KEY POINTS
- South Africa reports major power stability gains, with Eskom achieving about 98 percent reliability and adding 4,400MW capacity.
- Load shedding has largely ended nationally, though illegal connections still disrupt supply in some communities.
- Long-term plans include retiring old coal plants, expanding grid infrastructure, and integrating private renewable energy.
Eskom has stabilised South Africa’s electricity system to levels not seen in five years, according to the Department of Electricity, which says the country is no longer in an energy crisis.
Officials said available generation capacity has risen by about 4,400 megawatts compared with the same period last year, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare that load shedding has effectively been left behind.
Authorities explained that reliability has climbed to roughly 98 percent in the current financial year, a major turnaround from the severe instability recorded two years ago. This improvement is attributed to stronger plant performance, disciplined maintenance, and better operational management.
Energy Availability Factor levels have also risen, reaching over 65 percent for the year and nearly 69 percent for the month, while periods of surplus supply have allowed some generation units to be placed in reserve rather than used continuously.
Persistent local challenges despite national gains
Despite national grid stability, some communities still face electricity disruptions caused by illegal connections, meter tampering, and overloaded networks.
Eskom said it continues targeted load reduction in high-risk areas to protect infrastructure and public safety, but a phased programme is underway to eliminate such measures entirely by 2027. The utility added that about 14 percent of its planned 320 billion rand infrastructure investment over the next five years will go into distribution upgrades and smart metering.
Eskom’s outlook shows that several ageing coal stations will be retired by 2030, with about 9.5 gigawatts of dispatchable capacity scheduled to go offline between 2029 and 2030. Officials said these retirements are already included in long-term energy planning and will be matched with new capacity to maintain system stability and support economic growth.
The utility is also adapting to the growth of private solar generation by repositioning itself as a grid platform that integrates private power producers rather than competing with them.
