Eskom marks 367 days without load shedding, but Gauteng faces ongoing load reduction

National milestone, local strain

Eskom confirmed that South Africa reached 367 days without load shedding at 00:01 on Saturday, a stretch of uninterrupted supply the utility said was last achieved in September 2018.

What Eskom says

Eskom described the run as “a decisive turning point and a structural shift from a recovering grid to a stable, high-performing power system.” The utility also said the uninterrupted supply saved the country R26.9 billion in diesel costs and that 100% of national electricity demand was met during the period.

But load reduction persists in Gauteng

Despite the national milestone, Eskom’s load-reduction schedule shows that several areas in Gauteng will continue to experience rolling reductions this week. The utility warned that outages in the province follow a rotating pattern, with some areas affected in the morning and others in the evening.

Areas and timing listed for this week

Morning cuts between 5am and 9am are scheduled for areas including Meadowlands West Zone 10, Soweto Dube, Cosmo City, Luipaardsvlei, Orange Farm, Stretford extensions and Sharpeville. Other morning-affected locations named are Tsakane, Mabopane, Garankuwa extensions and Winterveldt.

Evening reductions between 5pm and 10pm will affect places such as Vosloorus, Evaton Central, Sebokeng extensions and Katlehong South, along with Monise, Mokoena, Mavimbela, Ramakonopi East and Hlongwane.

The weekly rotation also lists other suburbs and townships repeatedly, including Etwatwa extensions, Moseleke, Diepsloot West, Ivory Park, Protea Glen, Bekkersdal, Chiawelo, Mapanga and Skosana, plus many more blocks named in the schedule.

Additional specific areas named in the schedule for the week include: Dobsonville and extensions; Mabopane X and U; Naledi and Langaville; Tsakane Ext 8, 11, 12 and 15; Ekangala and Moroka; Klipspruit and Kagiso; Etwatwa Ext 15, 21 and 24; Sebokeng Proper and Unit 12; Moleleki; Magagula Heights; Orlando and Vryburg.

Plans to end load reduction

Eskom acknowledged that load reduction remains a problem and said progress is being made. The utility reported that more than half a million households now receive continuous supply after previously experiencing regular cuts. It also said the Northern Cape and Western Cape have fully eradicated load reduction.

Looking ahead, Eskom said it is taking an “evidence-based approach” to managing the transition away from ageing coal infrastructure and that a decision on the phased shutdown, repowering and repurposing of older coal-fired stations is expected between July and September 2026. The utility said its goal is to preserve recent operational gains while ensuring sufficient baseload capacity.

How to check if your area is affected

Eskom published a load-reduction schedule for Gauteng and provided the timetable as a downloadable document for residents to check whether their area is included in this week’s rotations.

“Both the Northern Cape and Western Cape have fully eradicated load reduction, demonstrating the real impact of these efforts on people’s daily lives,” Eskom said.

What remains clear from Eskom’s update: nationally, the power system has run without load shedding for 367 days, but targeted load reduction continues across multiple parts of Gauteng as the utility manages supply and transitions older generation assets.