic stability and growth.

While you and I cannot solve it what you can do is be better prepared for load-shedding

Here are a couple of devices that can help you manage load-shedding

Tiger - Showmax

Power Up during load-shedding

Its a Friday morning, you are tired from binge watching all seasons on Superstore the previous night. You have bags under your eyes but the show must go on. You grab a strong cup of coffee and log onto your laptop to see what work you have planned for the day. A bit of emails and a bit of streaming? That sounds perfect, maybe Showmax has a new season of Tiger you wonder…

Tiger - Showmax

At this point you really thank your lucky stars that you have an uncapped 20mb line with Telkom and can stream and do meetings all day.

Its 10am and you get a WhatsApp that your area wont have power from 1pm-4pm

This is a complete disaster, you have back to back meetings from 1pm and now you have to spend more money and buy more data

Does this story sound familar?

What if you had a mini-UPS just to keep your router going during load-shedding/Power-cuts? Just a small device you can plug in and can keep your router going for 3-4 hours

ratel 418

But then how do you pick the right Mini-UPS for you?

There are two factors to consider

1-How many devices need to be powered up for your internet connection? Do you have a fibre modem that plugs into the router?

2-What voltage and current does your router and/or modem consume?

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Solution 1 : Ratel 418 Mini-UPS

The RATEL 418

-Comes with an adjustable 9/12V DC output selector so if your router uses a 12V or 9V input that will not be an issue.

-(4x2200ma Li-Ion) for 4-5 hours outer standby time 

-Also comes with a POE interface for VOIP phones

This is a great solution if your internet provider provides you with a 3G/4G/LTE router that you slot a SIM card into.

Solution 2 – RATEL 430S Mini-UPS 30W

RATEL 430S
  • 30W DC-to-DC micro UPS with USB, DC & Power over Ethernet (P.O.E) charging options
  • Selectable DC output voltages of 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 24V
  • 4 x 2200mA Li-Ion batteries ensure the system lasts for 3 hours at 20W load
  • It has a 5V USB output, 9/12V DC output and 4x12V outputs for all your router needs.
  • Has an input for a Solar Panel

With this device you can plug your Fibre modem and router as it has 4X 12V outputs