Mumtaz Moosa Saley | mumtazs@me.com
02 December 2022 | 21:45 PM CAT
1 min read

Photo Credit: IOL

Millions of South Africans have become so accustomed to load-shedding that they plan daily details like mealtimes, dental appointments, and other activities around the different and ever-changing load-shedding.

Gone are the days when we reach for our phones first thing in the morning to read the news or browse social media; we now religiously wake up to check on the load-shedding schedule.

But if the last few years have taught us anything is that we adapt. We also use the different stages to help us make small talk while standing in never-ending queues at the Home Affairs Office or waiting in grocery stores to pay for groceries.

Who knows, maybe somewhere on the southern horizon, a family started this conversation based on load-shedding that led to the perfect samoosa run. I can be hopeful that even though the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off that there can still be a silver lining in someone’s fairy tale story.

But, despite it all, we must acknowledge that the true spirit of South Africans is one of a kind; nowhere else in the world do people in malls clap when the lights come back on during that moment between load shedding and the kick-start of the generator. When everyone collectively claps or shouts Yay, any tourist would assume something monumental has happened, or maybe the country’s sporting team has won a major game of rugby, cricket, or football.