Load shedding has become part of daily South African life. Whether you're on Stage 2 or Stage 6, finding yourself in the dark for 2–4 hours at a stretch is frustrating — and for many households, genuinely damaging to food, work, and security. A well-chosen home inverter system solves this problem permanently.
But walk into any electrical shop or browse online and you'll face a wall of options: pure sine wave vs modified sine wave, 1kVA vs 5kVA, lead-acid vs lithium, hybrid vs standalone. This guide cuts through the confusion and gives you the straight South African picture on what to buy, what to spend, and what to avoid.
The single most important step is knowing how much power you need. List every appliance you want to run during load shedding and note its wattage. Here are typical South African household loads:
| Appliance | Typical Wattage | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| LED lights (x6) | 60W | Essential |
| Wi-Fi router | 15W | Essential |
| Laptop/PC | 60–150W | High |
| LED TV (55") | 80–120W | Medium |
| DStv decoder | 30W | Medium |
| Fridge (medium) | 150–200W running / 600W startup | High |
| Microwave | 900–1200W | Low (brief use) |
| Kettle / toaster | 1500–2200W | Avoid on inverter |
Pro tip: Kettles and geysers are power-hungry. Unless you have a large battery bank and a big inverter, leave those on grid power and focus your inverter on essentials.
You'll see modified sine wave inverters at lower prices and it's tempting. Don't do it for a home setup. Here's why:
For a home backup power system, always choose a true sine wave inverter. The price difference is modest and the protection it offers your appliances is worth every rand.
Inverters are rated in VA (volt-amps) or kVA. For practical purposes, treat 1kVA as roughly equal to 800W of usable power (accounting for inefficiency).
| System Size | What It Runs | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1kVA – 1.5kVA | Lights, router, TV, phones, laptop | Apartment, small home |
| 2kVA – 3kVA | Above + fridge, ceiling fan | Medium family home |
| 4kVA – 5kVA | Above + additional appliances, small washing machine | Large home, home office |
| 8kVA+ | Near full-house coverage | Large property, business |
If you're primarily protecting essentials — lights, internet, TV, laptops, phone chargers — a 2kVA system is the sweet spot for most South African family homes. Add the fridge and you may want to step up to 3kVA.
This is a crucial decision that affects your upgrade path:
Connects to your battery bank and switches to battery when grid power fails. Charges batteries from grid power when Eskom is on. Cannot accept solar panels. Lower cost upfront, but a dead-end if you later want to add solar.
Does everything a standalone does, but also accepts solar panel input via a built-in MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charge controller. During daylight hours your solar panels charge batteries and offset grid draw — even when Eskom is on. This is the smart long-term choice.
Your battery bank is where most of your money goes. You have two main choices:
When you calculate cost over time, lithium often wins. Read our detailed comparison in Lithium vs Lead-Acid Batteries for Home Backup Power for the full breakdown.
Battery capacity is measured in amp-hours (Ah). To calculate how long your system will last:
This is why lithium gives you so much more real-world runtime for the same rated capacity — and why the price premium is often justified.
A properly installed inverter system should be wired by a qualified electrician and connected to a dedicated DB board circuit. Key points:
Ready to get a professional assessment? Contact us or use our Home Backup Systems request form for a free quote.
| System | Approximate Installed Cost |
|---|---|
| 1.5kVA + 100Ah AGM (essentials only) | R10,000 – R15,000 |
| 3kVA + 200Ah AGM (fridge + essentials) | R22,000 – R32,000 |
| 3kVA Hybrid + 100Ah Lithium | R28,000 – R40,000 |
| 5kVA Hybrid + 200Ah Lithium + 2kWp Solar | R55,000 – R85,000 |
For a typical South African home running lights, TV, router and phone chargers, a 1kVA to 2kVA inverter is sufficient. If you also need to run a fridge, bump up to 3kVA–5kVA. Always add up the wattage of every device you want to run simultaneously and choose an inverter rated at least 20% above that figure.
Runtime depends entirely on your battery bank capacity and your load. A 100Ah 12V lead-acid battery powering a 200W load will last roughly 4–5 hours. Lithium batteries (same Ah) deliver closer to 6–7 hours because you can safely discharge them deeper.
A pure sine wave inverter produces clean AC power identical to Eskom supply — safe for all appliances including sensitive electronics, motors and compressors. Modified sine wave inverters are cheaper but can damage some appliances and cause humming in audio equipment. For home use, always choose pure sine wave.
A basic 1kVA pure sine wave inverter with a 100Ah sealed battery starts around R8,000–R12,000 installed. A 3kVA system with lithium batteries capable of running your home through a 4-hour load shedding slot typically costs R25,000–R45,000.
Yes — if you purchase a hybrid inverter (also called a solar inverter or inverter-charger with MPPT input), you can add solar panels at any time. Make sure your inverter has a built-in MPPT charge controller. This is the most future-proof option for South African homes.