Loadshedding in South Africa

Load shedding, a common occurrence in South Africa, is when the electricity supply is deliberately turned off for a period of time because there isn’t enough power to meet the demand. This happens because the power system is strained due to old equipment and other issues. So, to prevent the whole system from crashing, electricity has to be rationed in the form of rolling blackouts. This means that people and businesses have to deal with scheduled blackouts, which can be inconvenient and disruptive.

Back-up power systems

All Rent-a-Room accommodations are equipped with backup power systems, comprising batteries and inverters. These systems automatically activate during load shedding periods, allowing residents to maintain essential electrical services. However, it is imperative for each household to carefully manage their power consumption during load shedding to ensure the batteries do not deplete before the grid power is restored. Detailed instructions on how to manage these backup power systems will be provided upon your arrival.

Cleaning Services

Program houses receive daily cleaning services, which cover exclusively the communal areas of your residence. Every tenant is individually responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of their own room and ensuring they clean up after themselves when utilizing the kitchen.

WIFI

Wi-Fi access is included in the cost of your Rent-a-Room accommodation. You will receive instructions on how to connect to the network, along with your personal login details, in your Rent-a-Room welcome package, which you will receive upon arrival.

Electricity Arrangements

Electricity in Rent-a-Room houses operates on a pre-paid basis, meaning it must be purchased either online or from a local grocery store and then loaded into your house’s electricity meter using a designated code. The responsibility for purchasing electricity and establishing a usage roster rests with you and your housemates. Upon your arrival, your current housemates likely have an existing system in place, so please consult with them regarding your position on the roster, the location of the electricity meter, and how to use it.  During your orientation, we will guide you on how to load credit onto the electricity meter.

Linen

All essential bedding items, including sheets, duvets, duvet covers, pillowcases, blankets, pillows, and bath towels, are provided for your convenience. Tenants are responsible for washing and changing their own linen. Kindly bring your own swimming towel.

Heating Considerations

While Cape Town’s winters are relatively mild by northern hemisphere standards, few houses in South Africa offer central heating, and due to electricity constraints, it is not possible to run electric heaters in your houses. Consequently, it can get chilly during the cooler months (May to September). Rentaroom provides extra blankets during this time, but, in addition,  please consider bringing warm sleepwear to ensure your comfort during these periods.

Laundry

Each Rent-a-Room house is equipped with washing machines and dryers, available for residents to use at no additional cost. Laundry detergent and fabric softener can be purchased from local grocery stores at your own expense.

Cleaning Supplies

Rent-a-Room provides basic cleaning supplies, including dishwashing liquid and kitchen cleaner. Toilet paper is supplied upon your arrival, but afterward, tenants are expected to purchase their own.