New Junction Mall power outage: cable repairs in flooded tunnels
City Power says a power outage at New Junction Mall in Newtown, Johannesburg, was reported on 26 October 2026 and involves multiple cable faults. In an update on 28 October, the operator said teams were repairing a second fault in flooded tunnels. It gave a conditional restoration estimate of 16:00 that afternoon; electricity returning has not been confirmed.
Status of this incident
Current status unconfirmed
Last known status: confirmed by the source · City Power reports cable repairs at New Junction Mall; its conditional 16:00 estimate for 28 October does not confirm restoration.
Source moment: Oct 28, 2026, 11:50 AM UTC (01:50 PM local time)
In 20 seconds
City Power attributes the mall outage to multiple cable faults and reports repairs to a second fault in flooded tunnels.
The operator anticipates restoration at 16:00 on 28 October if no challenges arise. That remains an estimate.
Exact onset, affected-customer totals and actual restoration remain unknown; wider Newtown impact is not established.
What City Power reports about the repairs
The operator identifies the incident as Bree Substation (New Junction) and describes the affected location as New Junction Mall in Newtown. Its statement says the outage was reported on 26 October due to multiple cable faults. The reported date does not establish the exact time electricity was lost, and it cannot be used to calculate a precise outage duration.
In the 28 October update, City Power says teams are repairing a second fault in flooded tunnels. The available statement does not provide a verified affected-customer count or establish that every property in Newtown has lost supply. Other Newtown resident reports and Mayfair events have not been linked to this mall-specific fault, so they are not included in its reported impact.
What the sources tell us, and what they do not
- Reported location
- New Junction Mall, Newtown, Johannesburg
- Reported fault
- Multiple cable faults; second fault being repaired in flooded tunnels, according to City Power
- Affected customers
- Not verified
- Restoration estimate
- City Power: 28 October, 16:00 SAST if no challenges arise; actual restoration unconfirmed
The restoration estimate remains conditional
City Power anticipates restoration at 16:00 on 28 October if no challenges arise. The time is understood in the local South African operator context as SAST. It is a forecast, rather than confirmation that repairs are complete or electricity has returned. The available evidence does not establish an actual restoration time.
The operator published this update at 13:50 SAST on 28 October. That publication time is separate from the earlier date the outage was reported. A later verified operator update is needed to establish the outcome of the repair work; the passage of the forecast time alone would not confirm restoration.
Planning for an interruption
The grid-down essentials guide can help organise essential supplies. Use the runtime calculator to estimate battery runtime for selected devices, or read the internet backup guide for connectivity planning. These resources do not provide a live supply check for a particular mall unit or address.