Johannesburg: Eskom has recorded an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 67.96% since the financial year began, the highest level achieved in six years. This marks significant progress for the power utility as it continues to stave off load shedding, with the last bout of planned power outages experienced more than 490 days ago.
According to South African Government News Agency, the weekly EAF remained strong at 72.74% during the period 11 to 17 September 2026, reinforcing the positive year-to-date performance trend. Compared with three years ago, EAF has improved by 12.8%, returning approximately 6,202 MW of generation capacity to the grid and demonstrating continued progress in improving reliability and energy security.
Improved performance has reduced diesel expenditure by R4.80 billion, or 80.95%, year-on-year. Particulate matter emissions improved to 0.32kg/MWhSO, outperforming the annual target. These results showcase Eskom's progress in delivering a more reliable, cost-efficient, and environmentally sustainable electricity supply for South Africa. The power utility attributes these improvements to structural interventions and ongoing operational improvements across the generation fleet.
South Africa has now recorded 490 consecutive days without load shedding since 16 May 2025. This reflects the cumulative impact of improved fleet performance, lower unplanned outages, increased generation capacity, and reduced reliance on emergency generation resources. This milestone demonstrates the sustained progress in restoring reliability, strengthening energy security, and supporting South Africa's economic growth and development.
Eskom also announced it is on track to eliminate load reduction by March next year. Seven provinces are already free from load reduction, with approximately 1.4 million customers restored to normal supply conditions. The number of customers affected has declined from 1.69 million to 247,617, representing just 3.4% of Eskom's customer base. While some customers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remain affected, more than 60% of previously affected customers in these provinces have been restored to normal supply conditions, with eradication efforts ongoing in the remaining areas.