Cape Town - South Africa's chronic power shortages have cost the steel and engineering sectors R6bn in lost output, an industry body said on Monday.
Power utility Eskom has started a series of power blackouts across the country over the last three weeks due to decades of under-investment in new power generation and maintenance on current infrastructure.
The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa said in a statement that the electricity shortages were damaging South Africa's reputation as an investment destination and causing "untold harm" to its economy.