Johannesburg - About 54% of South Africans rely the most on their smartphones, followed by their laptops, during load shedding.
This is according to a survey by Adoozy Power, a South African tech company, that examined the power management habits of South Africans during load shedding, emphasising again that people value connectivity in today’s "always on" digital world.
"Only then do they worry about the impact of load shedding on kitchen electronics such as kettles, stoves, and microwaves. What’s a lack of caffeine or a rumbling stomach when you’re unable to connect with work, colleagues, family and friends?"
"Fourth in order of importance to South Africans is the home television, followed by AirPods in fifth place," said Adoozy.
Kegan Peffer, the CEO of Adoozy, said that digital devices, especially our phones, had become extensions of ourselves.
"In the South African context, they are work-from-home devices, hot spots for a laptop, security tools, a means of summoning transport, and a way to study," said Peffer.
He said that going mostly off grid using solar power was theoretically the best option. But that cost thousands of rand.
"Generators are expensive to buy and costly to run because of the spiralling fuel price — never mind the environmental impact. Inverters are increasingly popular, but can also set you back financially. It’s no surprise, then, that four-fifths of our survey respondents told us they had no back-up power options at home during load shedding," added Peffer.
The company said that despite the gloom and doom surrounding load shedding, there were some positives.
Peffer said that with fewer entertainment options at home, such as watching TV or playing online games, more people were spending time at the gym, according to the survey.
"So, we may be stressed out trying to keep our smartphones charged at all times, and we’re worried about the additional costs we’re incurring — but at least we look slim and trim while we’re doing it," said Peffer.
Other positives from load shedding include spending more time with family and friends, as well as using the time to clean and organise homes.
Meanwhile, the majority of respondents said they had used load shedding as an excuse to delay work deadlines, get out of virtual work meetings, or be late for appointments. Load shedding had also been used as an excuse for not replying to text messages.
"What’s clear is that load shedding has brought about a sudden and dramatic lifestyle change for South Africans. Mix that in with the ‘always connected’ mindset and the rise in remote working, and we have a continued scramble to find better and more cost-effective ways of being in touch 24/7," said Peffer.
The Star