It is our unfortunate reality that loadshedding isn’t going away in time soon. In fact, with Eskom saying that it is trying to conserve its already-low diesel levels, it would be safe to expect higher stages of loadshedding during the holiday season and in the beginning of next year.

While it isn’t the most glamorous theme to have in mind when doing holiday shopping, items to make life under loadshedding a bit easier never go to waste. There’s some cool tech out there to make sure your devices are powered and your coffee is hot enough to at least keep your spirits up when the power is down.

You may not have heard of these, but they are becoming popular for people looking to be as inconvenienced as little as possible during the two-hour power cuts. We’re talking rechargeable LED light bulbs, like the ones below from Aurora.

Aurora Emergency LED Light Bulb B22 | R299

There are available from R299 each, as they are on special as of the time of writing, and can provide up to six hours of light when the power goes out. The light bulbs store energy and then emit a low-light for a few hours so that you can at least see around the house.

These particular rechargeable light bulbs have received glowing reviews on Takealot, but they are on the expensive side as similar products can be around R500 for entire packs, but as far as quality goes the Aurora Emergency bulbs are ranked as the best.

Magneto LED Lantern 2.0 | R199

To round out the purchase of two or three aurora lights, you can buy a Magneto LED lantern, which is a loadshedding staple for many South Africans. These lamps can be charged when the power is on and then can be used when there’s an outage.

The battery life for Magnetos can last for 60 hours on a single charge with enough light (1 000 lumens) for your entire kitchen and lounge if placed high enough. These lamps can easily complement the Aurora bulbs and with a few strategically placed lighting options, you can deal with blackouts completely candle-free.

Great for your parents who still take forever to light up all the candles when the lights go out, or anyone who struggles to see in the dark during loadshedding.

As of time of writing, the Magneto lamps retail for R199 from Avo.

Brew Tool 2.2L Insulated Airpot Flask With Glass Inner | R1 095

It’s morning, and you need to head to the office. You go to switch on the kettle for coffee, but – wait? There’s no power. Damn. How can that be? Well, you didn’t check Eskom Se Push, and didn’t notice that there’s a loadshedding block for 06:00 to 08:00. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Some friends and family could be dealing with this too and a good thermos goes a long way. It can also be used to store boiled water throughout the day, which means for longer unplanned power outages you can still enjoy hot tea or coffee.

This Brew Tool can carry 2.2 litres of liquid and will keep it hot for hours, even longer for rapidly boiling water. This thermos in particular is made with coffee drinkers in mind and serves liquid through a pump action for ease of pour.

It is a high-quality thermos and retails for R1 095.00 from stores like Cape Coffee Bean, which offers online delivery.

Gizzu 100W DC 46Wh Mini UPS | R1 199

An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) is a small piece of technology that can keep your devices, like your WiFi router, on when the power is cut. We have featured GIZZU-branded portable power stations and UPSs on our site before.

Its mini UPS options are flexible in that they can be used to power the WiFi and charge your smartphones at the same time, for example, and are much more affordable than a diesel generator or power inverter.

For R 1 199, you can grab a GIZZU 100W UPS on Takealot, which makes a great gift for a young person living alone or in a dorm to power their WiFi and charge their phones during loadshedding. This UPS in particular can power an internet router for 4.6 hours.

ROMOSS Pulse 30 Power Bank | R500

The commonality of working from home has unfortunately been mirrored by the frequency of loadshedding in recent years and now if you have a job that allows you to work remotely, the ability to stay productive during outage blocks must be a concern.

If you know anyone who works remotely, or even on the go, a good gift could be the ROMOSS Pulse 30 power bank. We reviewed this power bank last year and gave it a near-perfect score, calling it a “Work From Home essential.”

The Pulse 30 offers a host of smart charging options, including the ability to charge three devices at once, so two smartphones and a notebook will be easily handled with its 30 000mAh battery with a single charge.

It is also very affordable for its power and can be found at retailers like Computer Mania for R500.

Cadac 2 Plate Stainless Steel Stove (Incl. Hose + Regulator) | R700

If you ask us, a gas stove in today’s loadshedding climate is something you shouldn’t be going without. You can use it to boil water at any time and to cook when your electrical stove is not working.

All you need is a small gas bottle (which can be bought at places like Game for R800), and you’re good to go.

The Cadac two-plate stove is a great deal at just under R700 from retailers like Stargas and will make a thoughtful gift for parents struggling to cook during loadshedding, or young adult children trying to save money from having to order out all the time when the power is out.

Ryobi 2-Stroke Air-Cooled 950W Generator | R2 399

Finally, the last item in our loadshedding survival gift guide is the most expensive. A mini-generator from Ryobi, available on Takealot for R 2 399 and on special as of time of writing.

This 950W, 4 litre generator can power, according to a 5-star reviewer, all lights in the house, the TV, the DSTV decoder, the soundbar, the WiFi router, and you will be able to charge your smartphone and notebook. It also has fairly low noise compared to larger generators and many reviewers note that it is light on fuel.

Many of the gift ideas on this list can be mixed and matched, for example the Ryobi mini-generator with the Cadac gas stove will sort out most of the problems with loadshedding and easily get you through a dark night. Add the ROMOSS power bank or the GIZZU UPS and we’re talking about a loadshedding survival haul.

If you’re feeling extra, you can also add a Leisure-Quip Battery Operated Cool Blaster Fan (R300 from Takealot) that is battery-powered and can be operated through USB, and you’ve just made a best friend for life.