The Challenges of Load Shedding in South Africa

Nicola Taylor • April 27, 2023

How this is affecting the production of Beer Bread

An update from Tayrene at Barrett's Ridge in South Africa who is trying her best to produce an order of Beer Bread for JTS but is facing extreme challenges.

South Africa is currently experiencing massive load shedding. This means the government has put planned power outages in place in order to reduce the load on the national power generation plant. Being without power for up to 9 and a half hours a day affects every aspect of our supply chain, from the cutting and printing of our calico to sewing our bags and packing the product.

Due to our product being mostly had made and hand packed, this is really taking a toll on us and our production line capabilities. This past Friday we were without power from 10 am to 2:30pm. This gave us a working day of only 2 and a half hours.

We are currently cutting our calico by hand which is extremely time consuming and our seamstresses are unable to sew any bags during load shedding. Alternative power supplies such as generators and portable batteries are costly for any small business and difficult to fully charge when we have a 4 and a half hour load sheds.

Economists and analysts have warned that despite promises from the government to get new capacity online and having load shedding resolved within two years – or even sooner – South Africans should expect the situation to get worse, particularly in the coming months as the country heads into winter and energy demand shoots up.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Mail

Six New Prestigious Great Taste Awards for True Origin Products

By Angus Coull • July 28, 2026

Official recognition for our great tasting fair & fine food products

A woman standing at church fair trade stall with lots of delicious fair trade products available

How to Run a True Origin Fair Trade Stall at Your Church

By Nicola Taylor • July 3, 2026

A Fair Trade stall is about so much more than selling tea, coffee and chocolate. Every purchase supports smallholder farmers and producers who are working incredibly hard to build sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change, rising fuel costs and an unpredictable global market. For many of the communities we work with, having reliable customers is essential. By running a True Origin stall at your church, you become part of that support network, helping to create regular demand for products that often aren't available in supermarkets or high street shops. Whether your church is passionate about global justice, caring for creation or simply making a practical difference, a Fair Trade stall is a simple but powerful way to turn those values into action. Start Small You don't need a huge team or a large budget to get started. Begin by talking with your church leaders about the idea. Many churches are happy to provide a small loan or donation to purchase initial stock, particularly if it can be repaid gradually as sales grow. Remember that most of the income from a stall is best reinvested into buying more stock rather than raising money for church funds. This helps keep the stall sustainable and ensures producers continue to receive orders. If you're new to running a stall, don't worry, you won't be on your own. The True Origin team and experienced Fair Traders are always happy to share advice and practical tips.