Explosion at Heatherley Substation plunges parts of eastern Pretoria into darkness
Power outages hit parts of Pretoria east after lightning damaged Transformer C at Heatherley Substation, with the metro deploying repair teams while residents and businesses brace for extended electricity disruptions and uncertain restoration timelines.
Residents in parts of Pretoria east were left without electricity after Transformer C burned at the Heatherley Substation, with the metro confirming that a team has been assigned to attend to the damage.
The metro said the following areas are affected: Nellmapius Ext 3, 6, 7, 8 and 22, Pinnaarspoort, Savannah Estate, Greencreek, and The Blyde.
Ward 15 councillor Joel Masilela confirmed that power went off shortly after 22:00 on Thursday.
“The substation was struck by lightning and residents heard an explosion during the night,” he said.
@CityTshwane you have been hit by lightning at Heatherly substation. #poweroutage #outage #Heatherly pic.twitter.com/5h6AXSIZPE
— Martin (@9iceFacts) February 12, 2026
According to Masilela, the latest incident has had a major economic impact on residents, particularly small businesses in the township.
“People can’t afford not having electricity for such a long time. Food will go to waste and they will have to eat from hand to mouth and throw away food,” he said.
He explained that Transformer C at the Heatherley Substation is relatively new, and this is the second incident at the facility in recent months.
Masilela continued, “The metro has to tell us why the electrical infrastructure is vulnerable to criminals and such incidents. There are lightning protectors at the substation, but they are not in good use.
“These things need to be checked regularly, which is something the metro is failing to do,” he added.
He said he is in communication with the metro to explore whether it would be possible for residents to receive power through backfeeding from another substation.
On its official X page, the metro confirmed that Transformer C burned at the Heatherley Substation and that a team had been assigned to attend to the matter.
Residents and businesses have been advised to remain on high alert and prepare for severe power shortages and possible extended outages in the area.
An estimated time of restoration was not yet available at the time of publication.
#PowerAlert ⚡⚡⚠️
Transformer C burned at Hearthely Substation, a team has been assigned to attend.
The following areas are affected:
Nellmapius ext.3, ext.6, ext.7, ext.8, ext.22, Pinnaspoort, Spookpark, Savanah Estate, Greencreek and The Blydes.
ETR: Not yet available— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) February 13, 2026
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