When I started sharing my off-grid journey, I never expected it to become quite so emotional or controversial. Right now, though, things feel like they’ve come to a standstill. I’ve done what I can, followed the processes, asked the questions, and pushed where it made sense to push. For the moment, all that’s left is to wait and see what the next move from City Power and the City of Johannesburg will be.

What non-vending customers need to know.
By now, I thought I’d be off the grid.
Instead, I’ve walked through the doors of City Power and the City of Johannesburg nine times.

I never planned to disconnect from the grid until a recent policy shift changed everything. City Power announced an obligatory conversion for certain prepaid and

South Africans often think “an inverter is an inverter.”
Not true.
Here are the three types – simply explained:

“Solar isn’t about panels – it’s about behaviour.”
I’m breaking down the mapping and tracing method I use before designing any system.

Most people assume I always planned to go off-grid.
The truth? I didn’t.

Like thousands of South Africans during the worst years of loadshedding, I only wanted one thing: a reliable backup system so my home and business could stay operational. Independence wasn’t the goal, continuity was.

Johannesburg’s power landscape is shifting fast and this time, the impact goes beyond load shedding schedules. With City Power now moving certain non-vending and pre-paid users onto post-paid billing with fixed monthly fees, many residents are facing higher costs, less control and more uncertainty.

It’s forcing an important question:
“Is staying connected still worth it?”