"South Africa has recorded 462 consecutive days without load shedding since 16 May 2025."
Picture: iStock
South Africa continues its extended run without load shedding, but residents in several Gauteng areas are still faced with scheduled power interruptions this week.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are the only provinces where load reduction remains in effect, according to Eskom. The rest of the country is free of the intervention.
Record run continues nationally
Eskom described the milestone as evidence of a more reliable grid.
“South Africa has recorded 462 consecutive days without load shedding since 16 May 2025, delivering reliable electricity that powers homes, enables businesses to grow, and supports broader economic development,” the utility said on 21 August.
The power system remains stable, with generation capacity continuing to exceed demand, Eskom said.
Despite this progress, load reduction persists in specific pockets of Gauteng.
Eskom explained that this measure differed from load shedding, since it targeted localised networks rather than the national grid.
“Eskom continues to implement load reduction as a temporary, targeted measure in high-risk areas to protect both communities and the electricity network,” the utility said.
This week’s schedule for Gauteng
Residents falling under Block C and Block D face interruptions on Monday, 24 August, and again on Friday, 28 August, with Block C affected from 5am to 9am and Block D from 5pm to 10pm.
Areas under Block C included Dobsonville, Naledi and Mabopane, while Block D covered Rethabiseng, Kudube and Moroka.
Tuesday, 25 August brings interruptions for Block G in the morning and Block H in the evening, affecting suburbs such as Garankuwa, Diepsloot and Ga-Rankuwa under Block G, and Vereeniging, Sebokeng and Daveyton under Block H.
Wednesday, 26 August will see Block E affected in the morning, covering Mapetla, Protea South and Chiawelo, while Block F, including Diepkloof, Orlando East and Soweto Nomzamo, will lose power in the evening.
Thursday, 27 August is the busiest day, with Block A cut in the morning across Ivory Park, Kaalfontein and Duduza, while both Block B and Block J will be affected in the evening.
Block B covers Dube, Mofolo and Meadowlands, and Block J includes Orange Farm, Sebokeng and Zonkizizwe.
Weekend outages
Saturday, 29 August repeats Block E in the morning, with Block J and Block F both scheduled for the evening slot.
Sunday, 30 August brought back Block G and Block H, mirroring the previous Tuesday’s pattern.
The month closes on Monday, 31 August, with Block I affected in the morning, covering Vosloorus, Mfundo Park and Mabuya Park, while Block J and Block E are both scheduled for the evening.
Why load reduction continues
Eskom attributed the ongoing interruptions to illegal connections and tampering in certain communities.
“Although the power system remains stable and generation capacity continues to exceed demand, illegal connections and meter tampering persist in certain localised areas, driving infrastructure damage and posing serious safety risks,” the utility said.
Nationally, Eskom reported that seven provinces had become load reduction-free, with more than 1.2 million customers no longer affected.
That figure represents roughly 71% of the households originally targeted for the intervention, according to Eskom.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are the only provinces where load reduction is still in effect.
Plan to phase out load reduction by 2027
Eskom said it had launched a phased programme aimed at eliminating load reduction entirely by 2027.
The programme targets 971 feeders and would benefit approximately 1.69 million customers across all provinces, out of Eskom’s total customer base of 7.2 million.
“Key interventions include the rollout of smart meters, the integration of Distributed Energy Resources, and the expansion of Free Basic Electricity support,” Eskom said.
Tap below to see if your area is affected:
