- Almost nine in 10 South Africans (87%) say the government is doing a poor job of providing a reliable electricity supply, a 24-percentage-point increase from the last Afrobarometer survey in 2021 (Figure 1). Most (69%) say it is performing “very badly.”
- Half (51%) of citizens say they would be willing to pay more for electricity in exchange for better services, while about one-third (32%) disagree (Figure 2).
- Support for paying more for electricity to receive better services is particularly strong among residents of KwaZulu-Natal (66%). It is weakest in the Eastern Cape (37%) and among the poorest respondents (41% of those experiencing high lived poverty) and those with no formal education (33%) (Figure 3).
- Almost six in 10 South Africans (59%) “agree” or “strongly agree” that Eskom must be privatised to ensure effectiveness in the supply of electricity. Only 25% “disagree” or “strongly disagree” (Figure 4).
- Three-fourths (76%) of citizens say the government should allow other actors to generate and distribute electricity. Only 13% disagree (Figure 5).
About three-fifths of South Africans say Eskom must be privatised to ensure an effective supply of electricity in the country, a new Afrobarometer survey indicates.
An even greater proportion of citizens believe that the government monopoly on electricity provision should be ended to allow other actors to generate and distribute power in South Africa.
Citizens say the government is performing poorly in providing a reliable supply of electricity, and a plurality indicate that they would be willing to pay more for electricity in exchange for better services, rather than paying less and receiving poor services.
South Africa is in the throes of an electricity crisis, with daily “load-shedding” that is crippling an already ailing economy.
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