Load-shedding, water and backup power in Cape Town: what to check before you rent

Power cuts have largely gone quiet, but Cape Town's real worry for 2026–27 is water, so check both before you sign a lease.

The short version

• Eskom reported about 476 days without load-shedding by early September 2026 and got through the winter without it [3]. That's a run, not a promise.
• When load-shedding does happen, the City of Cape Town can often shield its own customers from the first stages, using its Steenbras hydro pumped storage scheme [4]. Homes supplied directly by Eskom don't get that buffer.
• Every solar PV or battery system in the City's supply area must be authorised by the City, and since 1 October 2023 new systems must use a City-approved inverter and be signed off by a professional [5].
• No water restrictions were in force when we checked in November 2026, but the dams were at 75.7% on 1 October 2026, below the roughly 80% usually needed to avoid them, and restrictions were under consideration [6][7].
• Before you rent, ask whether the property is City- or Eskom-supplied, whether any inverter is authorised, and how the water meter and geyser work.

Load-shedding in 2026: where things stand

If you followed the news from back home in Blighty a few years ago, you'll remember the stories: rolling blackouts of two to four hours at a time, up to Stage 6, with restaurants running on diesel generators and traffic lights out across the city. The FCDO still warns that power cuts can knock out traffic lights, alarms and petrol stations, and that this can raise the risk of crime [1].

The picture is far better now. Government figures published on 7 September 2026 say the national grid had gone some 476 days without load-shedding, that Eskom kept the lights on through the whole of winter 2026, and that unplanned breakdowns at its power stations had fallen from about 34% to about 19% [3]. Eskom's energy availability factor was the highest since 2020 [3].

Two caveats are worth keeping in mind:

• "Load reduction" is different. In some high-density areas with heavy illegal connections or unpaid bills, Eskom switches power off locally at peak times. The same September 2026 figures say this had ended for about 72% of the customers once affected, with roughly 30,000 still affected across the Eastern and Western Cape [3]. It rarely touches the suburbs where most Brits rent, but it's worth knowing the term.
• A long run isn't a guarantee. Plan for the odd outage anyway. Most Capetonians who lived through 2022–23 still keep a torch, a power bank and a gas hob or camping stove handy.

City customers vs Eskom customers

This matters more than most newcomers realise. Most of Cape Town buys its electricity from the City, which buys in bulk from Eskom. Some areas, though, are supplied by Eskom directly. During past load-shedding, the City could shave one or two stages off Eskom's schedule for its own customers by running the Steenbras hydro pumped storage scheme, though its ability to do so tailed off at the higher stages [4]. It has also been buying power from independent producers to widen that protection [8].

So when you're flat-hunting, ask the agent or landlord: "Is this property on City or Eskom supply?" The answer is on the electricity bill or the prepaid meter. City customers check schedules on the City's website and app; Eskom customers follow Eskom's own schedule.

Inverters, batteries and solar: doing it properly

During the worst years, half of Cape Town seemed to fit an inverter and batteries, often with solar panels on the roof. Lots of rentals now come with one, which is handy, but you should know the rules.

The City says all solar PV systems installed in its supply area must be authorised, under the City of Cape Town Electricity Supply By-law, 2010 [5]. Since 1 October 2023:

• all new solar PV or battery applications are treated as grid-tied systems
• the inverter must be on the City's approved list
• a professional must sign the installation off
• it must be authorised before it's switched on
• the City no longer accepts applications for standby or off-grid systems [5]

Some things don't need authorisation at all: solar water heaters, solar garden and security lights, and portable plug-in "UPS trolley" inverters [5]. A trolley inverter is a decent stopgap for a renter: it keeps the Wi-Fi router, a laptop and a lamp going without touching the wiring.

Selling surplus power back

If your system exports to the grid, the City can credit you through its feed-in tariff, which it markets as Cash for Power. You'll need a special meter, and there are extra costs for feeding in, so it suits bigger systems more than a couple of panels [5]. Applications go through the City's Energy Services platform on e-Services.

Source: City of Cape Town, "Going solar" [5].

If you're renting, ask the landlord for a copy of the City's authorisation for any installed system. An unauthorised system is the owner's problem in law, but a badly wired one is your problem when it trips, overheats or voids the buildings insurance.

