An engineer and perennial scholar on power sector reforms in developing countries has just published his debut book, which aims to present the most comprehensive narration of load shedding in South Africa to date. Dr Isaac Malgas’ Power Struggle - Why Rolling Blackouts Continue is a significant and ambitious work of research and commentary, presenting an educational exploration of the issues facing the South African power sector. It delves into the general causes of insufficient generation capacity in developing countries, focussing specifically on power sectors in Africa.

At a key moment in South Africa’s power sector’s history, the book focuses on the domestic electricity situation where there have been prolonged periods of insufficient generation capacity, frequently leading to rolling blackouts. It also compiles, from the public record, the sheer scale of mismanagement and corruption exacerbating the problem. The book applies to South Africa as well as other developing countries with power sectors in reform and is an essential read for professionals active in the country’s energy sector. Its contribution is wide ranging, addressing energy reform, the policy environment, foreign investment, institutional factors, as well as the imperative to decarbonise, including renewables and the need for a just energy transition. As a result, the book is expected to impact the power sector significantly—locally and in the rest of Africa.

It educates on various aspects of management and governance of state-owned electricity utilities, integrating independent power producers into reforming power sectors, and power sector planning. It presents an important reference for stakeholder institutions and energy sector professionals. Malgas, who has worked at Eskom for over 30 years, engages readers scholastically on key elements that affect the sustainability of the South African power sector. He intends to foster active participation amongst energy sector stakeholders as they grapple with—and resolve—many of the problems that have contributed to insufficient generation capacity.

The book provides general experiential insights from the African continent, as well as more detailed insights from South Africa. It makes a substantial educational contribution to understanding the phenomenon of insufficient electricity generation in South Africa, and elsewhere on the continent.

The book is available in paperback format via Takealot, and as an e-book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and a range of other online outlets. It will be available in other local stores soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isaac Malgas is a seasoned scholar of power sector reforms in developing nations, focusing on the continent of Africa. He has worked at the South African national power utility, Eskom, in various roles for over thirty years. The author holds a doctoral degree in Energy Studies from the University of Cape Town (UCT), specialising in Power Sector Reform. Amongst other publications, Dr Malgas has authored and co-authored several academic papers and journal articles on energy policy, independent power producers, and hybrid markets in Africa.

Countries he has studied extensively include Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. He has also peer reviewed academic journal papers in the domain of power sector reforms. Dr Malgas has served as an industrial supervisor for post-graduate students at various academic institutions and an ad hoc external examiner of master’s and doctoral dissertations.