These Durban areas will be without power for up to 12 hours this weekend

Residents several Durban areas are being warned to prepare for planned electricity interruptions this weekend as essential maintenance is carried out at the Congella Substation.

The electricity supply interruptions are scheduled for Saturday, 12 September, and Sunday, 13 September 2026, with power potentially being off from 07:00 to 19:00 on both days.

The work is being carried out by the Electricity and Energy Directorate and will involve essential maintenance on the 11 kV circuit breakers and busbar at Congella Substation.

Which Durban areas will be affected?

Parts of the following areas are expected to be affected:

• Bayhead North
• Carrington Heights
• Congella South
• Glenmore
• Glenwood
• Maydon Wharf South
• Rossburgh
• Seaview
• Umbilo East
• University

Residents in these areas have also been urged to make the necessary arrangements ahead of the planned interruptions.

Different areas will be affected on each day

The maintenance will take place in two phases.

Saturday, 12 September

A section of the 11 kV busbar will be taken out of service. This will affect approximately 25% of customers supplied by Congella Substation.

Customers affected by Saturday’s planned interruption will not be affected by the planned work on Sunday.

Sunday, 13 September

A different section of the 11 kV busbar will be taken out of service. This will affect the remaining approximately 75% of customers supplied by the substation.

Customers who were affected on Saturday should therefore not expect another interruption as a result of the planned maintenance on Sunday.

Residents have been given an indication of when they will know whether their electricity supply is included in the planned work.

Anyone who has not experienced an interruption by 07:30 on either day can assume that their electricity supply will not be affected by that day’s planned maintenance.

The city has advised residents to make arrangements in advance, particularly those who rely on electricity for essential household equipment or businesses operating during the outage period.

Durban residents are also reminded to treat all electrical installations as live during the outage.

Electricity may be restored without prior notice once work has been completed, meaning residents should not assume that equipment or electrical installations are safe simply because the power is off.

The planned interruptions are intended to allow maintenance teams to carry out the necessary work safely as well as improve the reliability of the electricity supply from the Congella Substation.