IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i19p8758-d1761275.html

Influence of Loadshedding on Air Quality: A South African Scenario

Author

Listed:
  • Kanya Xongo

    (Earth Observation Directorate, South African National Space Agency, Pretoria 0001, South Africa)

  • Moleboheng Molefe

    (Earth Observation Directorate, South African National Space Agency, Pretoria 0001, South Africa)

  • Lerato Shikwambana

    (Earth Observation Directorate, South African National Space Agency, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
    School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa)

Abstract

In many developing countries, including South Africa, electricity providers have consistently faced challenges in meeting rising energy demands. Since 2008, South Africa has implemented widespread electricity rationing—commonly referred to as “loadshedding”—due to a combination of operational inefficiencies and structural constraints. Loadshedding continues to be a critical challenge in South Africa, significantly affecting the economy, livelihoods, public health, and broader socio-economic conditions. This study explores the link between loadshedding and air quality by analyzing atmospheric emissions during two contrasting periods: 2019, a year with minimal loadshedding; and 2023, which experienced severe and prolonged outages. The analysis reveals a decline in nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) levels during the intense loadshedding period of 2023. The results indicate that, beyond the influence of weather patterns, reductions in emissions—such as those caused by decreased electricity generation—contribute meaningfully to improved air quality. Overall, the data suggest that reduced power production during high levels of loadshedding links with lower emissions and enhanced air quality. These findings reinforce the potential benefits of transitioning to cleaner, alternative energy sources for achieving long-term reductions in air pollution and fostering a healthier environment. Remote sensing is a critical tool for environmental monitoring in developing countries, offering cost-effective, wide-area data collection to address issues like air pollution, and climate impact. It supports policy-making by providing timely, objective insights for sustainable development, resource management, and disaster response, aligning with SDGs.

Suggested Citation

  • Kanya Xongo & Moleboheng Molefe & Lerato Shikwambana, 2025. "Influence of Loadshedding on Air Quality: A South African Scenario," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8758-:d:1761275
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8758/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8758/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Meles, Tensay Hadush, 2020. "Impact of power outages on households in developing countries: Evidence from Ethiopia," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Hassan Haes Alhelou & Mohamad Esmail Hamedani-Golshan & Takawira Cuthbert Njenda & Pierluigi Siano, 2019. "A Survey on Power System Blackout and Cascading Events: Research Motivations and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-28, February.
    3. Pegels, Anna, 2010. "Renewable energy in South Africa: Potentials, barriers and options for support," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 4945-4954, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wiese, Melanie & van der Westhuizen, Liezl-Marié, 2024. "Impact of planned power outages (load shedding) on consumers in developing countries: Evidence from South Africa," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    2. Odin Foldvik Eikeland & Filippo Maria Bianchi & Inga Setså Holmstrand & Sigurd Bakkejord & Sergio Santos & Matteo Chiesa, 2022. "Uncovering Contributing Factors to Interruptions in the Power Grid: An Arctic Case," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Koomson, Isaac & Churchill, Sefa Awaworyi & Smyth, Russell, 2025. "Financial literacy and clean energy adoption in South Africa," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    4. Yuan, Peng & Pu, Yuran & Liu, Chang, 2021. "Improving electricity supply reliability in China: Cost and incentive regulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    5. Patrick Mukumba & Shylet Y. Chivanga, 2023. "An Overview of Renewable Energy Technologies in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa and the Rural Households’ Energy Poverty Coping Strategies," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, March.
    6. Shahriyar Nasirov & Carlos Silva & Claudio A. Agostini, 2015. "Investors’ Perspectives on Barriers to the Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources in Chile," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-21, April.
    7. Lucy Baker, 2016. "Post-apartheid electricity policy and the emergence of South Africa's renewable energy sector," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-15, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Adenle, Ademola A., 2020. "Assessment of solar energy technologies in Africa-opportunities and challenges in meeting the 2030 agenda and sustainable development goals," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Song, Bo & Fan, Ziyang & Song, Yurong & Ding, Lei & Qin, Yi & Wang, Xu, 2026. "Network robustness against cascading failures with time-varying adaptive behaviors triggered by information propagation," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 202(P1).
    10. Polleux, Louis & Guerassimoff, Gilles & Marmorat, Jean-Paul & Sandoval-Moreno, John & Schuhler, Thierry, 2022. "An overview of the challenges of solar power integration in isolated industrial microgrids with reliability constraints," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    11. Tadej Skrjanc & Rafael Mihalic & Urban Rudez, 2020. "Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-Supported Underfrequency Load Shedding Algorithm," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-9, November.
    12. Igawa, Moegi & Managi, Shunsuke, 2022. "Energy poverty and income inequality: An economic analysis of 37 countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PB).
    13. Mayr, Dieter & Schmid, Erwin & Trollip, Hilton & Zeyringer, Marianne & Schmidt, Johannes, 2015. "The impact of residential photovoltaic power on electricity sales revenues in Cape Town, South Africa," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 10-23.
    14. Amitkumar V. Jha & Bhargav Appasani & Deepak Kumar Gupta & Taha Selim Ustun, 2022. "Analytical Design of Synchrophasor Communication Networks with Resiliency Analysis Framework for Smart Grid," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    15. Aliyu, Abubakar Sadiq & Dada, Joseph O. & Adam, Ibrahim Khalil, 2015. "Current status and future prospects of renewable energy in Nigeria," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 336-346.
    16. Bajo-Buenestado, Raúl, 2021. "The effect of blackouts on household electrification status: Evidence from Kenya," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    17. Jaco P. Weideman & Roula Inglesi-Lotz, 2016. "Structural Breaks in Renewable Energy in South Africa: A Bai and Perron Break Test Application," Working Papers 201636, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    18. Mkateko Vivian Mabunda & Ricky Munyaradzi Mukonza & Lufuno Robert Mudzanani, 2023. "The effects of loadshedding on small and medium enterprises in the Collins Chabane local municipality," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    19. Wanjiru, Evan M. & Sichilalu, Sam M. & Xia, Xiaohua, 2017. "Model predictive control of heat pump water heater-instantaneous shower powered with integrated renewable-grid energy systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 1333-1346.
    20. Ogunmodimu, Olumide & Okoroigwe, Edmund C., 2019. "Solar thermal electricity in Nigeria: Prospects and challenges," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 440-448.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8758-:d:1761275. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.