Johannesburg residents are being warned to brace for a new wave of power interruptions next week — but this time, it’s not loadshedding.
City Power has announced a series of planned and emergency maintenance outages across several parts of the city from Monday, 10 November to Wednesday, 12 November 2025, as part of efforts to upgrade ageing infrastructure and improve long-term electricity reliability.
While the utility says the work is essential, residents and businesses are preparing for yet another week of disruption in a city already stretched by frequent power instability.
Monday: Midrand and Roodepoort Go Dark
The week begins with two major 8-hour outages on Monday, 10 November.
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In Midrand (Region A), emergency maintenance will take place at the Rabie Ridge Switching Station from 9am to 5pm, affecting Aasvoël Street and nearby areas.
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Over in the west, Roodepoort will undergo planned work at the Roodepoort Substation from 8am to 4pm, impacting:
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Roodepoort CBD
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Davidsonville
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Goudrand
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Matholesville
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City Power has urged residents to unplug sensitive electronics, as power could be restored earlier than scheduled without notice.
Tuesday: Inner City Feels the Pinch
On Tuesday, 11 November, maintenance work at the Karzene Substation will cut power from 8am to 4pm across key parts of the inner city, including:
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Khayelitsha
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Betty Street
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Durban Street West
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Durban Street
For many downtown businesses, the blackout means another day of running generators, relying on backup batteries, or closing early — a familiar sight for Joburg’s CBD.
Wednesday: Braamfontein Next in Line
The maintenance drive will wrap up on Wednesday, 12 November, when Braamfontein faces an 8-hour outage from 8am to 4pm.
Affected areas include:
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Wits University
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Station Street
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Jorissen Street
With Braamfontein’s student population and café culture, the cuts are expected to slow Wi-Fi access, cashless payments, and daily operations.
City Power Apologises — and Warns Residents
City Power has apologised for the inconvenience, saying these works are part of a broader plan to reduce unplanned breakdowns and improve fault response times.
“Power may be restored at any time,” the utility said in a statement. “Always treat your electricity supply points as live.”
Officials added that regular maintenance is crucial to prevent transformer failures and widespread blackouts in the future.
Residents React: ‘Better Than Surprise Blackouts’
On social media, Joburgers responded with a mix of frustration and resignation.
Some welcomed the proactive repairs, calling it “better than surprise blackouts,” while others expressed fatigue at yet another disruption.
One X user joked,
“At this point, I schedule my life around power cuts more than work meetings.”
A Familiar Frustration
Although the outages are not linked to Eskom’s loadshedding, they add to the ongoing strain on Joburg’s energy stability. Still, experts say that scheduled maintenance, though inconvenient, is vital to ensuring long-term reliability.
For now, residents are advised to charge devices, plan ahead, and stay patient — hoping the lights come back on right on schedule.