In a matter of hours, Eskom’s load shedding went from Stage 2 to Stage 4. The power utility announced on the weekend that Stage 4 will remain in place until Sunday, at least.

We’re not ones for hysteria and fear mongering, but the sudden shift is enough to jolt even the most rational people.

While we all really should we doing other things on a weekend, with the last remnants of summer lingering, it’s understandable that people are freaking out just a bit.

Energy analyst Ted Blom previously warned that the Stage 4 blackouts that plagued the country back in February meant South Africa could face disaster.

Load shedding started, then disappeared, and now seems to be back with a vengeance. No warning, no signs that it might get this bad. Nada.

While most of us want to remain optimistic that the worst case scenario won’t ever become a reality, it’s worth understanding just how drastically bad things could get.

Load shedding Stage 8: The horror of collapse

Stage 8 – the worst-case scenario – allows for 8 000MW to be shed from the grid. This is double the amount allocated to Stage 4. Under Stage 8 load shedding, some suburbs and towns could expect to be left in the dark for up to 12 hours per day – although this amount could vary according to municipal suppliers and allocations.

For a full explanation of Stage 8 and what or when that might happen, read our previous report on Stage 8 load shedding here.

Eskom grid collapse: A grim look at Venezuela

A complete and total grid collapse is even worse than Stage 8. If the grid collapses completely and the country is left in the dark, things become bad. Really bad.

On Thursday, 7 March 2019, Venezuela was plunged into darkness. The country’s power system went down and most parts, including the capital Caracas, was without power.

Reports sounded like something from a dystopian novel. Sporadic looting, patients begging doctors to be kept alive and people living in fear of what the New York Times described as “being on the verge of social implosion”.

“We’re going to arrive at a moment when we’re going to eat each other,” Zuly González, 40, a resident of Caracas’s Chacao neighbourhood, told the NY Times.

Basic services were cut off and, in hospitals, nurses were fanning babies with food trays to keep them cool.

The full, grim picture of what could happen in the event of a total grid collapse can be read here.