Load Shedding Killed Your Business Phone? Here's What to Do
Even André de Ruyter, the man who ran Eskom, has said South Africa needs to move away from relying on Eskom entirely — and that shift is already happening whether businesses are ready or not. For most small businesses that means one thing on the ground: the power still goes out, on a schedule you don't control, and when it does, your phone system dies with it. No fibre router power, no Wi-Fi, no calls in or out. Customers hear dead air or a fast busy tone, assume you're closed, and phone the next business on the list.
If that's happened to you this month, you're not alone — and it's not something you have to keep living with.
Why load shedding takes your phones down with it
A cloud phone system like NexysPBX runs over the internet, which is exactly why it's better than an old copper landline in almost every way — except one. It needs power and it needs a working internet connection. During load shedding, both can disappear at once:
- ▸Your router loses power — no signal reaches your handsets or the app on your phone.
- ▸Your ISP's local infrastructure struggles — fibre exchanges and cell towers run on generator or battery backup that isn't unlimited, especially during extended stages or back-to-back outages.
- ▸Your office alarm and other devices compete for the same UPS — so even backup power gets stretched thin.
The result is the same whether you're on Telkom copper (which is being phased out anyway — see our piece on the Telkom copper switch-off) or on fibre: when the grid goes down, so does your only way for customers to reach you.
The fix isn't more candles — it's a second connection
The businesses that keep ringing through load shedding aren't the ones with the biggest generator. They're the ones who've stopped relying on a single point of failure for connectivity. That means running your primary fibre line alongside an LTE or 5G backup that kicks in automatically the moment fibre drops.
This is what Connectivity from NexysCloud (built on United Tech's network) is built to do:
- ▸Fibre as your main line — fast, stable, and cost-effective day to day.
- ▸LTE/5G failover — a mobile data connection that takes over within seconds if fibre goes down, with no manual switching required.
- ▸A small UPS or battery to keep your router and failover device powered through the outage itself.
Because NexysPBX and your other cloud tools just need an internet connection — not specifically a fibre one — this combination means calls keep routing, voicemail-to-email keeps working, and your mobile app still rings even while the office lights are off.
We've written in more detail about why this hybrid setup is becoming standard practice for SA businesses in our guide on fibre + LTE/5G failover.
What it actually costs you to stay offline
It's easy to treat a few dropped calls during load shedding as an annoyance rather than a cost. But every missed call is a customer decision point — and in most industries, that customer doesn't wait around. A tenant with a burst geyser, a patient trying to book an appointment, or a buyer wanting to view a property will simply call the next name on Google. We've broken this down properly in You're Losing Calls When Power Drops — the short version is that missed-call losses add up faster than most owners expect, especially during extended stages when outages stretch to four or six hours at a time.
Backstop: catch what still slips through
No connectivity setup is 100% outage-proof — batteries run flat, towers get congested, and sometimes the call just doesn't get through in time. That's where NexysRecovery earns its keep. It automatically sends an SMS or WhatsApp message to anyone whose call you miss, within seconds, so they know you'll be in touch rather than assuming you've shut down. Pair that with a cloud phone system on hybrid connectivity and you've covered both the outage itself and the small gaps that slip through anyway. Our guide on missed call recovery covers how it works in more detail.
What to check before the next stage 4
If you want to know whether your setup will survive the next round of load shedding, ask yourself:
- ▸Does my router and failover device sit on a UPS, or does it die the second the wall socket does?
- ▸Do I actually have a second connection (LTE/5G), or is fibre my only option?
- ▸Does my phone system's mobile app work on data, so staff can answer calls from their cellphones if the office is dark?
- ▸Am I still on a copper line that ICASA and Telkom have already flagged for switch-off?
If you answered "no" or "not sure" to any of these, it's worth a proper connectivity review before the next stage hits.
Frequently asked questions
Will LTE/5G failover slow down my calls?
No — once fibre drops and failover kicks in, call quality depends on local mobile signal strength, which in most areas is more than sufficient for voice calls. It's a backup, not your everyday connection.
How much backup power do I actually need?
Enough to run your router and failover device (not your whole office) for the length of a typical outage in your area — usually a small UPS unit is enough, not a full generator, though a generator helps if outages run long or often.
Can I keep my existing phone number if I switch connectivity setups?
Yes. Moving to hybrid connectivity or a new phone system doesn't require a new number — see our guide on number porting for how the process works.
Is this only for businesses on fibre?
No. Businesses still on ADSL, copper, or a single LTE connection benefit even more from adding a second, independent connection type as backup.
