Adani faces backlash over plot to takeover South Africa’s $25bn electricity upgrade

South Africa is facing growing public backlash after Gautam Adani’s conglomerate was shortlisted as a bidder for a 26 billion dollar overhaul of the country’s electricity transmission grid. The project is central to addressing South Africa’s long running power crisis, but news of Adani’s involvement has sparked intense debate, mistrust, and public scrutiny across social media and civil society.

While the South African government has framed the shortlisting of seven international consortia as a technical step toward modernising the grid, many South Africans are questioning why foreign corporations are being considered to control critical national infrastructure. Online reactions reveal deep frustration with privatisation, corruption scandals in the energy sector, and fears that profit driven corporations could worsen inequality rather than deliver reliable power.

Adani’s supporters point to his company’s electricity operations abroad, citing efficiency and lower costs, and argue that South Africa needs urgent solutions after years of rolling blackouts. Others remain deeply sceptical, warning that past experiences with multinational infrastructure projects have prioritised profits over public accountability, workers’ rights, and long term national control.

As bidding moves forward, the controversy highlights broader concerns about who benefits from massive infrastructure investments during the global energy transition. With Adani facing mounting scrutiny internationally over governance, transparency, and community impacts, South Africans are demanding accountability and public oversight, not just promises that the lights will finally stay on.