The online reactions reflect deep public frustration with years of power shortages and unease about foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure.
The government confirmed this week that seven international consortia had been pre-qualified to bid for the expansion of South Africa’s national transmission grid, a project valued at about $26 billion.
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced the development in Pretoria, describing it as a major step towards modernising the country’s electricity backbone and restoring energy security.
Other bidders include global utilities such as France’s Electricité de France and Chinese state-owned giants State Grid International Development and China Southern Power Grid International.
Netizens react
While the government framed the announcement as a technical milestone, public response quickly shifted the focus to trust, ownership, and competence.
On Facebook and X, some users questioned why foreign firms were even being considered.
Durban resident Sifiso Zondo wrote that the development felt like an attempt to “auction everything before he leaves,” echoing broader concerns about privatisation and control of strategic assets.
Others were more direct in their opposition, with L Van Gent, who identifies as South African, arguing online that the project should remain in local hands, saying the country already has “skilled businesses and people to do this.” Such comments underscore persistent calls for domestic capacity-building in a sector long plagued by mismanagement and underinvestment.
Not all reactions were negative, as some netizens pointed to Adani’s track record abroad as grounds for optimism.
His post was widely shared, particularly among users eager for any solution that could end years of rolling blackouts.
The debate also drew in voices from the region when Oteng Phillip, writing from Botswana, referenced a separate energy project valued at about $2.1 billion, suggesting that regional investments could help alleviate South Africa’s power shortfalls if properly coordinated.
Others responded with cynicism, with one commenter joking that “looters are already tasting the money,” a remark that reflects enduring public distrust shaped by past corruption scandals in the energy sector.
The bigger picture
Beyond the online noise, the stakes are high, as South Africa’s grid expansion is central to its energy transition plans, with the country seeking to reduce reliance on ageing coal plants while integrating renewable energy, gas, and other technologies.
The first phase alone involves building more than 1,100 kilometres of new transmission lines to connect over 3,000 megawatts of additional capacity.
For many netizens, however, the technical details matter less than the outcome. After years of load shedding that has strained households and businesses, public sentiment is split between desperation for reliable power and suspicion of who is being trusted to deliver it.
As bidding progresses, online voices suggest that whoever wins will face not just engineering challenges but also the task of convincing a weary public that this time, the lights will stay on.
