In preparation for Day Zero, now predicted for mid-May, many Capetonians are scrambling to get their hands on bottled water and JoJo Tanks.
According to data from product discovery and comparison service PriceCheck, searches for bottled water have skyrocketed, up 577% since December, while JoJo Tanks are the most searched for item across the site.
There’s also been a sharp spike in demand for the versatile water collection tanks, with searches up more than 100% since December.
Searches for water tanks in general, meanwhile, are up 262%.
Others are hopeful that they can literally take water out of the air.
The phrase “air to water” is the third most searched for term on the website.
Despite the severity of the crisis, it also seems that people are still desperate to have their gardens looking as good as possible.
In an effort to help mitigate the impact of Day Zero, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages in partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation and participating suppliers are in the process of finalising the details to provide millions of litres of relief water… Price spikes While it would be tempting for suppliers to push up prices, PriceCheck CEO Kevin Tucker says there hasn’t been any abnormal movement in this regard.
He does, however, note that “prices of specialised water saving products and devices are on the rise”.
“When Day Zero hits, everyone should have the following available in their homes: hand sanitiser and wet wipes, bottled water, kettles, pots and buckets as well as basic medication to keep any water-borne illnesses at bay.”