Many South Africans’ candle collections remained replenished this year, as Eskom maintained a consistent electricity supply for most of the year.
As of the beginning of December, South Africa had experienced 199 consecutive days without load shedding, with only 26 hours of interrupted supply in April and May.
In May, the country experienced three days of stage 3 rolling blackout, and in April, one day.
South Africa experienced minimal load shedding in 2025
Eskom group CEO Dan Marokane said improved plant reliability and increased generating capacity have kept load shedding to minimal levels.
He said that higher-than-expected unplanned losses in the 2025 winter period resulted in the four days of load shedding in April and May and increased the spend on diesel generation.
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Marokane said in Eskom’s Summer Outlook that the utility is implementing interventions to address the root causes of the events during April–May 2025.
The CEO, however, said that key interventions on supply and demand management aspects have created additional levers to meet expected demand over the summer period.
With the minimal load shedding experienced in 2025, the question remains as to what will happen in 2026.
No rolling blackouts projected for Summer 2026
Marokane said Eskom projected no load shedding between 1 September 2025 and 31 March 2026 due to sustained improvements in plant performance from the Generation Recovery Plan.
He said limited load shedding could be required if unplanned losses breach 15 GW, but he added that the probability is low given the current trends.
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Eskom acting group executive for distribution Agnes Mlambo said the utility will continue to use its Demand Management Programme as a lever to reduce the risk of load shedding.
She said several demand-side interventions have been implemented to support the grid.
This has resulted in optimisation of the cost of energy through reducing the usage of expensive diesel generators and transfer pricing, especially during evening peak times; reduction in the severity of load shedding through lowering demand during supply-constrained periods; and demand management levers can be utilised as a balance responsible lever in the energy trading market to further reduce overall tariffs.
Load reduction
While load shedding has reduced in South Africa, load reduction remains a problem for many areas.
The utility explained that it must load reduce in areas where overloaded distribution network transformers—mainly caused by electricity theft and illegal connections—pose a risk.
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Mlambo said the country is making progress in reducing load reduction, with Limpopo and Mpumalanga showing the greatest improvements.
She added that its implementation is necessary to protect the lives of customers and electrical equipment.
Utility want to eradicate load reduction within 18 months
Eskom has committed to reducing load reduction by 15-20% by March 2026 and eradicating load reduction within 18 months by removing and formalising 640 000 illegal connections by March 2026; upgrading infrastructure, including smart metres, reducing zero buyers and illegal vending; and increasing free basic electricity registration in key areas.
“Eskom calls 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,” the utility said.
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