KEY POINTS
- Eskom has begun installing smart meters across KwaZulu-Natal as part of a national drive to modernise South Africa’s power grid and end load reduction.
- The utility plans to install 7.2 million meters within three years, allowing real-time usage monitoring, accurate billing, and targeted power control.
- Critics warn that the technology could give Eskom excessive control over consumer usage, while the government insists it will ensure fairness and improve access to free basic electricity.
Eskom has officially kicked off its long-awaited smart meter installation drive in KwaZulu-Natal, marking the start of a sweeping plan to modernise South Africa’s electricity network and tackle the country’s enduring load reduction crisis.
Beginning Monday, October 6, 2025, the rollout will extend across the entire province as the state-owned utility pushes forward with a technological shift it believes will transform the way South Africans consume and manage electricity.
The programme follows Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s unveiling of a comprehensive plan to end load reduction within the next 12 to 18 months.
The government hopes that through community cooperation and efficient implementation, significant progress could even be achieved sooner.
Eskom said the smart meter rollout is part of a broader mission to build a more efficient, transparent, and data-driven power grid. “This transformation is about more than technology – it’s about building a smarter, more connected South Africa,” the utility noted.
So far, the meters have been introduced in selected areas, but the initiative is now gaining pace, with around 800,000 customers expected to benefit in the initial phase. Over the next three years, Eskom plans to install about 7.2 million smart meters nationwide.
For consumers, the benefits are designed to be immediate, real-time monitoring of power use, accurate billing, and reduced chances of being affected by blackouts caused by illegal connections or non-payment elsewhere. For Eskom, the system promises faster fault response, improved data accuracy, and greater control over energy distribution.
Critics Question Control and Capacity
However, not everyone is convinced. Asad Gaffar, chairperson of the Westville Ratepayers Association (WRA) and the eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM), warned that smart meters could hand Eskom and local authorities sweeping control over household electricity usage.
“These devices will allow Eskom and municipalities to remotely reduce power consumption whenever they choose,” he said, adding that this level of control has driven many large companies to seek independent power sources, further diminishing Eskom’s revenue.
Gaffar argued that rather than focusing on controlling consumption, the utility should be investing in ways to boost generation capacity. “Most countries plan for future electricity demand, but in South Africa, we are caught in cycles of mismanagement,” he remarked.
Minister Ramokgopa has previously said that part of the country’s electricity supply challenges lies in the financial imbalance between Eskom and municipalities. Municipalities collectively owe the utility over R100 billion, while customers owe municipalities more than R400 billion, a situation he described as “unsustainable”.
