Eskom has assured South Africans that the power system remains stable, with unplanned outages at generating units “currently within acceptable levels”.

In a statement, the State-owned power utility said the system “continues to show resilience” during the winter months.

“While occasional system constraints do arise, they are effectively managed, with sufficient emergency reserves available and strategically deployed during morning and evening peak periods,” the statement read.

Last Sunday, Medupi Power Station’s Unit 4 was successfully brought back online -– a further boost for the power system.

“Once it reaches full capacity in the coming weeks, it will contribute 800MW to the national grid, marking a key milestone in strengthening South Africa’s energy security and improving supply reliability,” Eskom said.

Since May, there has been no load shedding implemented, with the planned rolling power outages only reaching 26 hours between 1 April and 10 July 2025.

Eskom attributed this to an “improved Energy Availability Factor [EAF]”, which ranged between 60% and 62% last week.

“As of [Friday], unplanned outages total 13 380MW, with an available generation capacity of 30 195MW. To further enhance grid stability, Eskom plans to return a total of 3 470MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday.

“The Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which reflects the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, has reached 29.44% for the current financial year to date (1 April to 10 July 2025). This represents an increase of approximately 2.4% compared to 27.03% recorded during the same period last year.

“The year-to-date load factor for open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) has marginally increased to 10.78%, reflecting a 0.08% increase compared to the previous week. This figure remains higher than the 5.87% recorded during the same period last year. Although diesel usage is within budget, it is expected to decline as more units return to service, increasing available generation capacity,” Eskom said.

The power utility added that the winter outlook up to the end of August remains valid.

“It indicates that load shedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, load shedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2.

“Eskom encourages all South Africans to use electricity efficiently throughout the winter season. To help manage household electricity consumption, Eskom customers are encouraged to use the Eskom Residential Calculator, a convenient tool for tracking and optimising energy usage, at: https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/residential-calculator.

“Eskom will provide an update on Friday, 18 July 2025, or promptly communicate any significant changes as soon as they occur,” the statement read.

The power utility has urged citizens to play their part in protecting essential electricity infrastructure.

“Eskom urges the public to avoid illegal connections and energy theft. These activities often lead to transformer overloads, equipment failures, and in some cases, explosions and extended outages, prompting the need for load reduction to protect the network. 

“To help maintain a stable electricity supply this winter, customers are encouraged to purchase electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors and take responsibility by regularising their electricity usage. Eligible households are encouraged to register for free basic electricity with their local municipalities,” the electricity supplier said.

Report illegal activities to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp on 081 333 3323. –