Minister Ramokgopa Confirms Major Progress in Ending SA’s Load Shedding

Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has reassured South Africans that the country is making significant strides toward permanently ending the long-standing challenge of load shedding. Speaking at a media briefing on the state of the national electricity grid, the Minister described the progress as a clear sign that Eskom is “moving in the right direction” and is now within reach of resolving what many had considered an “intractable challenge.”

No Load Shedding Since May 2025

South Africa has not experienced a single day of load shedding since May this year, a remarkable shift from the frequent power cuts that have plagued households and businesses in recent years. Ramokgopa attributed this to consistent operational improvements and disciplined execution of Eskom’s recovery plan.

“We are in a good space. We made the promise that we would address this situation, and we are confident of our technical ability to resolve it. We are within touching distance,” the Minister stated.

Stable Grid Through Winter and Beyond

Looking ahead, Ramokgopa expressed confidence that the national grid will remain stable through the remainder of the winter and into the warmer months.

“Of course, this is a dynamic system with rotating units, and there could be challenges here and there. However, the grid is designed so that we can call upon peaking plants to help sustain performance without resorting to load shedding,” he explained.

These peaking plants—facilities designed to supply extra electricity during high demand periods—serve as a safeguard, ensuring lights stay on even if certain generation units encounter unexpected problems.

Outperforming Winter Projections

Prior to the winter season, Eskom had cautioned that load shedding would be triggered if unplanned outages exceeded 13,000MW. However, the utility has consistently kept outages well below that threshold, averaging 10,880MW over the past week and even dropping below 10,000MW at times.

“This is a testament to the hard work of more than 42,000 dedicated men and women at Eskom,” Ramokgopa said, commending their commitment to resolving what he described as an existential crisis for the nation’s economy and quality of life.

Record Energy Availability Factor (EAF) Performance

Between April and 8 August, Eskom’s power stations achieved an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 60.14%, a substantial improvement from the 49% recorded in 2023 before intervention measures were introduced.

In recent weeks, the EAF has continued to climb, averaging 65.38% for the month to date and even surpassing the 70% mark on certain days—a figure that had seemed unattainable in recent years.

“This is major progress. When we initiated these interventions in 2023, we told the country there would be short-term pain, but we knew what we were doing. We are now delivering on our promises, and in some cases, exceeding them,” Ramokgopa said.

Generating More Than Demand

The Minister also revealed that during certain periods in recent weeks, Eskom has generated more electricity than the national demand, allowing some generating units to be placed in cold reserve to protect the grid from overloading.

“This means we have created sufficient space and headroom for the economy to grow on the back of this improved performance. We are marching forward, and we are going to get out of the woods,” he emphasised.

The government views the current momentum as not just an operational achievement but also a critical enabler for economic growth, improved investor confidence, and better quality of life for South Africans. If the trend continues, the end of load shedding could soon move from aspiration to reality.