South Africa experiences unprecedented 504 days free from load shedding

Eskom has reported that the nation has successfully navigated 504 consecutive days without experiencing load shedding, marking a significant milestone in the power utility’s efforts to enhance reliability and energy security, ***Cape {town} Etc ***reports.

The last instance of load shedding was noted on 16 May 2025, and Eskom attributes this achievement to multiple factors, including improved fleet performance, reduced unplanned outages, heightened generation capacity, and decreased reliance on emergency power sources.

In a statement released on Friday, Eskom underscored that this accomplishment is a reflection of sustained progress in restoring reliability, reinforcing energy security, and facilitating the country’s economic development.

The power utility highlighted that the year-to-date Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has risen to 68.11%, further affirming the advancements made towards securing a more stable energy supply.

Key operational improvements have played a vital role in this notable achievement. With unplanned outages decreasing by 6.69% year-on-year and roughly 2,943MW of generation capacity returned to service, the utility has demonstrated a solid commitment to enhancing the efficiency of its fleet.

Compared to three years ago, Eskom has successfully improved its EAF by 12.76 percentage points and returned around 6,492MW of generation capacity to the national grid.

Financially, Eskom has made significant strides as well. Between 1 April and 1 October 2026, the utility saw a remarkable 80.49% decrease in diesel expenditure, plummeting by R4.79 billion from R5.95 billion to R1.16 billion.

The load factor of Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) also drastically fell from 6.72% to 1.02%, further signifying the favorable impact of enhanced plant performance and additional generation capacity contributions.

Alongside its operational achievements, Eskom continues to work towards eliminating load reduction completely by March 2027, through its Load Reduction Eradication Programme. Currently, seven provinces are declared free from load reduction, with approximately 1.5 million customers successfully restored to stable supply.

The affected customer base has significantly dropped from 1.69 million to just 202,590, representing a mere 2.8% of Eskom’s total customers. Notably, over 60% of previously affected customers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have already seen their conditions normalised, with efforts ongoing to restore the remaining clients.

However, the path to a fully stable power supply is not without challenges. Eskom noted that illegal connections and meter tampering in certain areas continue to inflict damage on infrastructure and pose serious safety risks.

In light of these issues, the electricity provider has advised that targeted load reductions may still be enacted in high-risk zones to safeguard both local communities and the integrity of the electricity network.

Looking ahead, Eskom is expected to provide updates on the power system’s status and announce a Summer Outlook in the coming weeks.

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Picture: Gallo Images / Charles Gallo

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