Braamfontein power restoration reported; Smit Street status unverified
City Power reports electricity restored to Braamfontein, Parktown, Parktown West, Wits University and surrounding areas after emergency isolation of Braamfontein Substation on 20 October. An earlier notice excepted parts of Smit Street. The later statement does not explicitly resolve that exception, so current supply there remains unverified.
Status of this incident
Partial / reduced supply
Last known status: partly restored · City Power reports restoration; current supply to parts of Smit Street remains unverified after the earlier exception.
Source moment: Oct 20, 2026, 01:37 PM UTC (03:37 PM local time)
In 20 seconds
City Power reports restoration in the named areas; current supply to the earlier-excepted parts of Smit Street is unverified.
The operator links the morning outage to vandalism and cable theft at the substation; the fire sequence remains independently unverified.
The latest statement reports restoration after emergency isolation, without explicitly confirming supply to parts of Smit Street.
Latest restoration statement and the earlier exception
At 12:00 SAST on 20 October, equivalent to 10:00 UTC, City Power announced restoration for Braamfontein, Parktown, Parktown West and Wits University, except parts of Smit Street. It said the team was sourcing material for repairs. That was the operator’s midday account, rather than an independent check at every address.
At 15:37 SAST, or 13:37 UTC, City Power reported restoration to the named areas and surrounding areas following emergency isolation of the substation after extensive vandalism and cable theft. The later caption does not explicitly say whether the Smit Street exception has been cleared. No exact onset, verified customer total or complete affected-address list is established. Full restoration at every previously affected property remains unverified.
What the sources tell us, and what they do not
- Reported area
- Braamfontein, Parktown, Parktown West, Wits University and surrounding areas; earlier exception for parts of Smit Street unresolved
- Affected customers
- Unknown
- Operator response
- Emergency isolation followed by reported restoration; material sourcing mentioned in the earlier notice
- Restoration
- Restoration reported by City Power; current supply in earlier-excepted parts of Smit Street unverified
Earlier fire notice and attributed cause
At 07:37 SAST that morning, corresponding to 05:37 UTC, City Power reported smoke from the Braamfontein Substation following a fire. The operator said emergency services were on site and technical teams would assess damage once access was granted. That describes the earlier response, without establishing the later condition of emergency operations.
The midday statement attributes the outage to vandalism and cable theft at the substation. The precise ignition sequence is not independently confirmed. Earlier wording referred to tunnels, while the full notices identify the substation; the precise damaged assets remain unresolved. This is a distinct 20 October morning incident. Its relationship to the 5 October Braamfontein outage and September Central fire is unestablished, so no continuous multiweek duration can be inferred.
Planning for essential devices
The outage essentials guide provides a checklist for essential devices. Use the runtime calculator to estimate battery support for selected loads, and the internet backup guide to plan connectivity. These tools support preparation; they do not establish the state of the network or a restoration deadline.