In Antananarivo, electricity cuts do more than just interrupt the power supply; they result in additional expenses or direct loss of income for small business owners. In a hair salon, a generator allows work to continue, but at the cost of fuel bills. For a seamstress without a backup solution, the sewing machine simply stops.
For Fyh, the manager of a hair salon, a normal day brings in about fifteen clients. When the power goes out, at least seven clients cannot be served, she explains. With an average spend of 10,000 ariary per client, this represents about 70,000 ariary in unrealized revenue for each interruption.
To maintain operations, the salon uses a generator purchased for 750,000 ariary. During a two-hour power cut, the equipment consumes about 2 to 2.5 liters of fuel. With diesel priced at 4,860 ariary per liter, the cost ranges from 9,720 to 12,150 ariary per outage. This fuel consumption alone represents a significant additional burden.
The salon experiences about three to four power cuts per week, according to the manager. Over a four-week month, fuel costs can reach approximately 117,000 to 194,000 ariary just to run the generator. Added to this are maintenance, oil, and potential equipment repairs.
For Raivo, a seamstress, the situation is different. She does not have a generator. As soon as the power is cut, her sewing machine stops working and her activity ceases. Her average daily income when working normally is about 25,000 ariary. Each lost workday represents a direct loss of earnings.
These two situations illustrate that power cuts affect professionals differently depending on their available resources.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-29 05:39:09 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/electricite-les-coupures-coutent-cher.html