What R50,000 can buy you to protect your business from loadshedding

There is no getting around the fact that loadshedding is here to stay in South Africa - and it is going to have dire consequences for many businesses in the country.

According to Alexforbes chief economist Isaah Mhlanga, for every day that South Africa experiences Stage 6 loadshedding, R4-billion is lost from the GDP.

That is an incredibly scary fact for an already strained economy.

Many smaller businesses will tell you that the longer loadshedding continues, the more likely they will have to close shop. We have already seen what the COVID-19 pandemic did for the SMME sector, so we cannot afford to lose more businesses if we are ever going to recover as an economy.

READ: Win R50,000 worth of backup power options with OUTsurance!

So what are the solutions?

Well, it is all dependent on what your electricity needs are as a business. If you need to simply keep the WiFi running to continue using your laptop, then a simple mini UPS works like a charm. But we all know that most businesses require more than just that to keep operations flowing.

We take a look at what R50,000 can buy your business to offset some of the issues brought on by loadshedding:

- To keep the lights on, there are a number of rechargeable LED bulbs on the market for you to consider. On average you are looking at about R100 per bulb, so if you are strategic about where you place them, you could get away with spending a few hundred bucks.

- A generator works like a charm, but it is important to consider the cost of fuelling them - as well as the noise. However, if you are serious about keeping operations going, then spending anywhere between R10,000 and R40,000 will provide you with peace of mind. The size of the generator required obviously depends on what you need to power, with some high-powered generators costing a lot more than R40,000.

- A portable card machine is a great way to beat loadshedding, but you must remember to charge it beforehand. These can be bought for a once-off price of around R1,000, but some do charge monthly service fees, so check out which option works best for you.

- A UPS for your WiFi is also important. This will ensure that you experience no downtime when the power cut hits. These vary in price from anywhere between R700 and R2,000 - with the more expensive ones housing longer-lasting batteries.

- It is also advisable to have a surge protection unit installed on the mains board of your premises. Costs may vary depending on the size of your premises, but a standard surge protection unit is roughly R2,000 including installation by a qualified electrician.

At the end of the day, every business will have different backup power requirements, so the above is purely a representation of what R50,000 can buy you in today's market.

Want to stand a chance to win R50,000 towards your backup power needs? OUTsurance will give one lucky business owner R50,000 to make their backup power supply dreams a reality. All you need to do is WhatsApp 'lightsOUT' to 084 850 0942 to get started or click here to enter.

You could also win a live promotional spot on-air, just like these lucky winners below:

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