Eskom’s Gauteng load reduction schedule: what residents need to know for March 2026

While South Africa celebrates nearly a year without nationwide load shedding, many Gauteng communities continue to feel the pinch of Eskom’s load reduction programme, a targeted effort to relieve pressure on aging infrastructure and overstretched local grids.

Unlike load shedding, which is a national measure triggered by insufficient electricity supply, load reduction focuses on specific neighbourhoods where illegal connections or old networks create localised stress. Outages can last four to five hours, hitting mornings and evenings at the busiest times of the day.

Morning power cuts

The early morning window coincides with school runs and work commutes, making it particularly disruptive. Areas on the chopping block this week include:

• Orange Farm and extensions
• Monise, Mokoena, Mavimbela, Zuma
• Ramakonopi, Ramakonopi East, Radebe, Sali Mngadi
• Ndhlazi, Cala, Hlongwane, Mfundo Park Extension 30B
• Mapetla, Protea South, Chiawelo, Moroka, Dhlamini
• Klipspruit, Kagiso, Khutsong, Tsakane Extensions 1, 3, 8, 11, 12
• Langaville Extension 3, Garankuwa extensions, Ivory Park extensions, Protea Glen, Rabie Ridge, Duduza

Residents in these areas are urged to prepare for unplanned mornings without electricity by charging devices, preparing meals in advance, and monitoring children during school prep.

Evening disruptions

Evening outages, running from 5pm to 10pm, affect households during dinner prep, homework, and evening routines. Key areas include:

• City of Johannesburg Rural Lakeside, Orange Farm extensions, Stretford extensions
• Sharpeville and Sharpeville Outlying, Tshepiso, Elandsfontein AH
• Homestead Apple Orchards AH-West, Ironside AH-West, Vereeniging
• Drumblade, Klipview, Sebokeng, Vosloorus, Evaton Central
• Small Farms and Balmoral Estates

For many families, the evening window can be a major inconvenience, especially for students completing online assignments or households relying on electric cooking.

Additional affected areas

Between 24 and 31 March, load reduction will also affect Mofolo South, Tsakane, Zithobeni extensions, Magagula Heights, Spruit View, Mngadi, Chiawelo, Langaville, Diepkloof Zones 1–6, Winterveldt extensions, and Orlando East.

Eskom urges residents to check the official schedule, keep devices charged, and plan activities around the power cuts. While the outages are inconvenient, the utility stresses they are necessary to prevent long-term damage to local electricity networks and ensure sustainable supply.

With South Africans becoming increasingly dependent on digital tools for work, school, and entertainment, the load reduction programme is a reminder that infrastructure challenges remain despite nearly a year without load shedding, and households must remain vigilant and prepared.

Download: Load-reduction-GAUTENG-MARCH-2026-3

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{Source: The Citizen}

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