The Dolphin Coast is assured that the lights and electricity will stay on in the coming festive season.

Following months of repairs and maintenance work by the KwaDukuza electrical team to strengthen the local power network, municipal officials made the assurance at a meeting of the KDM southern electrical network task team last week. The task team includes representatives from the Dolphin Coast Ratepayers and Residents Association (Docrra), iLembe Chamber of Commerce and major estates.

Last December, Ballito, Salt Rock and nearby areas faced long power outages during the peak holiday period. The blackouts disrupted businesses, spoiled holiday plans and caused major frustration for residents and visitors. In response, Docrra lodged a formal complaint with the electricity regulator, Nersa, demanding action to prevent another crisis.

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At the meeting, municipal officials rated the chance of a stable power supply at 80%, saying that key problem areas had been fixed. These include choke points at Imbonini, Shakaskraal, and Sheffield.

Maintenance work has also been stepped up, including streetlight repairs, tree trimming, and quicker responses to faults. All substation breakers and transformers have been serviced, and lithium batteries installed to strengthen backup supply during high demand. Work is also underway to connect Brettenwood and Elaleni estates to the Sheffield substation to improve reliability.

However, some concerns with the network remain. The Dukuza substation project is still delayed due to a funding shortage, with about R180-million needed to complete phase two. Efforts to secure national funding have so far been unsuccessful.

Flip Helberg, chairperson of Docrra’s electricity subcommittee, said their complaint to Nersa led to a national audit and better co-operation with KDM.

“Persistent pressure resulted in real change. The new Nersa electricity end-user forum will help strengthen partnerships between business, residents, and the municipality.”

iLembe Chamber CEO Cobus Oelofse said another meeting has been scheduled for November.

“While the 80% preparedness is encouraging, it doesn’t mean things can’t go wrong. However, we are much better prepared to respond to any outages compared to last year,” said Oelofse.

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