KEY POINTS
- Eskom reaches 476 days without load shedding.
- Power availability rises to 67.79%.
- Diesel spending falls by 81.64%.
South Africa has emerged from the 2026 winter season without a single episode of load shedding, with Eskom reporting 476 consecutive days of meeting the country’s electricity demand.
The milestone marks a significant improvement for the power utility after years of supply shortages and rolling blackouts that disrupted households and businesses across the country.
Eskom attributed the latest performance to improved power-station reliability, reduced breakdowns, stronger maintenance and a sharp decline in the use of expensive diesel-fired generation.
Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has increased to 67.79%, its highest level since 2020.
At the same time, unplanned outages fell from 34.48% to 19.47%, helping the utility restore 6,888MW of generation capacity to the national grid.
Eskom said more than 79% of its coal-fired fleet is now operating at EAF levels ranging from 61.4% to 97.4%.
The utility said the improvements demonstrate the impact of sustained operational and structural interventions aimed at strengthening the performance of its ageing generation fleet.
Diesel spending falls sharply
Eskom has also significantly reduced its dependence on Open-Cycle Gas Turbines, which rely heavily on costly diesel to generate electricity during periods of supply pressure.
Year-to-date diesel expenditure has fallen by R4.84 billion, or 81.64%, from R5.93 billion to R1.08 billion.
The utility’s OCGT load factor also dropped from 7.92% to just 1.11%, reflecting reduced reliance on emergency and short-term generation.
Eskom said diesel expenditure declined by about R23 billion between March 2023 and March 2026, providing substantial financial relief as the performance of its conventional generation fleet improved. Eskom said the improved generation performance has allowed it to maintain additional capacity on the system.
About 6,220MW is currently being held in cold reserve because of excess available capacity, giving the utility an additional buffer to respond to changes in electricity demand or unexpected plant failures.
The power utility said its ability to consistently meet demand during winter shows that the electricity system is becoming increasingly dependent on a stronger-performing generation fleet rather than short-term interventions. Eskom said the latest gains form part of a broader shift towards long-term reliability through improved maintenance and better management of its power stations.
The utility has faced years of criticism over ageing infrastructure, frequent breakdowns and inadequate generation capacity. The latest figures, however, point to a sustained improvement in plant availability.
Eskom said the focus would remain on maintaining the gains achieved and ensuring the country’s electricity supply remains stable beyond the winter period.
