KEY POINTS
- Eskom says South Africa has recorded nearly 400 consecutive days without load-shedding despite increased winter electricity demand.
- Unplanned outages and diesel spending have declined significantly, reflecting improved power generation performance.
- More than 720,000 households have regained stable electricity supply under Eskom’s Load Reduction Elimination Programme.
South Africa’s state-owned electricity utility, Eskom Holdings, says it has continued to improve the reliability of power supply across the country, recording nearly 400 consecutive days without load-shedding as electricity demand rises during the winter season.
The company attributed the progress to better power plant performance, reduced unplanned outages, lower dependence on diesel, and ongoing interventions under its Load Reduction Elimination Programme.
In a statement, Eskom said the improvements have enabled more households to enjoy a stable and uninterrupted electricity supply.
Eskom maintained that it does not expect load-shedding during the winter period, citing sustained gains in generation performance.
According to the utility, its Energy Availability Factor over the last three months rose to 63.24 per cent, representing a 5.33 per cent increase compared to the same period last year and a 9.5 per cent improvement from three years ago.
The company also disclosed that it currently has 1.24 gigawatts of reserve capacity due to excess generation.
Fewer outages and lower diesel costs
Eskom reported a significant reduction in unplanned outages between June 5 and June 11, 2026. Average unplanned outages fell to 10,143 megawatts, compared to 14,447 megawatts recorded during the same period in 2025.
The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor also improved from 29.61 per cent to 21.18 per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, planned maintenance activities increased as the utility intensified efforts to improve long-term reliability and meet environmental standards.
Financially, Eskom recorded a major drop in diesel expenditure. Spending on diesel between April 1 and June 11, 2026, fell by 88.67 per cent to 615.58 million rand, down from 4.11 billion rand during the same period last year.
Under the Load Reduction Elimination Programme, Eskom said more than 720,000 households, representing about 43 per cent of affected customers, have been restored to normal electricity supply.
The company aims to completely eliminate load reduction in seven provinces by October 2026, while Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are expected to achieve the same target in 2027.
The programme covers 971 electricity feeders and is expected to benefit approximately 1.69 million customers out of Eskom’s 7.2 million customer base. Despite the improved outlook, Eskom warned that illegal electricity connections and meter tampering continue to damage infrastructure and pose serious safety risks in some communities.
The utility said it would continue to implement targeted load-reduction measures in high-risk areas to protect both residents and the electricity network.
