Webafrica’s Load-shedding Survival Guide

Load-Shedding is a cause of major consternation for many of us, especially those dealing with the fall out of having our internet technology turned on and off like a disco light at a high school dance back in 1992.

Luckily, there are things we can do to make the black-outs less painful. Here’s our guide to surviving Load Shedding:

Check your load shedding schedule

Surviving load shedding with your sense of humor in tact comes down to one thing: planning! Before you can plan for load-shedding, you need to know when it’s going to hit you. So download one of the many load shedding apps (we like this one, naturally) and make sure you know what’s coming.

Charge Up

Charge your devices, your phone, your tablet, your laptop, your rechargeable torch. Even if you’re offline, if you have your work backed up to your device and you’re fully charged, it doesn’t have to be a total waste of time.

Download your movies in advance

In case you missed it, here is how you can make sure you still have movies and episodes to watch on your mobile device when the power is off.

Then, invest in some of these super handy devices:

Power bank

You can purchase a power bank for as little as R99 if you just want to make sure your phone doesn’t die, or you can go all out and buy something a little more substantial and use it to keep your tablet, laptop and rechargeable lights going.

 

 

Solar Wall Light

The Brightburst Solar Wall light is a good idea for the security conscious who don’t like to be caught in the dark. You can mount it outside in direct sunlight to charge all day and it will turn on as soon as the sensor picks up that it’s dark out.

 

 

 

load shedding computer safety UPS

If you want to make sure that your computer is safe from sudden power interruptions, you must invest in a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). If you’re using a desktop (tower) computer, then a buying a UPS is a given, because your tower (probably) doesn’t have a built-in back-up like your laptop. Ironically, laptop direct has a fairly good selection to choose from.

 

If money is not a question

If you’re ready to invest a little more on your load-shedding survival station, take a look at the Goal Zero Sherpa 100 Solar Power Kit. It uses sunlight to charge and will keep your personal electronics running through the dark times.

Classic Gas Cooker Top

This is a South African classic. No, it’s not a gadget, but it is a good idea. If you don’t already have a Cadac Gas Cooker Top (and you appreciate a hot meal) now is probably a good time to invest in one of these babies from Outdoor Warehouse. Remember to invest in a nice enamel teapot too, and you’ll never have to face the day caffeine free just because the power is out.

 

 

Rechargeable Trail Light

Let there be light with this rechargeable LED solar lantern from Loot. You need more than just a torch to get you through these dark times. This baby is waterproof and you can recharge it using the built-in solar panel or via a USB cable (while the Eskom is on, obviously).

 

 

 

 

Load-Shedding and your internet connection

Probably the most annoying thing about load-shedding is the effect it has on your internet connection. Needless to say, when your power is out you don’t have an internet connection (because everything is off). The problem is that once the power comes back on it can take up to two hours to re-establish your connection. Why? Because every single internet connection in your area is trying to re-establish a connection at the same time.

If you are having issues with your internet connection after load shedding, please visit our Solutions Page article about load shedding to help you troubleshoot any issues that come up.

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