Written by: Richel Plange
Over the past few weeks, Ghana has been plagued by rampant power outages, commonly called Dumsor, without clear explanations or prior warning. This has posed substantial challenges for various sectors, impacting tech businesses, remote workers, digital influencers, and the broader economy.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have transitioned to the Work-From-Home (WFH) model. Even as the pandemic recedes in some regions, numerous businesses have chosen to maintain remote work arrangements. Amidst the evolving landscape of remote work and digital entrepreneurship, the reliability of electricity has become increasingly crucial.
Even for businesses that choose to maintain the In-Person work ethic, they still need electricity to go about their functions and increase productivity.
Do Tech Businesses feel the heat?
The Power outages are disrupting the operations of tech businesses, particularly those reliant on electricity for essential functions such as server management and communication systems.
Bigger companies with the means to buy a generator face the added expense of acquiring fuel, which is also on the rise.
Smaller businesses are often left with no choice but to suspend operations until power is restored, a process that can extend beyond six hours. During this period, they lose significant money and customers, through no fault of their own.
Interruptions in power supply lead to downtime, resulting in a loss of productivity. This can delay project timelines, hinder software development, and impact customer service. Tech businesses may incur financial losses due to idle time, missed deadlines, and potential damage to equipment during power surges when electricity is restored.
How are remote workers weathering the storm of power disruptions?
It appears that even the concept of working from home, which is generally viewed as an efficient work model, is facing significant challenges due to the ongoing power outages in Ghana.
These power outages are severely disrupting the ability of remote workers to carry out tasks, attend virtual meetings, and meet deadlines effectively. Consequently, communication with colleagues and clients is being hindered, resulting in heightened frustration, decreased morale, and difficulties in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Loss of electricity may also result in internet connectivity issues, further hindering remote work activities and communication with colleagues and clients.
Some remote workers may need to relocate from their homes to other locations to access electricity. This results in transportation expenses and can also demotivate them.
Are power outages dimming the online presence of digital entrepreneurs?
Content creators and social media influencers have been lamenting the challenges they face in producing content due to ongoing power outages in Ghana. Some have even had to refund brands because they couldn’t deliver the required content on time. Your guess is right. It was due to power outages.
Power outages in Ghana disrupt digital influencers’ ability to create and upload content, impacting their engagement with followers and potential income from sponsored posts and partnerships.
For others, Inconsistent social media presence due to power outages has led to a drop in engagement and follower growth, affecting the influencer’s online presence and brand reputation.
These social media influencers may have to explore alternative content creation methods and schedule posts during periods of stable electricity to maintain engagement.
Despite the turmoil, those in the generator industry appear to be profiting greatly from the high demand for generators. The need for reliable backup power has become increasingly important. As a result, the generator industry is expected to continue thriving for as long as the power outages last.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel amidst the power outages in Ghana?
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