Every load shedding solution is really answering two questions: how many watts do you need to keep running, and for how long? Get those two numbers right and choosing between a UPS, an inverter trolley and a portable power station becomes simple arithmetic instead of guesswork.
Start With Your Load
Add up what genuinely must stay on. A fibre ONT and router draw about 20W together. A laptop adds 60W, a TV 100–150W, a desktop PC 300W or more. A fridge is the trap — the compressor start-up spike needs far more than its rated wattage, which is why most backup setups deliberately leave it out.
The Mini UPS: Keep the Wi-Fi Alive (from ~R800)
If the honest answer is "I just need internet", a small DC UPS is the best money you will spend on load shedding. It powers your router and ONT directly at 12V, lasts four hours easily, and recharges itself when power returns. No installation, no noise, no maintenance. Browse our UPS & inverter range — the local brand Gizzu practically invented this category for South African conditions.
The Line-Interactive UPS: Desktop Insurance (from ~R1,500)
A conventional UPS gives a desktop PC enough runtime to save work and shut down cleanly, and it filters the voltage spikes that arrive when power returns — the silent killer of power supplies and motherboards. Size it at roughly double your PC’s draw for comfortable headroom.
The Inverter Trolley: Whole-Evening Comfort (from ~R6,000)
An inverter with deep-cycle batteries bridges a full two-and-a-half-hour stage comfortably: TV, decoder, laptops, lights and phone chargers all together. It recharges from the wall between outages. The trade-offs are weight, battery replacement every few years, and charge time — back-to-back stages can outrun it.
The Portable Power Station: The Flexible One (from ~R4,000)
A portable power station does what the trolley does in a cleaner package: lithium battery, pure sine inverter, USB and 230V outputs, silent operation, and the option to recharge from a solar panel. LiFePO4 models survive thousands of cycles — buy once, use for a decade, and take it camping between stages. For most families starting from zero, this is our default recommendation.
The Honest Summary
Internet only? Mini UPS. Desktop PC? Line-interactive UPS. Whole lounge, every evening? Inverter trolley or a 1kWh-plus power station — and the power station wins if you ever leave the house with it. Whichever route fits, our listings show both the wattage and the watt-hours plainly, and delivery is free over R3,450.
