South Africas copper cable theft epidemic continues to drive system failures across Eskom and municipal networks. National Treasurys 2025 Economic Bulletin estimates annual economic losses of R7 billion while Eskom has recorded 771 transformer failures linked to vandalism and illegal connections in the first nine months of 2025. The crisis is now creating a second, less visible threat: rushed repairs using non-compliant imported cables that compromise network reliability and safety, says South Ocean Electric Wire Company CEO Andr Smith.
The scale of cable theft is staggering. These are not isolated incidents they involve sophisticated syndicates with insider assistance, scrap dealers and international buyers. A September 2025 SAPS intelligence brief shows that these groups coordinate via encrypted apps, bribe officials and use stolen vehicles for fast extraction. We are now even seeing armed robberies directly targeting cable manufacturers and resellers, putting employees lives at risk.
When cables are stolen, the pressure to restore power immediately is immense. In those moments, whatever is on hand is used. Too often, this means cheap imported cables that fail SANS standards. These products are not designed for South Africas operating conditions and often lack critical requirements such as UV resistance and low smoke zero halogen insulation. What looks like a quick fix introduces long-term risks into the grid.