Voltex

Electronics retailers anchor the shopping patterns of Centurion's working households, especially as load shedding has made inverters and battery backup systems as essential as fridges. Voltex sits within a network of suppliers that local families and small businesses depend on when they're scrambling to keep their power on or replace a TV damaged by a power surge. The store's role extends beyond transactions—it's where people come with questions about which battery system actually works in Gauteng's climate, or whether their appliance can survive another Eskom crisis. Neighbours recommend each other to the same shop, creating a community trust factor that's harder to build than inventory. When load shedding disrupted routines for years, retailers like this became part of how households adapted rather than just retailers selling products.