South Africa’s ongoing electricity crisis has become the central obstacle to growth, job creation, and basic quality of life. Persistent load-shedding disrupts factories, schools, and hospitals, while undermining investor confidence and making it difficult for businesses to expand or hire. The need for a stable, affordable, and modern energy supply is now urgent, and adopting sensible energy policies is at the heart of any recovery strategy.

Polling shows that South Africans want practical solutions, not ideology, from their leaders. The majority of citizens support a policy that provides “cheap and reliable energy regardless of whether it comes from coal, wind, solar, or nuclear power stations” rather than rigid commitments to any one technology or politically driven agenda. Experience in successful economies confirms that flexibility, market competition, and openness to all proven energy sources are critical for reliable supply and reasonable prices.

Current policy has often swung between uncertainty and over-regulation, delaying investment in new generation and maintenance. Complex procurement processes, rigid mandates, and resistance to private sector participation have contributed to underinvestment and repeated system failures. The results are visible in South Africa’s deteriorating infrastructure, growing power cuts, and rising costs for both households and firms.

A sensible energy policy would prioritise stability and affordability by enabling greater private participation, investing in grid upgrades, and allowing the most efficient mix of technologies to compete. Removing unnecessary barriers, streamlining approvals, and creating a clear long-term vision for the sector would unlock new investment, drive down prices, and end the cycle of crisis.

Viewed through the lens of policy reform, South Africa’s path to ending blackouts and driving growth lies in practical, inclusive energy strategies that favour results over dogma.