Abstract
There have been growing concerns in South Africa over the consistency of load shedding, leaving unprecedented undesirable effects on the lives and livelihoods of the residents of the country. This paper, therefore, examines the effects of load shedding on South African residents and their opinions on using alternative energy sources, such as solar home systems, as an instrument for mitigation. Therefore, a mixed research methodology was adopted for this study, which involves both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, thereby taking advantage of the strength of both research methodologies. This study finds that all the respondents have experienced load shedding along with its accompanying consequences on their lives and livelihoods, just like other residents in the country. The findings showed that although respondents would like to explore alternative energy sources as a mitigation tool, they are mostly constrained by the costs and affordability of these solutions. However, power utility providers, retailers, and manufacturers of alternative energy technologies, as well as the government, public, and private sectors, would have contributed to the effective mitigation of load shedding and its effects on the lives and livelihoods of South African residents.