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Grid infrastructureSouth AfricaEIR-0976

Feederboard explosion at Brynorth substation cuts power across Johannesburg suburbs

Dec 2019Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectrical
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersLow confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Brynorth substation, Johannesburg, South Africa
Operator
City Power
What
Feederboard explosion
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Not reported

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): City Power, Eskom

What happened

An explosion occurred at the Brynorth substation in Johannesburg, South Africa, when a feederboard blew up, according to City Power. The incident affected power supply to Bryanston, Morningside, Khanyisa, River Club, Douglasdale and surrounding areas, compounding existing power cuts caused by load shedding from national utility Eskom. City Power said operators were on site and that traffic along parts of William Nicol Drive through Bryanston was affected as a result of the outage. Photographs released by the utility showed serious damage that appeared to be undergoing repair. City Power said an update would follow once technicians had determined the extent of the damage. No information on injuries was reported.

Contributing factors

No specific contributing cause was given in the source beyond the feederboard failure. The outage occurred against a backdrop of concurrent national load shedding by Eskom.

Lessons learned

  1. A feederboard failure at a substation can trigger an explosion and cut supply to multiple suburbs, so operators should inspect feederboards and switchgear for early signs of wear.
  2. Substation damage that affects main roads needs quick traffic plans, so City Power should keep diversion routes ready for feederboard events.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Exact cause of the feederboard failure
  • Extent of the damage
  • Duration of the power outage
  • Cost of repairs

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

citizen.co.za

Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Grid infrastructure incidents in South Africa, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Grid infrastructure incidents in South Africa: 148 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Substation and transformer fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one.

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