How Many Units Is R5 Electricity in South Africa?

R5 of prepaid electricity in South Africa

1.3 - 2 kWh

City of Cape Town (lowest) to Eskom Homelight 20A (highest)

On Eskom direct supply at R2.49/kWh you get 2 kWh (lasts ~0.2 days at typical 10 kWh/day household use).⚠ Worst case: as little as 0.4 kWh if your purchase lands in a punitive top block (e.g. Ekurhuleni above 700 kWh/month at R11.99/kWh). See why below.

R5 of prepaid electricity in South Africa buys you anywhere from 1.3 kWh (most expensive first-block muni: City of Cape Town) to 2 kWh (cheapest: Eskom direct supply at R2.49/kWh). That's the headline range - but block stacking on inclining tariffs can push the worst-case down to 0.4 kWh for the same R5 late in the billing month. Pick your provider in the calculator below for the precise number.

R5 Electricity by Provider (2025/2026)

Estimate: Block tariffs depend on how much you have already bought this month. These figures assume a first top-up in the billing month. Municipal block tariffs are estimated as if this is the first purchase in the billing month. Actual tokens can differ later in the month.

Provider	Avg R/kWh*	Units (kWh)	Est. Days
Eskom Homelight 20A	R2.49/kWh	2 kWh	0.2 days
Eskom Homelight 60A	R3.16/kWh	1.6 kWh	0.2 days
City Power (Johannesburg)	R3.07/kWh R3.06-R4.00/kWh steps	1.6 kWh	0.2 days
City of Cape Town	R3.91/kWh R3.91-R4.65/kWh steps	1.3 kWh	0.1 days
City of Tshwane (Pretoria)	R3.42/kWh R3.42-R4.70/kWh steps	1.5 kWh	0.2 days
eThekwini (Durban)	R3.76/kWh	1.3 kWh	0.1 days
Ekurhuleni	R2.98/kWh R2.97-R11.99/kWh steps	1.7 kWh	0.2 days

* Average R/kWh = R5 ÷ kWh for this purchase. Days at 10 kWh/day average usage.

Your exact scenario

Pick your provider and how much you have already bought this month

ProviderAlready bought this month

On Eskom Homelight 20A, first purchase this month (block 1), R5 buys

2 kWh

at R2.49/kWh, lasts ~0.2 days at typical 10 kWh/day household use

Block boundaries shown are kWh thresholds for the current calendar month - they reset on the 1st. Eskom Homelight and eThekwini Durban use a single flat rate, so the block selector is disabled for those.

Why R5 can buy 50%+ fewer units later in the month

Most municipalities reset block tariffs on the 1st of the month. Your first R5 top-up is on the cheapest block. As your monthly consumption climbs, every new purchase rolls into a more expensive block. The same R5 can buy half the units (or worse) by the end of the month - this is the single biggest reason households see wildly different totals on the same Rand amount.

How to read this: Each bar shows how many kWh R5 buys in that block. As you spend more in a billing month, your purchases roll into the next block and you get fewer kWh per Rand. The drop on the right is from Block 1 to the top block.

City Power (Johannesburg)

R5 buys 19% fewer kWh in the top block

First 350 kWh1.6 kWhR3.06/kWh
351 - 500 kWh1.4 kWhR3.51/kWh
Above 500 kWh1.3 kWhR4.00/kWh

City of Cape Town

R5 buys 15% fewer kWh in the top block

First 600 kWh1.3 kWhR3.91/kWh
Above 600 kWh1.1 kWhR4.65/kWh

City of Tshwane (Pretoria)

R5 buys 27% fewer kWh in the top block

First 100 kWh1.5 kWhR3.42/kWh
101 - 400 kWh1.3 kWhR4.00/kWh
401 - 650 kWh1.1 kWhR4.36/kWh
Above 650 kWh1.1 kWhR4.70/kWh

Ekurhuleni

R5 buys 76% fewer kWh in the top block

First 600 kWh1.7 kWhR2.97/kWh
601 - 700 kWh1.1 kWhR4.64/kWh
Above 700 kWh0.4 kWhR11.99/kWh

No block stacking on these providers: Eskom Homelight 20A stays at R2.49/kWh (2 kWh per R5); Eskom Homelight 60A stays at R3.16/kWh (1.6 kWh per R5); eThekwini (Durban) stays at R3.77/kWh (1.3 kWh per R5). Your purchase position in the month does not change the rate.

Why does R5 buy 1.3 kWh in one place and 2 kWh in another? Seven things change the answer: your municipality, tariff code, inclining block tariffs, fixed monthly charges (City Power adds R200/month), the channel you buy through (Shoprite charges 1.3%), sub-meter resellers, and whether your account is in arrears. Read the full guide.

Rates have risen sharply. Eskom's regulated tariff is up roughly 115% since 2020 and over 16x what it was in 2000. The same R5 bought far more units a few years ago. See the full Eskom tariff history.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many units of electricity do you get for R5?

R5 buys roughly 1.3 to 2 kWh in South Africa, depending on your provider. Eskom Homelight direct supply at the flat rate of R2.49/kWh is cheapest at 2 kWh. City Power Johannesburg gives about 1.6 kWh, City of Cape Town Domestic about 1.3 kWh, eThekwini Durban a flat 1.3 kWh, and Tshwane around 1.5 kWh for a first-in-month purchase. The wide range exists because each municipality sets its own tariff, several use inclining block (IBT) rates that step up as you buy more in a billing month, and some add fixed monthly service charges (City Power adds R200/month) that effectively raise the cost per unit.

How long will R5 electricity last?

At a typical urban household usage of 10 kWh per day, R5 of Eskom electricity (2 kWh) will last approximately 0.2 days. Low-use rural households (3-5 kWh/day) can stretch it to 1 days, while high-use homes with electric geysers and pool pumps (around 18-20 kWh/day) typically work through it in 1 day.

How much is 1 unit of prepaid electricity in South Africa?

On Eskom Homelight (2025/2026), 1 unit costs R2.49 on the 20A tariff. Municipal rates vary: City Power Joburg prepaid high is about R3.06/kWh on the first 350 kWh of the month (VAT-inclusive energy estimate), Cape Town Domestic about R3.91/kWh on the first 600 kWh, Tshwane R3.42/kWh on the first 100 kWh stepping up to R4.70/kWh above 650 kWh, Durban (eThekwini) is a flat R3.77/kWh, and Ekurhuleni Tariff A2 is R2.97/kWh on the first 600 kWh stepping up sharply above. All VAT-inclusive energy-only estimates. For block tariffs, the rate you actually pay depends on how much you already bought this month.

Check Other Amounts

R104 kWh R156 kWh R208 kWh R2510 kWh R3012.1 kWh R4016.1 kWh R5020.1 kWh R6024.1 kWh R7028.1 kWh R8032.1 kWh R9036.1 kWh R10040.2 kWh R11044.2 kWh R12550.2 kWh R15060.2 kWh R17570.3 kWh R20080.3 kWh R22590.4 kWh R250100.4 kWh R275110.4 kWh R300120.5 kWh R350140.6 kWh R400160.6 kWh R450180.7 kWh R500200.8 kWh R600241 kWh R700281.1 kWh R750301.2 kWh R800321.3 kWh R900361.5 kWh R1000401.6 kWh R1500602.4 kWh R2000803.2 kWh

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