As South Africa’s energy crisis intensifies, it’s more important than ever to consider alternative power solutions. Portable power is an excellent option if you’re renting or living in a sectional title where you can’t alter the property – or if you can’t afford or don’t want to make permanent changes right now.
Portable power is also great for road-tripping, a weekend getaway, or if you’re into camping. Here are some entry-level options to keep your devices and small appliances connected.
Volkano Mini UPS - R699
The Volkano Mini UPS is a cost-effective way to power your essential internet devices. Ideal for keeping your wired or wireless internet connection going during power outages, It can also power CCTV cameras and has PoE (power over ethernet) which allows it to power a VoIP phone among other things. It also has one USB port for charging a smartphone, tablet or any other mobile device.
EcoFlow River (288Wh) – R8 195 at Geewiz.co.za
The portable EcoFlow River range has a modular design to add or remove batteries, and weighs 5kg. It has a 288Wh/78 000mAh lithium battery, can power appliances up to 1800W via its X-Boost mode and has a mini display to monitor usage. It charges up to nine devices at once and boasts fast charging from 0-80% in under an hour. It has 2 x USB-A ports, 1 x USB-A fast port, 1 x USB-C port, 2 x AC outputs, 1 x car output, and 2 x DC outputs. It recharges fully in 1.6 hours but supports car charging too. Comes with cables for both, plus optional solar.
Jackery Explorer (250Wh) – R6 950 at Jackery.co.za
The Jackery Explorer range is suited for smartphones, laptops, tablets, and small appliances like mini fans or coolers. The lightweight Explorer 250 features a 250Wh battery and weighs 3kg. It has USB-A ports, AC outlet, and 12V car output. It also features a small LCD screen to display charge status and battery life. The unit also comes with a South African two-prong to three-prong outlet adaptor. It features a battery management system to ensure safety and enables short-circuit protection, voltage and temperature control, and other safety features. The Explorer has a two-year warranty but a promise of lifelong technical support.
Gizzu (296Wh) – R5 599 at Builders.co.za
The Gizzu provides portable power with a 296Wh/80 000mAh lithium battery and weighs 3.4kg. It’s suited to powering your phone, tablet, laptop, camera, and small appliances like a mini fridge or router – in fact, anything not exceeding 300W. It comes with an AC output, car DC output, 3 x USB-A and one fast USB-C port and features a built-in LED flashlight. It takes up to 6.5 hours to recharge and has built-in safety features, such as protection against short circuits, over-current, under-voltage, and temperature. It can’t be plugged permanently into a wall socket.
Bluetti EB3A (268Wh) – R 8 395 at Geewiz.co.za
The Bluetti portable power station offers a 268Wh lithium phosphate battery and weighs 4.6kg. It’s a 600W pure sine wave inverter with pass-through charging, so it can remain plugged in while using it. It can recharge up to 8 devices at once through 2 x USB-A ports, 1 x USB-C port, DC outlets, a 15W wireless charging pad and AC outlets; and it recharges in six ways. It also has built-in safety management, and you can monitor usage via a display panel.
Put These Power Sources To Good Use
Visit the Vodacom online store where you can find everything from mobile phones to tablets, laptops, a TV and an array of smart home devices. You can also get Vodacom fibre, to keep you connected with fast and reliable internet. All of this can be powered during loadshedding by one of the above mini power stations.
