South Sudan and Mauritius have both announced measures restricting electricity consumption due to the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel's war in Iran, which is also affecting other countries across Africa.
South Sudan has begun rationing electricity in the capital, Juba, while Mauritius has imposed restrictions to reduce wastage, especially in high-power consumption areas. On Wednesday, Juba's main electricity distributor, Jedco, said parts of the city would start experiencing daily power cuts on a rotational basis.
Due to the ongoing Iran-US conflict, Jedco stated it must proactively manage its available energy reserves, prioritizing a strategic rationing of power.
In Mauritius, the heavy reliance on oil imports for electricity generation has triggered an energy emergency. According to the government, a shipment of oil that had been due to arrive over the weekend did not materialize, leaving the country with only 21 days of stock. Alternative fuel supplies from Singapore are due on 1 April but will come at a higher cost.
South Sudan, despite having some of the largest oil reserves in East Africa, predominantly exports its crude, importing the refined products required for fuel. Power rationing comes amid ongoing intermittent cuts since May last year due to maintenance operations.
Residents in affected areas, like Juba, reported severe disruptions to businesses, with some shifting to solar power, although it is costly. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has decided to increase the ethanol content in petrol from 5% to 20% to stretch fuel supplies and is eliminating certain taxes on fuel imports to combat rising prices, which have surged by 40% in under a month.
Street vendors in Harare have reported drastic price increases in goods, attributing the increases to rising transport costs resulting from the ongoing conflict. The situation is being closely monitored, with some ports in Southern Africa likely to experience increased traffic as vessels avoid the troubled waters around the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ethiopia government has issued directives for fuel prioritization for essential services, while Kenya is seeing supply shortages amidst growing panic buying among citizens. Across the continent, governments are scrambling to manage the repercussions of the fuel crisis as ordinary people bear the brunt of the rising costs.
Despite assurances of stable supplies in South Africa, the prolonged conflict poses a potential threat to fuel availability and prices in the coming months.
