South Africa reaches 300 days without load-shedding, says Eskom

South Africa has reached a major milestone after recording 300 consecutive days without load-shedding, according to a report published by the South African Government News Agency.

Power utility Eskom confirmed that the milestone was reached at midnight on March 12, marking a significant step in the recovery of the country’s electricity generation system.

The utility said the achievement reflects improvements in the performance and reliability of its power stations under the Generation Recovery Plan.

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According to Eskom, the country’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has remained consistently above 65%, currently standing at 65.85% for the financial year from April 1, 2025 to March 12.

The generation fleet has also reached or exceeded the 70% EAF milestone on 83 occasions during the same period.

The utility reported a significant reduction in unplanned outages, with average unplanned outages dropping by 53%.

Between March 6 and March 12, average unplanned outages stood at 7 224MW, compared with 15 382MW during the same week last year. This represents a reduction of 8 158MW and highlights improvements in power station reliability.

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Eskom said the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor during the same period stood at 14.85%, significantly lower than the 32.07% recorded a year earlier.

Planned maintenance has also increased as part of efforts to improve reliability and ensure environmental compliance. The Planned Capacity Loss Factor averaged 13.81% during the same period, compared with 10.21% in the previous financial year.

The utility said diesel use to support electricity generation has also declined sharply. For the current financial year to date, diesel expenditure is R8.58b lower than the same period last year, representing a 57.35% reduction.

South Africa has now experienced more than 300 consecutive days without electricity supply interruptions, with only 26 hours of load-shedding recorded in April and May 2025 during the current financial year.

To further strengthen supply, Eskom plans to add 3 330MW of generation capacity to the grid ahead of the evening peak on March 16. Peak demand is expected to reach 23 858MW, while available capacity is projected at 27 652MW.

The power utility previously indicated in its Summer Outlook, released in September, that no load-shedding was expected between September 2025 and March 2026 due to improved plant performance.

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Eskom also reported progress in its programme to end load reduction in high-risk areas affected by illegal electricity connections and infrastructure overloading.

The utility said about 199 160 customers are no longer affected by load reduction during peak periods.

A phased programme aimed at eliminating load reduction by 2027 is currently underway. The initiative targets 971 electricity feeders and is expected to benefit about 1.69 million customers across the country.

As part of the programme, Eskom has installed 444 062 smart meters nationwide, including 171 507 on load reduction feeders, mainly in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KZN.

The utility said the rollout is intended to improve billing accuracy, give customers greater control over their electricity usage and strengthen the stability of the power network.

However, Eskom warned that installation teams have faced resistance in some communities, including intimidation and disruptions that have delayed the rollout of about 122 000 planned meter conversions.