Buying Prepaid Electricity Online in Polokwane

In the Polokwane Local Municipality area, electricity tariffs and procedures follow NERSA guidelines, and the municipality updates rates annually. Polokwane also offers support to lower‑income residents and manages prepaid electricity to help households stay connected while covering service costs efficiently.

Tariffs and Blocks

• Tariffs in Polokwane are structured in blocks, with lower prices for the first portion of consumption and higher rates for greater usage — enabling budgeting and encouraging efficient usage.

• A basic monthly service charge applies to residential connections to recover network and administrative costs. This amount is charged whether or not you load prepaid units.

• Indigent support — the municipality provides qualifying low‑income households with a set amount of free electricity each month (e.g., ~100 kWh), under its indigent assistance programme.

Monthly vs Daily Tariffs

Monthly Tariff

Polokwane’s monthly tariff or service charge ensures ongoing maintenance of power infrastructure and operational services, much like in other municipalities.

Daily Tariff

When you buy prepaid tokens, your purchase helps cover the daily portion of any basic charge incrementally until the monthly service fee is fully accounted for, after which remaining funds buy electricity units.

Approved Purchase Channels

The Polokwane Municipality operates its own prepaid electricity platform and also approves multiple external vending options:

Municipal Channels

• Register on the Polokwane prepaid portal on the municipal website to buy electricity direct with your meter number.

• Visit municipal service desks for face‑to‑face prepaid token purchases or account enquiries.

Approved Vendors

• Online vending sites and apps supporting STS tokens for Polokwane meters

• Platforms such as Powertime, which allow you to purchase prepaid electricity quickly and securely from your phone or computer

How to Purchase Electricity on Powertime

Log in to your Powertime account via the app or website.

• Select “Buy Electricity.”

• Add or choose your meter number.

• Enter the amount you want to purchase.

• Choose your payment method (debit/credit card or Instant EFT).

• Confirm your purchase.

• Receive your STS token number instantly via screen.

• Enter the token into your prepaid meter to load your electricity.

Please view the tariff structure here: https://www.polokwane.gov.za/tariffs/