Eskom announced on Thursday, 24 April 2025, that it would implement Stage 2 loadshedding from 16:00 until 05:00 the following morning.
Eskom implements Stage 2 loadshedding
The decision was made due to a combination of high electricity demand, unexpected breakdowns of power generation units, and continued maintenance work on its ageing infrastructure.
This comes despite recent progress in Eskom’s generation recovery programme, which had helped keep the lights on through much of April. However, colder weather conditions and higher-than-expected power usage have placed strain on the system, forcing Eskom to take precautionary measures to stabilise the grid.
Eskom issued a public appeal for households to help reduce electricity usage by switching off non-essential appliances such as geysers, pool pumps, and heaters during peak hours.
What’s the current state of Eskom’s power system?
Earlier this month, Eskom reported improvements in some operational areas. According to its latest performance data, the number of unplanned outages — situations where power stations stop working without warning — decreased slightly. From 1 to 17 April 2025, the average number of these breakdowns stood at around 13 075MW.
Planned maintenance also remains high, with about 8 974MW of capacity currently taken offline for repairs and upgrades.
This planned work is meant to prepare Eskom’s ageing power plants for the higher energy demand that comes with the winter months.
While the system was recently stable enough to suspend loadshedding altogether, Eskom has warned that these improvements are fragile. The return of Stage 2 loadshedding suggests that any small disruption — like a spike in demand or a generator failure — could push the system into instability.
To keep emergency power reserves in check, Eskom has relied less on diesel-powered Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) in recent weeks, reducing fuel costs. However, the pressure remains high as the utility manages between long-term repairs and daily power needs.
Eskom confirmed that 3 948MW of generation capacity was returned to service earlier this week. But even with this added capacity, demand has continued to outpace supply, especially during the evening peak.
The utility is expected to release its official winter outlook before the end of April, which will provide more detail on whether the country should expect further rolling blackouts in the colder months ahead.
