Johannesburg’s municipal power utility, City Power, is facing a deepening financial crisis, with more than R10 billion owed in unpaid electricity bills by both residential and commercial customers.
The shocking figure was revealed by Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero during City Power’s Key Customers Forum held in Sandton on Thursday, where he urged greater cooperation from the city’s biggest electricity consumers.
“City Power is currently sitting at over R10.2 billion in electricity debt,” Morero confirmed.
“As City Power, we deeply value the relationship with key customers because they are partners in driving growth, job creation, and economic resilience.”
The mayor said the ballooning debt is placing significant strain on Johannesburg’s revenue collection and threatens to disrupt essential municipal services. City Power has struggled for years to recover funds from delinquent accounts, particularly in low-paying areas, where illegal connections and non-payment have compounded financial losses.
Morero added that the city is intensifying debt collection efforts and exploring new ways to improve efficiency and customer accountability, warning that persistent non-payment could trigger power supply interruptions and further weaken the utility’s operations.
The City of Johannesburg has pledged to work closely with businesses and households to find sustainable solutions to stabilise City Power’s financial position and safeguard electricity supply across the metro.