Energy Incident Register
Register / Grid infrastructure / EIR-1285
← Back to the list
Grid infrastructureSouth AfricaEIR-1285

Fire at Mooikloof substation interrupts supply in Pretoria east

2021Published 25 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
Where
Mooikloof substation east of Pretoria at Mooikloof Estate
What
Fire damaged substation and 26 panels, power cut to 1,500 customers
Cause
Not reported
Outcome
Supply restored after rain delayed panel replacement

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

What happened

A fire damaged the Mooikloof substation, east of Pretoria, and interrupted electricity supply. Published reports described residents without power for about a week, although quoted accounts of the wait differed. Traffic lights were reported out of service at the Solomon Mahlangu Drive and Atterbury Road intersection, and in some other areas. The City of Tshwane said technicians were repairing the substation at Mooikloof Estate in heavy rain that delayed the work.

The city said the site had been cleaned, all 26 damaged panels replaced, and supply restored to more than 1,500 residences and businesses. It also reported later progress on roofing, the installation of 15 switchgear panels, a transformer panel and a bus coupler, preparation of 11 kV cable re-routing, and planned transformer oil treatment. The cause of the fire was not reported.

Contributing factors

The cause of the fire was not reported. Heavy and consistent rain was reported only as interrupting and delaying the repair work.

Lessons learned

  1. After a substation fire, public updates should separate customers already restored from repair work that is still under way.
  2. Repair plans should allow for weather that can delay roofing, cable and equipment work.
  3. A substation outage can also take traffic signals out of service, so operators should coordinate with road authorities while supply is down.

More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, weather and external hazards, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Age and model of damaged panels
  • Total downtime and repair cost

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

Source

IOL (iol.co.za)

Published 2026-09-25. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

See the register's stories first in Google: add it as a preferred source.

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: 157 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. Also: switchgear and breaker fires and power line and cable failures.

Browse the full register or submit an incident.