New syndicates plunging South Africa into darkness
Copper cable theft syndicates are wreaking havoc in South Africa, with the situation exacerbated by the availability of cheap replacements.
Copper thieves plunge households, businesses and factories into darkness amid widespread cable theft and power outages.
Eskom reported 771 transformer failures linked to vandalism and illegal connections in the first nine months of 2025, representing a 20% increase over the same period in the prior year.
National Treasury estimates that copper theft costs South Africa around R7 billion per year.
Copper theft is now seen as undermining the nation’s energy security and economic recovery.
JSE-listed South Ocean Electric Wire Company (SOEW) is calling for an immediate government crackdown on organised crime and lax import controls.
SOEW warned that rushed replacements with cheap, non-compliant cables from China are also exacerbating the problem.
This increases the risk of further blackouts for households, businesses and industries.
“When emergency fixes are desperately needed, whatever replacements are at hand are used; these are often cheap imports that fail local SANS standards, adding the risk of ongoing outages,” said SOEW CEO Andre Smith.
“The scale of cable theft is staggering. It is believed that syndicates, sophisticated networks often involving insiders, scrap dealers and international buyers, target copper and aluminium lines across Eskom’s grid, municipalities and private networks.”
Smith said that these groups coordinate via encrypted apps, bribe officials and use stolen vehicles for quick hits.
There is also an increasing trend of armed robberies directly targeting copper manufacturers or resellers, putting lives at risk.
The theft hits sectors like automotive and food processing the worst, but renewables are also affected, with solar farm cabling targeted.
Calls for clampdown
Smith said that theft becomes a vicious cycle, with thefts prompting hasty recplaments. However, cable dumping then floods the markets.
70% of PV and power imports often skip certifications, lacking compliance requirements such as UV resistance and cross-linked Low Smoke and Zero Halogen insulation, which increases the risk of fire.
“Syndicates steal, grey imports are used as replacements, and the grid suffers; it’s a vicious cycle we must break,” said Smith.
He added that several industries, including mining, construction, solar, and manufacturing, are facing an escalating threat from the influx of substandard imported power cables.
He noted that this places the safety, employment and economic viability of the local cable manufacturing industry at risk.
Job losses are also on the cards, as the market is flooded with cheap, non-regulated imports.
He added that calls are growing for decisive action from authorities to protect the industry, with SARS, the Department of Trade and trade unions urged to intervene.
Smith said that these organisations should look for potential dumping by drawing parallels with the anti-dumping duties on tyres from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.
“Without intervention, the reliance on untested imports could deepen, threatening the resilience of South Africa’s industrial base and local power cable manufacturing.”
He added that jobs, such as those in PVC production, wooden drum manufacturing, and steel wire supply, are facing unemployment.
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