Eskom: 4GW extra for summer, plan to end load reduction

The utility says it has made significant progress in addressing electricity supply constraints and is building on this momentum

Eskom is confident that this summer in South Africa will be free of loadshedding as the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) has improved significantly as well as having the cushion of an additional 4GW power at its disposal compared to last year. 

The utility’s Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said Eskom had made significant gains in terms of being able to deliver a consistent electricity supply, with unplanned losses to stay below 15GW.

This, he said, was evidenced by a lack of loadshedding as opposed to 2023 which was punctuated by chronic bouts of loadshedding, a low EAF and high diesel costs. 

He was presenting Eskom’s 2025/26 Summer Outlook during a media briefing earlier today (Friday, 5 September).

“Eskom has made significant progress in addressing electricity supply constraints… and is building on this momentum for a sustainable and competitive company,” said Marokane.

He said the EAF is being ratcheted up to Eskom’s 70% target. “The next step is to stay at that point.” Marokane said the additional 4GW would give Eskom “head room” to stagger maintenance to its energy infrastructure.

Progress made in recovering generation capacity since 2023

1. Reduced loadshedding from 329 days in FY24 to 13 days in FY25 (17 days Jan–Aug 2025 vs 84 days in 2024)
2. Improved EAF from 55% in FY23 to 60.6% EAF in FY25
3. Diesel generator spend reduced from R30bn for FY23 to R17.7bn in FY25, and still within budget for this FY
4. Recovered >7.8GW generation capacity through long term outage completions and new build
5. Increased IPP capacity by 385MW between FY23 and FY25

Sustaining the gains and addressing the distribution sector

1. Ensuring sustained recovery of the generation performance towards achieving 70% EAF (achieved ~66% for Aug 2025, average monthly improvement of 2.6% points between Apr and Aug 2025)
2. Addressing electricity theft: illegal connections and illicit tokens undermine service delivery, intensification of OVS leakage correction
3. While DAA and prepaid mechanisms are gaining traction, municipal debt remains at unsustainably high levels
4. Focused attention on NTCSA’s rollout of the Transmission Development Plan

5. Long term sustainability will require coordination and careful planning

6. Containing tariff increases through cost optimisation and correctly structured tariffs
7. Adopting risk based transition to a lower carbon energy mix, considering system risks and transparent trade-offs (managing energy trilemma)
8. Ensuring appropriate measures are in place to enable a controlled market transition while protecting all stakeholders (including consumers)

9.  

   Eskom ended Winter Outlook period with confidence in the electricity system

   Addressing the briefing, Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said plans to end load reduction are being finalised.

   “I will announce in the next two weeks how we will end load reduction. Load reduction is not loadshedding.”

   Eskom is planning to put an end to load reduction by March 2027. According to the utility, load reduction is a targeted strategy to temporarily decrease electricity consumption a specific, overloaded local area to protect the electricity grid infrastructure and human life from damage and failure.

   Ramokgopa, in praising the turnaround at Eskom under Marokane, expressed confidence that loadshedding will be staved off.

   “We are generating far more than what the demand is. Structural loadshedding is something that we have addressed. Electricity must lead and the [rest of] the country will follow on the back of affordable and a consistent [supply] of electricity.”

   In August, Eskom said that with its Winter Outlook period drawing to a close, it was confident that South Africa will remain free of loadshedding as unplanned outages have reached the levels of nearly five years ago.

   On 22 August Eskom reported:  “As of today, unplanned outages reached a notable milestone of 7,265MW. This is the first time the generation fleet has operated below the 8,000MW mark since 11 December 2020, highlighting the structural progress in plant performance as a result of the ongoing implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan.

   “With just over a week remaining in Eskom’s Winter Outlook period, the power system remains well-positioned to maintain stability and reliably meet demand.”

   On 29 August, the utility reported: “Eskom’s power system remains stable, with 105 consecutive days without loadshedding and an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) ranging between 64% and 75%.”

10. Recently, NERSA and Eskom settled on an additional R54 billion to be paid to the utility over the three-year Sixth Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD6) period. This after Eskom had lodged a judicial review of the energy regulator’s original decision in respect of a revenue shortfall.

    NERSA concluded that Eskom was entitled to the additional R54bn over the three-year MYPD6 period, an amount substantially lower than Eskom’s original claim of R107bn. The parties settled for R54bn on 30 July 2025. This means that Eskom electricity tariffs from 2027 will change from the previously announced figures.

Cover photo:   In August, Eskom removed two transformers that were illegally connected to its network in Bokamoso, Rustenburg Local Municipality in the North West province. Source: Eskom/X