Johannesburg: South Africans can look forward to a load shedding-free summer season with Eskom announcing that it does not forecast the implementation of the rolling power cuts from this month to the end of March next year. This follows the power utility’s supply of electricity to South Africans for 97% of the winter period, with only 26 hours of load shedding recorded over four evenings during that timeframe.

According to South African Government News Agency, Eskom’s Summer Outlook for 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026 forecasts no load shedding, marking a recovery from the previous summer’s 13 days of load shedding, when electricity was supplied 96% of the time due to delayed unit returns from planned maintenance. This summer’s projection represents a considerable improvement compared to the 176 days of load shedding during the 2023/24 summer, when electricity was available only 17% of the time.

Approximately 4000MW of extra capacity has been added to meet demand compared to last summer. Eskom Chief Group Executive, Dan Marokane, praised the power utility’s staff for their efforts to keep the lights on. He stated that the positive outlook is the result of progress achieved through the expertise and dedication of Eskom staff, as well as support from government-led initiatives. Marokane highlighted the strategy’s success in delivering energy security, supporting socio-economic programs, and positioning Eskom as a sustainable company.

Energy and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, speaking during a media briefing at Megawatt Park, expressed optimism about the end of load shedding. He noted the remarkable turnaround achieved by Eskom staff and acknowledged ongoing challenges such as load reduction. Ramokgopa clarified that load reduction is not equivalent to load shedding but is an infrastructure issue due to non-technical losses and network overload. He announced plans to address load reduction, with further details expected in the coming weeks.