The City recorded increased streetlight repairs between January and February 2026, as expanded night patrols identified multiple faults linked to theft, vandalism and illegal electricity connections.
Between 25 January and 25 February 2026, City Energy teams attended to 8 881 streetlight-related service requests, up from 6 666 requests recorded in the previous review period. In total, 30 070 electricity-related service requests were resolved, compared to 22 457 in the month before.
The increase follows an operational decision to introduce proactive night patrols across the metro, enabling teams to identify outages more quickly, particularly in areas where faults are often under-reported.
Xanthea Limberg said the initiative reflects a focused effort to improve reliability of essential infrastructure that supports safer, more connected communities.
The City maintains a network of more than 245 000 streetlights, which play an important role in road safety, economic activity and community wellbeing. In the current financial year, R75.5 million has been allocated to upgrade and expand streetlight infrastructure across the metro.
Despite these investments, theft, vandalism and illegal electricity connections remain key contributors to infrastructure damage. As of January 2026, more than R44 million has been spent on replacing damaged electrical infrastructure.
The Area East region, which includes Helderberg and Parow, recorded the highest number of service requests, highlighting the importance of targeted interventions and ongoing maintenance efforts.
To respond to these challenges, the City has introduced the Protect Your Power campaign, encouraging communities to work together to safeguard critical infrastructure. The initiative includes strengthened coordination with law enforcement authorities, increased visibility of safety teams in hotspot areas and the exploration of new technologies designed to reduce infrastructure theft.
In addition, the City is installing lower street-value materials in place of copper in certain locations, helping to discourage vandalism while maintaining service reliability.
City officials emphasise that public participation plays an important role in protecting infrastructure and ensuring reliable electricity services. Residents are encouraged to report faults and suspicious activity to enable faster response times and minimise disruption.
Streetlight-related requests attended to per metro area:
East (Helderberg, Oostenberg, Bloemhof, Parow): 3 399
North (Vanguard, Mowbray, City, Atlantis): 2 252
South (Mitchells Plain, Wynberg, Gugulethu, Muizenberg): 3 175
Members of the public can report electricity faults via the City’s call centre, SMS and WhatsApp platforms. Suspicious activity can also be reported to the Public Emergency Communication Centre or anonymously to the Copperheads tip-off line.
