Load Shedding Has Accidentally Made Us Elite

We can braai in the dark.

We own headlamps for social events. Seriously, try sitting at a dinner party in pitch black and still finding your plate — we do it like it’s nothing. Lanterns? Check. Candles? Check. Emergency LED lights? Double-check. Solar-powered fairy lights? Of course. Our homes look like a campsite in the bush, and we love it.

We know which plugs still work without thinking. That one next to the fridge? Dead. Behind the couch? Still alive. The one nobody uses but somehow powers the Wi-Fi router? Jackpot. Our hands practically have a memory of the electric grid.

Other countries panic when the lights go off. We light a fire. Literally. The braai is always ready. Charcoal, wood, gas — doesn’t matter. Power cuts are just another reason to get the party started. Some people call it “load shedding.” We call it “bonus braai time.”

And let’s not forget the items that have quietly become part of every South African household thanks to load shedding:

• Power banks — we have more of these than friends.

• Solar chargers — because phone batteries don’t care about the Eskom schedule.

• Lanterns — big ones, small ones, fancy ones. You name it.

• Candles — we stockpile them like it’s 1999.

• Gas stoves or single burners — cooking doesn’t stop, ever.

• Coolers — to keep drinks cold when the fridge gives up.

• Portable fridges — for the serious survivalists among us.

• Battery-powered fans — summer is unforgiving, but we survive.

• Headlamps — yes, for walking to the loo at 2 AM without falling on the dog.

• Flashlights — always within arm’s reach.

• Solar garden lights — secretly, we’ve turned our gardens into mini festivals.

• Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) — for the true tech geeks who can’t live without Wi-Fi.

Load shedding didn’t just train us, it upgraded our entire lifestyle. We’ve become strategic, prepared, and resourceful. We can plan meals around which plugs are alive, make a 3-course dinner with a single gas burner, and have a candlelit movie night like pros.

Other countries call it chaos. We call it South African survival skills 101. We laugh when the lights go off. We shrug when the Wi-Fi dies. And we toast with a cold beer by lantern light because, honestly, this is just how we roll now.

Load shedding didn’t beat us. It made us elite. It made us smarter, funnier, and just a little bit tougher. So next time the lights go off, don’t panic. Pull out your headlamp, grab the braai tongs, stock up on candles, and remember: we didn’t just survive load shedding — we leveled up.