Eskom Suspends Load Shedding as Power Generation Improves Ahead of G20 Events

Eskom has officially suspended load shedding as of Wednesday, February 26, at 5 AM, citing improved generation capacity and replenished emergency reserves. The announcement comes as South Africa hosts the B20 and G20 finance track events in Cape Town—critical lead-up forums to the G20 Leaders Summit in Sandton later this year.

A Welcome Relief for Businesses and Households

The suspension of load shedding will be a relief for South African businesses and households, following two bouts of power cuts in the past month. Just days ago, Eskom was forced to escalate load shedding from Stage 3 to Stage 6 due to multiple unit failures at coal-fired power stations.

However, the situation has improved, allowing Eskom to reduce load shedding to Stage 4 on Monday, Stage 2 on Tuesday, and ultimately suspend it entirely by Wednesday morning.

Structural Improvements and Future Outlook

Eskom Group CEO Dan Marokane remains confident in the utility’s recovery plan, stating that “load shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet.” He emphasized that Eskom is committed to eliminating load shedding as a major constraint on South Africa’s economy.

Despite recent technical setbacks, Marokane assured the public that these issues were unrelated and purely technical in nature. The company plans to analyze the recent tripping incidents to strengthen its maintenance strategies.

Eskom’s Maintenance Strategy and Cost Savings

Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom’s Group Executive for Generation, highlighted that the company has achieved a 99% electricity availability rate from April 2024 to February 2025, saving R17 billion in diesel costs.

Nxumalo reaffirmed Eskom’s commitment to high maintenance levels, stating that 6,660MW of planned maintenance is currently underway to prepare for the winter months and meet regulatory requirements.

“Our efforts have significantly stabilized the grid, and we are confident that South Africa will not return to the severe load shedding levels seen in 2023,” he added.

With Eskom’s structural improvements and aggressive maintenance strategies in place, the power utility is making strides toward a more stable electricity supply. While challenges remain, the recent suspension of load shedding signals positive momentum in Eskom’s efforts to restore reliability to South Africa’s energy sector.

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