Substandard Cable Imports Threaten South Africa’s Grid Reliability and Energy Transition

South Africa’s cable manufacturing sector has the technical capacity to support grid modernisation and the energy transition, yet rising volumes of substandard imports are undermining system reliability, safety, and long-term infrastructure performance.

Andre Smith, Chief Executive of South Ocean Electric Wire, a subsidiary of JSE-listed South Ocean Holdings, says the national grid is coming under mounting strain as renewable energy integration, industrial recovery, and electrification targets drive higher demand.

He notes that utilities such as Eskom and municipalities are increasingly relying on reconductoring and uprating solutions to expand capacity along existing transmission corridors. These approaches offer a cost-effective alternative to building new lines, avoiding lengthy environmental approvals and the expense of additional transmission infrastructure.

However, Smith warns that the influx of low-cost, non-compliant imported cables is creating widespread technical and operational risks. Industry experience links these products to overheating, insulation failure, fire incidents, and unplanned downtime. These failures are already visible across residential, industrial, mining, construction, and renewable energy applications.

Without corrective action, he cautions that similar defects could extend into transmission infrastructure, with material implications for grid reliability and system costs.

Smith stresses that investment in certified, high-performance cable technologies is essential to strengthening network resilience. He adds that prioritising quality from the outset reduces lifecycle costs and supports faster deployment of clean energy infrastructure.

With new transmission corridors increasingly constrained, maximising existing assets has become critical. Advanced conductor technologies—such as composite core and high-temperature low-sag (HTLS) solutions including ACCC-type conductors—are enabling significant capacity gains without altering existing infrastructure footprints. In some applications, these technologies can increase power transfer capacity by up to 100%.
Smith emphasises that quality must be maintained across the entire system, including distribution networks and low-voltage connections that integrate renewable generation and substations.

He also calls for stricter enforcement of certification standards, including SABS compliance and alignment with international specifications for specialised and armoured cables. He warns that compliant local manufacturers are losing market share to imports that often lack verified testing and after-sales support.

According to Smith, independent testing consistently shows many imported cables fail to meet the performance standards of locally manufactured alternatives. South Ocean Electric Wire, he adds, operates in-house and SANAS-accredited testing facilities to ensure compliance and reliability.

He concludes that safeguarding the integrity of South Africa’s cable supply chain is essential to building a safer, more efficient, and sustainable electricity system capable of supporting long-term energy security.