South Africa's state power utility, Eskom, has implemented its highest level of nationwide power cuts to reduce pressure on the grid after two more of its aging power plants broke down. South Africans will be forced to go up to nine hours a day without electricity, putting a severe strain on Africa's most industrialized economy. On Sunday, officials from state power utility Eskom warned that the country could be heading for even higher stages of what's known here as "loadshedding" — scheduled blackouts to save energy. The cash-strapped and debt-ridden power utility relies on aging coal plants that are prone to breakdowns. If South Africa's energy crisis persists, there will be massive damage to the economy, which has already been badly hit by the pandemic, with the official unemployment currently at 33.9 percent.

Source: Ethiopian News September 20, 2022 03:08 UTC