Nearly 400 South African public schools experienced prolonged or complete electricity interruptions over two years, despite improvements in national electricity availability. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube revealed in Parliament that 397 schools were affected between April 2024 and March 2026.
South Africa may have made progress in improving electricity availability, but hundreds of public schools experienced prolonged or complete power interruptions over the past two years, highlighting the challenges that remain within the country’s electricity system.
A total of 397 public schools were affected between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2026, according to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, with reported causes including damaged infrastructure, transformer failures, vandalism, electricity supply disruptions and billing disputes.
The figures were revealed in a written parliamentary reply to EFF Member of Parliament Laetitia Arries, who asked Gwarube how many schools had been affected by prolonged or complete electricity outages and what interventions had been implemented to ensure reliable power supply.
Arries said several schools across the country had operated without electricity for extended periods over the past two years, with some functioning without power entirely for prolonged periods.
