Durban Chamber of Commerce concerned over SA’s energy crisis

The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC raised its concerns about the future state of businesses in the city, province and country with the current energy crisis and the possible fourth wave of the pandemic.

According to the chamber, businesses in eThekwini, and the economy at large, continue to face the crippling challenge of the energy crisis in South Africa.

“As the Durban Chamber, we need to see Eskom working closely with the public and private sector to develop innovative solutions aimed towards energy preservation,” said the chamber’s CEO, Palesa Phili.

The chamber said load-shedding, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic and the unrest, are all a lethal combination that is devastating the economy.

“As a country we are living in uncertainty, medical research experts continue to highlight the threat of the Covid-19 fourth wave, which is expected to hit our country during the festive season,” she said.

According to Phili, the number of infections continue to grow as South Africa has not reached herd immunity due to the large number of unvaccinated South Africans.

“The statistics, coupled with human behavior, is affecting our economy negatively. Many employees have not gone back to work, and several businesses in our SMME sector have been shut down, with little or no hope of them ever opening their doors,” she said.

She added the chamber is encouraged to see research is being conducted to overcome the energy crisis,

“The ongoing discussions on the use of fossil fuels versus advancing towards green energy is promising. This energy mix will help stabilise the economy and, ultimately, save businesses,” she said.

“Key areas need to be prioritised to ensure we rebuild. Our efforts need to be focused on repositioning and the sustainability of our economy,” she concluded.