logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
23m 56s

Living with power cuts

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Around the world, millions of people live with daily electricity blackouts. In recent days in South Africa, protesters – angry that the electricity keeps going off – marched through Johannesburg and Cape Town. Three women in South Africa share their experiences of their daily struggles to get everything done before the power goes off. Two business owners, in Sri Lanka and Nigeria, come together to discuss the financial impact of power cuts.

Up next
Today
Tackling loneliness in India
India is known for its close knit families and communities, but modern work practices mean more and more people are living far from home, and suffering from loneliness. Reporter Sumedha Pal in Dehli shares the stories of some of the people in India who are trying to find creative ... Show More
26m 28s
Today
Trump and autism: People affected speak out
President Donald Trump recently addressed what he described as the “horrible crisis” in autism, and rapid rise in reported cases over the last two decades. Previously, he has suggested a link between some vaccines and autism, and in his latest remarks, he warned pregnant women to ... Show More
22m 58s
Yesterday
Searching for hope as a hostage in Gaza
After two long years President Trump has announced a ceasefire agreement which should see the remaining hostages returned home in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. How have the families of Israeli hostages and their loved ones, held captive in dark tunnels for hu ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
Why do so many African countries struggle to maintain a supply of electricity?
Today, we're shining a light on a topic that keeps many African nations in the dark – the struggle for stable electricity supply. Africa has the lowest access to electricity in the world. Roughly half a billion people lack access to a stable power supply, including two of the con ... Show More
20m 39s
Aug 2023
Why is South Africa collapsing?
South Africa once had the most abundant and cheap electricity on the continent. Now, it is experiencing power blackouts. It’s called loadshedding, the process by which the power company Eskom occasionally reduces the demand for electricity on the national grid.For many South Afri ... Show More
23m 45s
Aug 2021
Electrifying Sierra Leone
Bringing electricity to his village for the first time, we speak with Jeremiah Thoronka in Sierra Leone about the challenges of energy inequality in the country. As a teenager, using kinetic energy, Jeremiah changed the lives of hundreds of people – we speak to them to talk about ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2024
What’s causing the blackouts in Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown and other cities have been suffering blackouts for weeks. It’s disrupted hospitals and daily life for many. Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast - and they’ve massively reduced electricity supply to th ... Show More
12m 51s
Dec 2021
The Electrical Grid (2020)
Today, electricity in the U.S. is a utility we notice only when it's suddenly unavailable. But over a hundred years ago, electricity in the homes of every American was a wild idea and the subject of a bitter fight over who would power, and profit from, the national grid. This wee ... Show More
42m 30s
Oct 2019
How to bring affordable, sustainable electricity to Africa | Rose M. Mutiso
Energy poverty, or the lack of access to electricity and other basic energy services, affects nearly two-thirds of Sub-Saharan Africa. As the region's population continues to increase, so will the need to build a new energy system to grow with it, says Rose M. Mutiso. In a bold t ... Show More
12m 55s
Dec 2021
How to make electricity for your neighbours
Hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to electricity. But all over the world, people are joining forces to provide a home-grown solution — by setting up their own “microgrids” using renewable energy.We meet the Kenyan man who got so frustrated waiting for his village t ... Show More
25m 40s
Nov 2022
Powered by women: Solar energy changing lives
What role are women playing in providing solar power and ensuring that vulnerable communities have access to cheaper and cleaner energy? Kim Chakanetsa talks to an electrical engineer working in the US and Nicaragua, and a Nigerian entrepreneur. Anna Bautista is vice president of ... Show More
27m 50s
Dec 2022
Is sugarcane the answer to Africa's electricity problems?
Whether you're in South Africa, Nigeria or Egypt, power outages are a frequent inconvenience. As energy demands rise across the continent, generating enough power to keep the lights on is an ongoing challenge. Eswatini is one of the countries trying a new approach - a method call ... Show More
12m 46s