South Africa Faces A Serious Energy Problem

A number of news sites throughout the globe have brought attention to the fact that South Africa is experiencing a severe energy crisis.

Blackouts have been a daily reality for many South Africans due to the crisis, but tourists have seen almost no effect.

President Cyril Ramaphosa proclaimed a "state of calamity" on February 10, which has coincided with a rise in media coverage of the issue. By issuing this order, the government may now take the concrete steps necessary to assist enterprises in the food production, distribution, and retail supply chain, such as the installation of generators, solar panels, and a reliable source of electricity.

In truth, South Africa has been using load-shedding since 2007. Because of this, firms in South Africa are nimble in the face of change and dedicated to providing the best possible service to their customers. Hospitality and tourist organisations are trying to make up in the face of the energy constraints and ensuring their customers have a greater experience.

According to Go2Africa's managing director Maija de Rijk-Uys, visitors to South Africa will likely only notice a slight increase in traffic due to the lack of working traffic lights, a smaller selection of food options at restaurants, and a loss of electricity for about two hours if their lodgings do not have a standby power source.

James Holden, president of Holden Safaris, says that few US tourists are aware of the issue, but that those who are often wonder whether the safari lodges and hotels on their itinerary have emergency power or other forms of electricity. Tourists naturally want to know if the backup generators or other forms of other energy can power the whole safari camp or hotel, or if they're limited to the most important outlets, like the fridges.

According to Sherwin Banda, president of African Travel Inc., once tourists know their trip won't be disturbed, they're free to make any choice they choose. He said that the biggest worry is whether or not they would take pleasure in anything and enjoy an uninterrupted stay.

Many of the camps are located in outlying regions of Africa. These outposts have never seen a disruption in their energy supply since they have always had to prioritise long-term viability. As a plus, South Africa offers incentives to the tourist industry for the use of renewable energy sources in hotels and resorts.

However, the rising cost of running lodges are expected to have the greatest effect on the tourist business. The vast majority of hotels nowadays use hybrid systems for backup power. In the event of an outage, diesel-powered generators are often used as the backup power source because of their high cost. While most lodges can function without outside power sources, the expense of running a generator may add up quickly.

According to Don Scott, proprietor of the Tanda Tula safari camp, the cost of doing business has grown dramatically for lodges as most have invested in measures to lessen the effect of load-shedding on visitors. Scott chimes in to say that most South African lodges have dealt with an unreliable power supply to game reserves for years. To paraphrase, the country provides an excellent spot to travel where the consequences of load-shedding are practically undetectable from a visitor experience point of view.

When speaking with travel agents in the United States, ground handlers' first piece of advise is often to:

Inquire as to whether or not there is a back-up power supply at the hotels and activities of your choice.
Encourage customers to visit the ITunes Store or Google Play to get the EskomSePush app.
Encourage visitors to save energy by explaining that some amenities may be unavailable at times.

Nevertheless, if aiming to have a memorable holiday, always keep in mind that South Africa is a place of amazing variety and natural wonders.

 

Source: travelweekly.com