Eskom blight hits Xmas

Uncertainty about the power supply and the prospect of blackouts could rob retailers of their seasonal cheer this Christmas.

The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned yesterday that power outages would be bad news for retail businesses, most of which depend on festive season sales to carry them through the slow first quarter of the new year.

Eskom declared a "power emergency" late yesterday, requiring large industrial customers to "urgently reduce electricity usage by 10% from 3pm to 8pm".

The utility said the national power system experienced an increase in demand due to the weather and increased load losses as a result of the tripping of generators at the Majuba and Matimba power stations.

Some parts of the country were without electricity over the weekend as the power shortage worsened to stage two.

At stage one, an outage was likely to be required for two hours every second day; at stage two, loading-shedding would be for two hours daily.

This is the third time this year that the parastatal has had to resort to load-shedding.

"The biggest problem for business is uncertainty," said Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Neren Rau.

"There have been instances of Eskom and local municipalities releasing conflicting schedules.

"You need to be able to tell your customers when you will open for business again, and if you don't know, you can't tell your customers. That is a major issue."

Braamfontein, Johannesburg' s second CBD, is a beloved destination for many on Saturdays but Daleah Arvanitis - owner of popular coffee spot Daleah's - had to watch many a customer walk on by this weekend.

"The power was out all day on Saturday and that is our busiest day. We had to turn people away because we don't have generators - they are too expensive," Arvanitis said.

Power cuts also forced Braamfontein's Smokehouse & Grill restaurant to close.

Owner Nick Catzavelos had to turn at least 13 tables of customers away when the restaurant started filling with smoke because the extractor fan had stopped working.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported an increase in trade activity last month, which suggested "building blocks for a good festive season", but load-shedding could hamper that growth, according to Rau.

"It is worrying that energy supply might not be able to carry us through this stage of heightened retail activity," he said.

"Many of these businesses have had a tough year and they look to this time of the year to improve their profitability."