Dark times for local businesses

THE new load shedding schedule heralds a dark day for local businesses, triggering fears of financial losses and creating a window of opportunity for criminal attacks.

This according to interviews held by the Zululand Observer with various local business owners, who predict the national blackout is the beginning of the end for their businesses.

With speculation that the outages will reach Stage 3 in the near future, which means more hours without electricity, businesses owners say this will have a negative impact on their trading and will affect their customers adversely.

Most owners believe the outages should be done after working hours.

‘These blackouts greatly inconvenience our businesses, especially because they don’t stick to the proper schedule. What we do, is our only source of income. We can’t get customers without electricity, and that means we don’t generate income to pay for rent and earn no money to feed our families,’ said barber shop owner Sipho Zikhali.

For restaurants and fast food outlets, the ‘dark hours’ mean a change of menu.

‘We cannot serve everything on our menus anymore. When the electricity is off, food in our refrigeration system becomes rotten. That means loss to the restaurant and customers can’t get what they want,’ said Blue Ridge Spur Manager, Khetha Mthembu.

He also encouraged other businesses to save electricity.

‘It’s always a good practice to switch off all machinery that is not being used. It saves power and makes good business sense,’ said Mthembu.

eSikhaleni Spar Manager, Shaun Moodley, said the darkness creates a window for criminals.

‘Security cameras don’t work when the electricity is off, and criminals have a field day. Even though we have generators, the cost is even higher than the income we generate. The cost of petrol is high and we run at a loss,’ he said.