Load-shedding has become a fact of life in South Africa, and criminals know it. When the power drops, so do many of the systems you rely on for protection. Here is how to stay covered.
Know what stops working
The moment the power goes, several layers of your security can quietly fail at once:
- Electric fences without a charged battery stop pulsing — your perimeter goes dead.
- Automated gates may not open or close, tempting people to leave them ajar.
- Alarm panels without a healthy backup battery lose monitoring and signalling.
- CCTV and routers shut down, so you lose both footage and off-site monitoring.
Battery backups are non-negotiable
Most alarm systems and electric-fence energisers have a backup battery — but batteries wear out in two to three years and then quietly fail. Have yours tested. A UPS on your CCTV recorder and router keeps your cameras and remote monitoring alive through a typical two-and-a-half hour slot.
Know how to release your automated gate manually — and make sure every adult in the home or on the night shift knows too.
Your quick load-shedding checklist
- Test your alarm during an outage, not just when the power is on.
- Keep phones charged so you can always reach your armed response provider.
- Do not rely on a single layer — pair beams, alarms and a guard or patrol.
- Be extra alert in the first minutes of an outage, when gates and lights are down.
X-Pert can audit your home or premises specifically for load-shedding weak points and recommend the right backup and patrol cover. We are always watching, even when the lights are not.