A power outage affected several suburbs in the City of Tshwane on Sunday, 22 June 2025, after a technical fault was reported at the Brakfontein Substation.
City of Tshwane offers update on Brakfontein power outage
The affected areas include Brakfontein local supply, The Reeds and South, Heuweloord, Amberfield, and Wierda Park.
The City of Tshwane confirmed that the power cut began in the early hours of the morning. Security personnel monitoring the 132kV Brakfontein Substation saw smoke coming from the facility. A technical team was sent to the site and traced the problem to one of the substation’s electrical panels.
According to the city, a “flash” — a sudden burst of electricity or spark — occurred in one of the panels. Flashes like this can happen when electrical equipment is damaged or when carbon builds up, leading to short circuits or small fires.
To prevent further damage and ensure safety, technicians switched off the entire substation.
This step is often necessary when there’s a risk of fire or if carbon deposits — which are black, soot-like residues left by electricity or smoke — are found near sensitive equipment.
These residues must be removed before power can be safely turned back on.
Technicians are now cleaning the affected panels and investigating what caused the fault.
The estimated time for the electricity to be restored, known as the ETR (Estimated Time of Restoration), is 13:00 on Sunday.
In a formal statement issued by the City of Tshwane’s Communication, Marketing and Events Department, officials said:
“As a safety precaution, the entire substation was switched off to allow the maintenance team to inspect and clean any carbon residue that may have spread to adjacent panels. This cleaning process is necessary to prevent any further electrical faults and to ensure safe restoration of power supply.”
The city also confirmed that technicians are on-site and working as quickly as possible to restore electricity to all affected communities.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding and patience during this period,” the city added.
In a separate incident, the Wolmer Substation is also offline due to cable theft, affecting the Klerksoord area.
The City of Tshwane reported that power restoration there could take up to 12 hours.
Residents are advised to monitor official city platforms for further updates on both outages.
