Cape Town pilots new tech to fight power theft as losses hit R49m.
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The City of Cape Town is piloting new anti-vandalism technologies in crime hotspot areas as it intensifies efforts to curb electricity infrastructure theft, which the City says has already cost more than R49 million this financial year.
The Energy Directorate said the research-driven pilot projects form part of the City’s broader Protect Your Power campaign, aimed at safeguarding critical infrastructure, improving supply reliability and reducing service disruptions across communities.
The latest intervention comes as the City continues to grapple with escalating losses and repeated damage to infrastructure. Cape Argus previously reported that more than R44.5 million had already been spent by January this year, with officials warning of an “unsustainable” cycle in which infrastructure is repaired only to be vandalised again. Service pressures are also mounting, with thousands of electricity-related faults logged monthly as theft and illegal connections are cited as key drivers of outages across the metro.
Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Xanthea Limberg, said the pilot initiatives are designed to test anti-vandalism solutions in real-world conditions before wider implementation.
“The insights gained from these projects will play an important role in informing future interventions for more effective and long-term solutions to protect our power infrastructure,” Limberg said.
Limberg has previously warned the situation is “not sustainable”, noting that infrastructure is often vandalised again shortly after being repaired.
In the previous financial year, the City recorded losses exceeding R62 million due to electricity infrastructure theft, vandalism and illegal connections, highlighting the growing financial and operational strain on municipal resources.
Officials said the pilot forms part of a wider vandalism mitigation programme, which includes increased law enforcement visibility in hotspot areas, the rollout of anti-theft technologies and the replacement of copper components with lower street-value materials to deter criminals.
The City confirmed that details of the technologies being tested cannot yet be disclosed due to confidentiality agreements with private sector partners involved through a Request for Information process.
Residents have been urged to report suspicious activity, especially where infrastructure is located near homes or public spaces, to enable faster response times and limit damage.
The City said community cooperation remains critical as it works to protect essential services and reduce the impact of infrastructure-related crime.
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