City Power warns that 18 Johannesburg suburbs will experience a Saturday blackout due to urgent maintenance work

If you’re planning your Saturday around electricity in Johannesburg this weekend, you might want to rethink that schedule.

City Power has announced that a large part of the city will go dark—temporarily, of course—as maintenance teams hit the ground to improve the local power network.

But that’s not the only electricity-related drama happening in the city right now.

Let’s break down what’s going on—from the scheduled blackout to a surprising underground fire.

Planned Outage Set for Saturday Across 18 Suburbs

City Power Johannesburg has confirmed a planned power outage on Saturday, 3 May 2025, lasting from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM.

The goal?

Routine maintenance to boost reliability and prevent more serious issues in the future.

If you live in any of these areas, expect your power to be off during that time:

• Hillbrow

• Berea

• Academic Hospital 1 to 4

• Parktown East and Parktown West

• Isle of Houghton 1 and 2

• Old Berea and Old Wilds

• Princess Place

• Melville

• York Road

• Wellington Street

• Girton Road

• St Andrew Road

• Mitchel Street and Erase Avenue

• High Street

• The Wilds

City Power also added an important reminder: even if power’s out, treat all outlets and appliances as if they could turn on at any time—because they might.

Mayor Steps In After Underground Fire Sparks Emergency

As if a planned blackout wasn’t enough, parts of Joburg have already been dealing with unexpected outages after a fire erupted on Thursday, 1 May, under the M1 Bridge near Smit Street in Braamfontein.

Mayor Dada Morero personally visited the site to assess the situation, which involved damage to critical 88 kV cables that run between the Braamfontein and Fordsburg substations.

The fire resulted in blackouts across several areas, including Parktown West, Newtown Junction, De Korte North, and Smith West.

Cable Theft Blamed for Braamfontein Fire

According to City Power, the underground fire wasn’t just some random fault—it might have been caused by illegal mining and cable theft linked to the Zama Zamas.

These groups have been a growing concern in the area for years, and their risky underground activities may have sparked this latest disaster.

City Power is currently working on restoring electricity wherever it’s safe to do so, but they can’t fully assess the extent of the damage until they get the all-clear.

What’s Next for Joburg Residents?

Between planned outages and fire-induced blackouts, it’s clear Joburg’s power network is under pressure.

While City Power continues repairs and investigations, residents are being urged to stay alert, especially with electricity possibly coming back on at any time.