South Africa faces a ticking clock with only 100 days remaining to overhaul its prepaid meter software. Without this urgent upgrade, the very system that powers daily life may come to a grinding halt.
Except for three days, officials predict there will be blackouts (between stages 1 and 3) every day throughout December.
While some reckon a total system collapse is unlikely to occur, it is not impossible, according to The South African Reserve Bank’s Deputy Governor Kuben Naidoo who spoke of a contingency plan in case.