Here’s when the electricity will return in the inner city after Central Substation explosion
Engineers are also examining the fire-damaged infrastructure before deciding how to proceed.
Electricity is expected to be restored to parts of Johannesburg's inner city by next week, specifically on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, following the explosion at the Central Substation. City Power, the utility responsible, announced this on Thursday, stating that the date is contingent on several factors including installation work, repairs, testing, and safety clearances.
The delay in restoring power ensued after an explosion on 14 October 2026 during a restoration attempt. This incident caused outages to areas such as Carlton Centre, Standard Bank, Selby, Marshalltown, and City and Suburban. Emergency Management Services responded to the scene, and City Power's technical teams were cleared to proceed.
The full extent of the damage and the cause of the explosion are still under investigation. Acting Chief Operating Officer Anza Mudau has led a team of engineers and technicians tasked with evaluating the network's issues and enhancing its long-term sustainability. After the installation of new equipment and cable work, City Power plans to conduct thorough testing to ensure the safety and readiness of the restored equipment.
Additionally, engineers are currently examining the fire-damaged infrastructure to determine the optimal method for safe and reliable power restoration.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
