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Prices checked on Monday 19 October 2026. Prices and promotions change often, so check the retailer page before you buy.
If you work from home, a dropped fibre connection during an outage is often the biggest disruption. A mini DC UPS is a small battery that sits between the wall socket and your router (and fibre box, or ONT). When the power cuts, it keeps them running. It is far cheaper than a power station and needs no installation, only the right cables and voltages. Our three picks run from a R389 starter unit to a 100 W model that can also power a camera or charge your phone.
Quick picks
| Tier | Model | Capacity | Max output | DC outputs | Price (19 Oct 2026) | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Gizzu 30W Mini DC UPS | 38 Wh (Li-ion) | 30 W | 5 V USB, 9/12 V, 4 × 12 V | R389 | Takealot |
| Better | Gizzu 60W Mini PoE DC UPS (69 Wh) | 69 Wh (LiFePO4) | 60 W | 2 × 5 V USB, 9/12 V, 4 × 12 V, 24/48 V PoE | R739 (Amazon.co.za) · R795 (Takealot) | Amazon.co.za · Takealot |
| Best | Elecstor 100W Mini DC UPS (75 Wh) | 75 Wh | 100 W | USB-C, 2 × USB, 5 V, 9 V, 5 × 12 V | R970 (Amazon.co.za) · R1,535 (Takealot) | Amazon.co.za · Takealot |
Specs come from each Takealot listing.
Good: Gizzu 30W Mini DC UPS (38 Wh)
Best for: a single router, or a router plus fibre box, with modest power needs and shorter outages.
This is the starter option. It has 415 Takealot reviews averaging 4.8 stars, and it’s sold by a marketplace seller. Gizzu’s own runtime estimates are 12.6 hours for a 3 W fibre box, or 3.8 hours for a 10 W router.
Pros – R389 for a recognised SA brand. – Has the 12 V outputs most routers need, plus a selectable 9 V or 12 V output and a USB port. – Small: 18.6 × 11 × 3.3 cm and 450 g, per the listing. – Includes DC cables and a splitter, per the listing.
Cons – [Unverified] Battery: the listing says 10,400 mAh in one place and 8,800 mAh in another. The 38 Wh figure is stated consistently. – Li-ion cells, not the longer-lasting LiFePO4 used by our Better pick. – 30 W maximum. No PoE port. – 12-month warranty, per the listing.
Key specs (per listing): 38 Wh Li-ion · 30 W · outputs: 5 V USB (2 A), 9/12 V selectable (2 A), 4 × 12 V (2 A) · 100–240 V AC input · 12-month warranty.
View on Takealot (no affiliate programme)
Better: Gizzu 60W Mini PoE DC UPS (69 Wh, LiFePO4)
Best for: most fibre homes. It has about twice the capacity of our Good pick, longer-life cells, and a PoE port for devices that need it.
This version uses LiFePO4 cells, which Gizzu says last longer and are more stable than ordinary lithium-ion cells. It adds a passive PoE port (24 V or 48 V) and dual USB ports. Gizzu claims up to 23 hours for a fibre box alone, 6.9 hours for a router alone, or 5.3 hours for both. It has 803 Takealot reviews averaging 4.8 stars, and it’s sold by a marketplace seller. On 19 October it was R739 on Amazon.co.za from the same marketplace seller (Radicand Tech & Home). Takealot’s buy-box price was R795, with a lower R759 offer on the same page.
Pros – 69 Wh of LiFePO4 capacity, per the listing. – 60 W maximum output. – Gigabit passive PoE port for compatible access points, cameras or VoIP phones, per Gizzu. – Solar input, per the listing.
Cons – PoE devices must match its pin layout and voltage. Gizzu warns that some devices use a different arrangement, so check your device’s manual. – 12-month supplier warranty, per the listing. – Gizzu doesn’t state a switch-over time. [Unverified]
Key specs (per listing): 69 Wh LiFePO4 · 60 W · outputs: 2 × 5 V USB (2 A), 9/12 V selectable (2 A), 4 × 12 V (5 A), 24/48 V passive PoE · solar input (2 A) · 12-month warranty.
View on Amazon.co.za (no affiliate link; R739) · View on Takealot (no affiliate programme; R795)
Best: Elecstor 100W Mini DC UPS (75 Wh)
Best for: homes running a router, fibre box and an extra device, such as a camera or a mesh node, or anyone who wants USB-C phone charging during an outage.
The Elecstor has the highest output (100 W) and capacity (75 Wh) of our three, plus a USB-C port. Takealot sells and ships it itself. Elecstor says it will run a router and fibre box for 6–9 hours. It has 348 Takealot reviews averaging 4.7 stars. On 19 October Amazon.co.za sold it itself for R970, well below Takealot’s buy-box price of R1,535 (a marketplace offer on the same Takealot page was R1,399).
