KEY POINTS
- South Africa marks 161 consecutive days with no loadshedding.
- Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan boosts system reliability and reduces diesel costs.
- Utility forecasts a blackout-free summer amid ongoing maintenance and upgrades.
South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, has reached an extraordinary milestone, 161 consecutive days without loadshedding as of 23 October 2025, signalling the country’s longest uninterrupted power stretch in years.
The improvement stems from the company’s Generation Recovery Plan, a technical overhaul designed to restore grid reliability, reduce unplanned outages, and curb diesel use.
For many South Africans, the sustained power supply has brought long-awaited relief after years of frequent blackouts that weighed heavily on households and businesses.
Since 1 April 2025, Eskom has recorded just 26 hours of loadshedding, marking a sharp turnaround in its operational stability. As of 27 October, the suspension of loadshedding remains in effect, with Eskom maintaining an optimistic summer outlook that predicts no planned power cuts until March 2026.
This progress, according to Eskom, is part of a broader effort to rebuild public confidence and lay the groundwork for economic recovery. Consistent electricity has been critical for industrial growth, with GDP showing modest gains following the power sector’s improvements.
Unplanned Outages Fall as Generation Reliability Improves
The Generation Recovery Plan appears to be paying off Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has climbed to 70%, surpassing that benchmark more than 24 times since August. Meanwhile, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), a measure of power lost to unexpected breakdowns, fell to 22.85% in October, down nearly three percentage points from the previous year.
“Generation performance has improved significantly,” Eskom said in a statement, attributing the gains to targeted interventions at struggling power stations. From 1 to 23 October, average unplanned outages dropped by over 1,200 megawatts compared to 2024.
The figures show a gradual but steady transition from crisis management to performance consistency. Reduced breakdowns and strategic maintenance have helped stabilise generation levels, lifting overall confidence in the grid’s capacity.
While planned maintenance slightly increased to 12.55%, Eskom views the short-term inconvenience as an investment in long-term reliability. The company expects to restore more than 1,700 megawatts to the grid before the end of October, reinforcing supply ahead of summer’s peak demand.
