South Africa has now experienced 170 consecutive days without load shedding, Eskom has announced.
The power utility said there was only 26 hours of load shedding recorded in April and May during this financial year.
To ensure continued reliability, Eskom said it will return 2 400MW of generation capacity ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 3 November 2025, supporting a stable electricity supply throughout the week.
Eskom published the Summer Outlook on 5 September 2025, covering the period 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026, which projected no load shedding due to sustained improvements in plant performance from the Generation Recovery Plan.
Key performance highlights
Eskom said year-to-date, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF) reduced to 25.16%, reflecting a week-on-week improvement of approximately 0.23% and remaining below last year’s 25.36%.
Planned maintenance averaged 5 312MW, accounting for 11.32% of total generation capacity, slightly lower than the previous week but 0.18% higher than the same period last year.
Between 1 April and 30 October 2025, Eskom generated 1 023.67GWh from Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) plants, with diesel expenditure totalling R6.074 billion, compared to 947.34GWh generated last year.
The year-to-date OCGT load factor decreased to 5.87%, a 0.19% improvement from the previous week, but remains slightly above the 5.43% recorded during the same period last year.
“While system stability continues to improve, illegal connections and meter tampering remain a concern, damaging infrastructure and posing serious safety risks. Load reduction remains a temporary measure in high-risk areas to protect communities and infrastructure,” Eskom.
Eliminated by 2027
Eskom aims to eliminate load reduction by 2027.
“Approximately 1.69 million of Eskom’s 7.2 million customers across 971 feeders, mainly in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, will benefit from this initiative,” Eskom said.
Key interventions include expanding free basic electricity to more households and installing 577 000 smart meters by 2026, with full completion by 2027, to enhance demand management and grid stability.
Eskom called on communities to support these initiatives by reporting illegal connections, using electricity responsibly, and protecting infrastructure.
Through technology, infrastructure upgrades, and public cooperation, Eskom is building a safer, smarter, and more reliable power system for all South Africans.
Any illegal activity affecting Eskom’s infrastructure can be reported to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.
