Load Shedding Today
Alexandrina Burbidge
Please note that the information contained in this section are made up of a combination of links to municipalities or metros that provide their own schedules, and in some instances loadshedding scheduled developed by Eskom for certain areas or municipalities. The example below are for a municipality supplied directly by Eskom.
For power outages unrelated to load-shedding: Please consult the City's @CityofCTAlerts Twitter feed for updates on scheduled maintenance outages as well as unscheduled power outages.
If a power outage is not listed, please report the fault by submitting a service request or contacting the Call Centre on 0860 103 089. Our Electricity Department will attend to the matter and restore power as soon as possible.
Load shedding status
We are currently not Load Shedding due to high demand or urgent maintenance being performed at certain power stations. To determine the time/s that you will be affected, please view the Schedule for your area. However, if you are an Eskom customer and do not have power, please register on our App to log your fault: Click here to download the Android or OR iOS version of the App.
Loadshedding is when Eskom, South Africa's national power company, temporarily cuts off electricity to various areas to manage a shortage in energy supply. Simply put, there isn't enough power to go around.
In order to reduce demand at any given time, different neighbourhoods across the country take turns having no electricity according to the eskom loadshedding schedule. For instance, one area might lose power from 8am-10am, and another from 10am-12pm. The frequency and duration depend on the severity of the shortage, categorized into loadshedding stages 1 to 8. The higher the stage, the more often the outages.
Loadshedding is the result of challenges our national power grid has faced over the years. Delayed maintenance, slow-paced new energy developments, hiccups in starting new power plants, crime and corruption have led to a strained power supply.
The increase in loadshedding since September 2023 is significantly influenced by Eskom's ramped-up planned maintenance schedule. During the summer months, they take approximately 6,000MW offline, double the 3,000MW in winter. This can lead to an additional three stages of loadshedding. However, it's worth noting that consumer demand typically drops during these warmer months, offsetting some of the impact. While this heightened maintenance might intensify loadshedding in the immediate term, it is a vital step towards revitalizing our power infrastructure. This proactive approach is poised to enhance the power system's reliability and reduce loadshedding in the long run.
The predictability of Eskom's fleet remains a challenge. While some energy experts are optimistic that loadshedding could conclude by the end of 2024, others foresee a more extended timeline. The good news is that both Eskom and the government are now prioritizing the issue, taking it more seriously than they have in the years past.
Several positive steps are on the horizon. Repairs at Kusile are in progress, with phased reactivation planned between September and December. If successful, this could alleviate around three stages of loadshedding. Additionally, the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, currently undergoing vital maintenance and contributing one stage of loadshedding, is set to be fully operational by mid-2024. Beyond these specific projects, intensified maintenance efforts across the board, combined with escalating private investment in energy infrastructure and the debut of new energy projects, suggest that 2024 could see a significant reduction in loadshedding.
ESKOM: Due to consistent improvement in available generation capacity and the lower demand, as well as sufficient emergency reserves, loadshedding will remain suspended until next week Friday at 16:00.
Friday, 22 December 2023: Due to consistent improvement in available generation capacity and the lower demand, as well as sufficient emergency reserves, loadshedding will remain suspended until next week Friday at 16:00. Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: Due to consistent improvement in available generating capacity, loadshedding will remain suspended until 16:00 on Friday. Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: Due to further improvement in available generating capacity, loadshedding will remain suspended until further notice. Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: As a result of improved available generation capacity, Stage 3 loadshedding will continue to be implemented daily until 16:00 on Thursday. Unplanned outages are currently at 12 889MW and planned maintenance at 7 115MW of generation capacity. A total of 1 000MW is expected to be returned to service from today until Thursday. Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: From Monday to Thursday, Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 and Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00. This is due to the normal expected increase in demand of electricity during the week and an increase in planned maintenance.
ESKOM: Due to improved generation capacity availability and adequate emergency reserves, loadshedding will continue to be suspended until 05:00 on Monday. From Monday to Thursday, Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 and Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00. This is due to the normal expected increase in demand of electricity during the week and an increase in planned maintenance.
ESKOM: Due to the improved generation capacity available and the lower weekend demand, Stage 3 loadshedding will continue to be implemented until 05:00 on Saturday morning. Thereafter, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented until 16:00.
ESKOM: In order to manage emergency reserves, Stage 4 loadshedding will remain in force until 05:00 on Monday. Thereafter, Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00, followed by Stage 4 loadshedding until 05:00 on Tuesday. This pattern of Stage 3 loadshedding in the morning and Stage 4 loadshedding in the evening will be repeated daily until Friday at 16:00. Eskom will communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented at 20:00 tonight until 05:00 on Monday, in order to replenish the dam levels at the pumped storage power stations in preparation for the week ahead. Eskom will continue to monitor the power system closely, adjust and communicate the stages of loadshedding as required.
ESKOM: In order to replenish emergency reserves, Stage 4 loadshedding will continue to be implemented until 20:00 today. Thereafter, Stage 6 loadshedding will be implemented from 20:00 until 05:00 on Wednesday, followed by Stage 4 loadshedding from 05:00 until 20:00. The pattern of implementing Stage 4 from 05:00 until 20:00 and Stage 6 from 20:00 until 05:00 will be repeated daily until Saturday morning. Unplanned outages increased by 401 MW to 15 825MW, whilst planned maintenance increased by 555 MW to 6 835MW of generation capacity. 1300 MW of generation capacity was returned to service in the last 24 hours. Eskom will closely monitor the power system and communicate any changes to loadshedding should it be required.
ESKOM: Due to the increasing demand combined with insufficient generating capacity and the need to manage the emergency reserves, Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented from 14:00 today until 05:00 on Saturday.
ESKOM: The implementation of Stage 6 loadshedding over the past few days has allowed the replenishment of the emergency reserves at our pumped storage and Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) power stations. Due to this improvement, loadshedding will be reduced to Stage 4 from 12:00 midday until 05:00 on Monday. Thereafter, Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 on Monday, followed by Stage 4 loadshedding from 16:00 until 05:00 on Tuesday. This pattern of implementing Stage 3 loadshedding in the morning and Stage 4 loadshedding in the evening will be repeated daily until Thursday.
ESKOM: Due to insufficient emergency reserves and generation capacity as a result of four units not returning to service as planned, Stage 4 loadshedding was implemented this morning at 02:31until further notice. Eskom will monitor the system and communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: Due to the imminent forced shutdown of two generating units this morning, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented from 09:00 until 16:00 today. Thereafter, Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from 16:00 until 05:00 on Wednesday, followed by Stage 2 loadshedding until 16:00. This pattern of implementing Stage 2 loadshedding in the morning and Stage 3 loadshedding in the evening will be repeated daily until further notice. Eskom will monitor the system and communicate should any significant changes occur.
ESKOM: Due to the shortage of generation capacity and the need to manage emergency reserves, Stage 3 loadshedding will remain in force until 05:00 on Monday. Thereafter, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented until 16:00, followed by Stage 3 loadshedding until 05:00 on Tuesday. Stages 1 and 3 will alternate in the morning and afternoon from Tuesday until Wednesday. Please refer to the table below for the loadshedding schedule:
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