Cape Town’s ongoing battle against electricity infrastructure theft has entered a new phase, with the City piloting anti-vandalism technologies in high-risk areas as financial losses and service disruptions continue to escalate.
The City of Cape Town has launched a series of research-driven pilot projects aimed at protecting critical electricity infrastructure, as losses linked to theft, vandalism and illegal connections have already exceeded R49 million this financial year.
The initiative forms part of the City’s broader Protect Your Power campaign, which focuses on reducing outages, improving supply reliability and safeguarding essential services across the metro.
City officials say the situation has reached a critical point, with infrastructure frequently damaged, repaired and then targeted again in what has been described as an unsustainable cycle. The impact is felt across communities, with thousands of electricity-related faults recorded each month, often linked directly to criminal activity.
Mayoral Committee Member for Energy Xanthea Limberg said the pilot projects are designed to test solutions under real-world conditions before being rolled out more widely.
“The insights gained from these projects will play an important role in informing future interventions for more effective and long-term solutions to protect our power infrastructure,” Limberg said.
While details of the technologies being tested remain confidential due to agreements with private sector partners, the City confirmed that the broader programme includes increased law enforcement visibility in hotspot areas and ongoing efforts to replace copper components with materials that carry lower resale value.
The financial burden continues to grow. In the previous financial year, losses exceeded R62 million, placing significant strain on municipal resources and limiting the City’s ability to invest in new infrastructure and maintenance.
Officials warn that beyond the financial cost, the repeated damage to infrastructure undermines service delivery and contributes to prolonged outages, affecting households, businesses and public facilities.
Residents are being urged to report suspicious activity, particularly in areas where electricity infrastructure is located near homes or public spaces, to help reduce response times and prevent further damage.
The City maintains that community cooperation remains a critical component in addressing the issue, as it continues efforts to protect essential services and stabilise electricity supply across Cape Town.
