Soweto residents claim they can't afford rising electricity costs

Some Soweto residents complained on Wednesday that they simply can't afford the rising costs of electricity, with many sharing that they survive solely on social grants.

Ntombizodwa Ranyadi was part of the Soweto Cultural Senior Citizens Organisation, which on Wednesday joined environmental group Earthlife to protest Eskom’s tariff hikes outside the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) offices in Pretoria.

The demonstration coincided with Wednesday’s deadline for public comment on proposed hikes for the 2026/2027 financial year.

Ranyadi said NERSA and Eskom needed to be sympathetic.

“Many homes are child headed, many children lost their parents from chronic diseases while others during COVID 19, all they survive on is grants so how will they pay for electricity,” she said.

She added that many people living in her area could not afford to make ends meet.

“There is constant load shedding and there are people who live on oxygen machines that they can only use if its plugged in and some of those families don't have people who are working,” Ranyadi said.