Deadline approaches for prepaid meter updates in South Africa

South Africa is nearing an important deadline for updating the software used in prepaid electricity meters. This software, responsible for generating unique recharge codes for the meters, will expire on 24 November. Without an update, residents may face challenges purchasing electricity, as outdated meters will no longer accept tokens.

Prepaid meter update progress across municipalities

According to Professor Sampson Mamphweli, Head of the Energy Secretariat at the South African National Energy Development Institute, who spoke to Newzroom Afrika, said progress on the software upgrade varies significantly across the country.

“There are municipalities that are ahead, such as the City of Cape Town and other metros, but some municipalities are still lagging behind,” Mamphweli stated.

He explained that the backlog is mainly at the municipal level, despite efforts to allow customers to collect their key change tokens for the upgrade process.

Mamphweli elaborated that customers need to input two 20-digit tokens into their meters, which resets the device.

“The meters have stored more numbers than they can handle, and the recoding clears previous data to allow continued operation,” he said. The urgency stems from the fact that meters will no longer function properly after the November deadline without this update.

Efforts in Nelson Mandela Bay

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality began its upgrade process in April 2022 and has made significant progress. Zanele Sikawuti, the municipality’s Electricity and Energy Portfolio Head, reported that over 146 921 meters have already been updated.

“However, we still have 169 868 meters to go, including those that have been tampered with or are faulty,” Sikawuti noted.

The municipality employs various methods to reach the remaining customers, such as door-to-door visits and an enhanced communication drive.

Sikawuti urged residents to update their meters before the 24 November deadline, warning that failure could result in issues with electricity purchasing.

She emphasised, “After the deadline, tokens will not be accepted by outdated meters. ” Sikawuti also encouraged cooperation with municipal teams during home visits, highlighting that refusal of access has been a challenge.

With the deadline approaching, municipalities across South Africa are ramping up their efforts to ensure that all prepaid meters are updated. For residents, the message is clear: take action now to avoid future complications with electricity access.