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At the start of 2019, the World Bank and other financial institutions predicted that South Africa’s economy would grow at around 1,3 percent in 2019. This figure has been repeatedly downgraded, with the SA Reserve Bank anticipating growth of just 0,5 percent — below the GDP growth SA achieved in 2018 and well below the mean of other emerging market economies. But the effects of sustained load shedding in the fourth quarter of the year may make even the SARB’s latest prediction look too rosy.

“We now see growth at 0,4 percent this year,” said market research company Intellidex in its latest research report on SA, published yesterday. Rotational power cuts may cut this figure by 0,1 percent to 0,3 percent.” Eskom implemented stage 6 power cuts for the first time on Monday evening. — Fin24.