Pros – 100 W output with five 12 V outputs, plus 5 V and 9 V, per the listing. – USB-C (3 A) and two USB-A ports. – Sold by Takealot, so returns go through Takealot.
Cons – [Unverified] Battery chemistry: the listing calls it “LiFeP04” in one place and “LiFePO4 Lithium-Ion” in another. Confirm with the seller. – No PoE port (Elecstor sells a separate 60 W PoE model). – The biggest of our picks: 258 × 225.5 × 49 mm and 1.6 kg. – 12-month supplier warranty. No switch-over time is stated. [Unverified]
Key specs (per listing): 75 Wh · 100 W · outputs: USB-C (3 A), 2 × USB (2 A), 5 V, 9 V, 5 × 12 V · charges in 3–4 hours · 12-month warranty.
View on Amazon.co.za (no affiliate link; R970, sold by Amazon) · View on Takealot (no affiliate programme; R1,535)
Also worth a look
- Gizzu 60W 65 Wh (Li-ion): this model has the most reviews (1,480, averaging 4.8 stars). It costs R699 on Takealot and has a PoE port, but uses Li-ion cells rather than LiFePO4.
- Want to run a laptop, TV or lights too? Step up to a small power station with AC sockets, such as the EcoFlow RIVER 3 (245 Wh, 10 ms UPS version). It costs R5,399 on EcoFlow ZA. See our power station guide.
How to choose a router UPS
1. Check your router’s voltage and plug
Look at your router’s power adaptor label. Most say 12 V, some 9 V, and the label also gives the current (for example, 1.5 A). The UPS output must match the voltage, and its maximum current must cover the device. Fibre boxes often use 12 V too. Check the barrel plug size, because adaptors may be needed. Connecting the wrong voltage can damage your equipment, as both brands warn.
2. Work out how long it will last
Runtime (hours) ≈ capacity (Wh) × 0.85 ÷ load (W). The 0.85 is our assumption for conversion losses. Your router’s load is roughly its adaptor’s volts × amps at most, and actual use is usually lower.
| Load | Good (38 Wh) | Better (69 Wh) | Best (75 Wh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 W (e.g. router only) | about 3.2 h | about 5.9 h | about 6.4 h |
| 15 W (e.g. router plus fibre box) | about 2.2 h | about 3.9 h | about 4.3 h |
These are our estimates. The brands’ own claims are higher in places (for example, Gizzu says 5.3 hours for a router plus fibre box on the 69 Wh model), so treat both as a guide.
3. Do you need PoE?
Some fibre setups, mesh access points and IP cameras are powered over an Ethernet cable (PoE). If yours is, you need a UPS whose PoE voltage and pin layout match. The Good and Best picks don’t have PoE.
4. Battery type
LiFePO4 cells are generally rated for more charge cycles than standard Li-ion cells, which matters if outages are frequent. Elecstor quotes over 2,000 cycles for its 60 W LiFePO4 model.
Running cost
Recharging a 75 Wh unit from empty uses less than 0.1 kWh, which is under about 35c at Eskom’s 2026/27 direct rate of R3.56/kWh including VAT (Eskom).
FAQ
Will a mini UPS keep my Wi-Fi on during an outage? Yes, if it matches your router’s voltage and has enough capacity. Your fibre provider’s network also needs power in your area. If their equipment goes down, a UPS can’t help.
How long will my router stay on? Use the formula above. As a rough guide, a 10 W router lasts about 3–6 hours on our picks.
Can I charge my phone from a mini UPS? Yes. All three have USB ports, and the Elecstor adds USB-C. Charging takes some of the battery that would otherwise power your router.
Is a mini UPS the same as a computer UPS? No. A mini DC UPS supplies low-voltage DC for routers and similar devices. A computer UPS supplies 230 V AC, usually from a lead-acid battery, and is designed to give a PC time to shut down.
Do I need to leave it plugged in all the time? Yes. That’s how it switches over when the power cuts. Keep it somewhere ventilated, away from heat.
How we choose
These picks are research-based. We have not tested these UPS units ourselves. We compared specifications from live Takealot listings, checked prices on 19 October 2026, and used Takealot customer ratings and review counts as a guide to buyer satisfaction, not as our own verdict. Runtimes are either the brands’ claims (labelled as such) or our estimates with stated assumptions. Where a listing contradicts itself or leaves out a spec, we say so. When we test a product hands-on, we’ll say so clearly on this page and describe what we measured. Prices, stock and promotions change often; we re-check them each time we update this guide.