The geyser (the hot-water cylinder, usually in the roof) is the single biggest electricity user in most South African homes. The City has long asked residents to set geysers to 60°C or put them on a timer [4]. Check whether yours has a timer or a smart switch; it's the easiest saving there is.

Water: the dams, the restrictions and Day Zero

Every Brit who arrives in Cape Town hears about "Day Zero", the 2018 drought when the city came close to turning off the taps. The lessons stuck. Locals still flush with shower water in dry spells, and the City still talks about water the way the NHS talks about winter pressures.

Here's where things stood when we checked:

• No formal restrictions. The City says restrictions haven't been in effect since 1 November 2020. When we rechecked on 11 November 2026, its restrictions page still said none were in place, but put the city in "Early Drought Caution" and said the risk of restrictions had increased [7].
• Early drought caution. The same page says the City's water resource status is in "Early Drought Caution", with dam levels about 10% below the previous year and a usage target of under 860 million litres a day across the city [7].
• Dams below the comfort line. On 1 October 2026 the dams stood at 75.7%, 16% lower than a year earlier, with daily use at 895 million litres. Dams typically need to be at 80% or more by the end of the rainy season on 31 October to avoid restrictions [6].
• Who decides. The national Department of Water and Sanitation sets restrictions for the whole Western Cape supply system, shared with neighbouring towns and farmers, and was weighing up the position in October 2026 [6]. The City's weekly water dashboard of 2 November 2026 said it was still discussing the possible need for formal restrictions.

The City estimated that households needed to cut use by at least 10% through the summer and into winter 2027 [6]. Dams dropped by about 40% over the previous summer because of peak demand [6]. In plain terms: expect restrictions to be a live possibility during your first year.

If restrictions return, they come in numbered levels, with rules on garden watering, filling pools and washing cars, and a higher water tariff for each level. The City publishes a summary table on its restrictions page [7]. Permanent water-use regulations apply even when there are no restrictions, so ask your landlord or body corporate how the garden irrigation is set up.

Boreholes, wellpoints and greywater

Many houses in the southern and northern suburbs have a borehole or wellpoint. The City asks owners to register them, and then sends a free sign that must be displayed where the public can see it. Properties using greywater, spring water or rainwater must also put up the City's non-drinking water sign [7].

What to check before you rent

1. Supply: City or Eskom? Prepaid or monthly billed? Who tops up the prepaid meter, and how?
2. Backup: Is there an inverter? Ask for the City authorisation and when the batteries were last serviced or replaced.
3. Geyser: Electric, solar, heat pump or gas? Is there a timer?
4. Gas: Many kitchens have a gas hob. Ask for the gas certificate of conformity.
5. Water: Is the meter separate or shared? Is there a borehole, wellpoint or tank, and is it registered?
6. Security: Do the electric fence, gate motor and alarm have battery backup? Gate motors are the classic thing that fails when the power goes.
7. Lease wording: Who pays to repair or replace inverter batteries? Put it in writing.

Our guide to renting in Cape Town covers the lease itself, and the cost of living in Cape Town guide covers utility bills. The FCDO's Living in South Africa guide is a sensible general checklist for the move itself [2]. For local tips from people who've fitted (and regretted) every kind of inverter, try our community group for Brits in South Africa.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): South Africa travel advice – safety and security (updated 5 November 2026, still current at 7 November 2026)
2. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in South Africa
3. SAnews (South African Government News Agency): Eskom carries South Africa through load shedding free winter (7 September 2026)
4. City of Cape Town: City aims to protect customers from two stages of load-shedding this week (18 September 2022)
5. City of Cape Town: Going solar
6. City of Cape Town: Dam levels at 75,7% going into final month of the rainy season (2 October 2026)
7. City of Cape Town: Water restrictions explained (checked 11 November 2026)
8. Cape Business News: Cape Town's power procurement aims for four stages of load-shedding protection (January 2023)

Keep reading

• Renting in Cape Town
• Safety in Cape Town: FCDO advice and everyday precautions
• Cost of living in Cape Town
• Moving abroad checklist for Brits