Load shedding in South Africa: Another nail in income inequality?
Roula Inglesi‐Lotz
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE : \nSouth African households have been affected by load shedding for over a decade. Low-income households \nare the most heavily impacted by unreliable electricity supply, rising electricity prices and lack of financial \nmeans to absorb such shocks, subject to their living conditions. Marginalised communities struggle to \naccess the advantages of urban areas, deepening the country’s income inequalities. Policymaking needs \nto address the uneven distribution of the impact with policies and programmes that will improve access to \nfinance and technologies for sustainable future solutions. However, there is a catch in the implementation \nof such policies, as, potentially, measures such as subsidies may exacerbate inequalities and create more \nproblems in the system. Innovative financial programmes are essential to support low-income households \nand ensure fairness in dealing with load shedding effects while promoting socio-economic development and \nimproving living standards.