As South Africans, load shedding has become such a big part of our lives that it has spawned an entirely new brand of local meta-humour predicated on poking fun at the paucity of power.

But, while we may make light (pardon the pun) of an increasingly dire situation, behind the humorous memes and good-natured roasts lies a frustrated and enervated people long at their wits’ end with the disruption and inconvenience that load shedding creates. From traffic chaos to being unable to cook, practically every aspect of our daily routines is affected, leaving us feeling, quite literally, powerless.

When load shedding comes a-knocking, as it has been doing with increasing and disturbing regularity in recent months, the last thing you want is to be stuck outside your gate, which isn’t only hugely inconvenient, but also dangerous. You also want to avoid a scenario where you are unable to leave your property because a night of load shedding has completely drained your gate motor’s battery. In situations where either the gate motor doesn’t have a backup facility or the battery capacity is insufficient, residents often resort to overriding the unit’s gearbox so that the gate can be operated manually; however, this renders the entrance vulnerable and greatly compromises security.

Our new D5 SMART sliding gate motor comes with a dependable 24 volt battery backup system, allowing continued operation for up to 35 cycles during power outages.

“Load shedding is a reality in South Africa,” says CENTURION national branch manager Johan Lessing. “The D5 SMART ensures that you can get into and out of your property safely and securely, even if there’s no mains power for a protracted period of time”.

Upgrade to the D5 SMART with extended battery backup today. It’s the intelligent choice.