Citizens say the government is performing poorly in providing a reliable supply of electricity, and a plurality indicate that they would be willing to pay more for electricity in exchange for better services, rather than paying less and receiving poor services. South Africa is in the throes of an electricity crisis, with daily “load-shedding” that is crippling an already ailing economy.

Key findings

• ▪  Almost nine in 10 South Africans (87%) say the government is doing a poor job of providing a reliable electricity supply, a 24-percentage-point increase from the last Afrobarometer survey in 2021 (Figure 1). Most (69%) say it is performing “very badly.”
• ▪  Half (51%) of citizens say they would be willing to pay more for electricity in exchange for better services, while about one-third (32%) disagree (Figure 

Guest: Asafika Mpako, Communications coordinator for Southern Africa