National power system remains stable, supported by sustained improvements in generation performance to deliver energy security

Friday, 17 October 2025: Eskom continues to reliably meet South Africa’s electricity demand. A daily Energy Availability Factor (EAF) performance of 70% or higher was recorded on approximately 22 occasions between August and September 2025. This milestone was largely driven by a reduction in unplanned losses, highlighting the effectiveness of Eskom’s recovery interventions and improved operational discipline. As a result, EAF performance for the whole month of September 2025 reached 70.27%, marking a significant achievement in Eskom’s recovery journey.

The ongoing technical improvements under Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan have ensured a consistent electricity supply for over 97.9% of the time during the current financial year.

From 1 to 16 October 2025, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF)—which measures the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages—stood at 23.66%, reflecting a 2.94% improvement compared to 26.6% during the same period last year. The Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF), which accounts for planned maintenance, increased to 13.24%, up from 12.43% recorded a year ago.

From 1 to 16 October 2025, the EAF stands at 62.76%, an improvement from 60.56% recorded during the same period last year. However, the slight week-on-week dip is due to increased planned maintenance, aligned with Eskom’s maintenance schedule and ongoing efforts to improve plant reliability and operational consistency.

During the period between 10 to 16 October 2025, Eskom recorded an average of 12 294MW in unplanned outages—an improvement from 13 773MW during the same period last year. This year-on-year reduction of 1 478MW in breakdowns reflects the growing reliability and resilience of the generation fleet.

From 1 April to 16 October 2025, diesel expenditure remained consistently below budget, reflecting reduced reliance on the diesel-powered Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) fleet, with the year-to-date load factor further decreasing to 6.27%. This trend highlights ongoing efficiency improvements, a significant reduction in dependence on diesel generation, and a sustained shift toward more cost-effective primary generation sources.

The country has gone 154 consecutive days without loadshedding, with only 26 hours recorded between 1 April and 16 October 2025.

To further strengthen grid stability, Eskom plans to return a total of 3 890MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 20 October 2025, and throughout the coming week.

Eskom published the Summer Outlook on 5 September 2025, covering the period 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026, which forecasts no loadshedding due to the structural progress in plant performance as a result of the ongoing implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan.

Key Performance Highlights:

• Year-to-date, UCLF stands at 25.55%. This reflects a week-on-week improvement of approximately 0.01% and remains 0.04% lower than the 25.59% recorded during the same period last year.

• Year-to-date, planned maintenance has averaged 5 333MW, accounting for 11.37% of total generation capacity. This reflects a slight increase from the previous week and a 0.39% rise compared to the same period last year.

• The year-to-date EAF is at 62.6%, and slightly below the 62.93% recorded during the same period last year.

• From 1 April to 16 October 2025, Eskom generated 1022.35GWh from OCGT plants, with diesel expenditure totalling R6.066 billion—an increase from last year’s 943.51GWh. In the past week, diesel spending was R83.6 million at a load factor of 2.32%, which is lower than the same period last year (where spending was R263 million at a 7.69% load factor), highlighting sustained efficiency improvements and a significant reduction in reliance on diesel generation this year.

• The year-to-date load factor for OCGTs has decreased to 6.27%, reflecting a 0.14% decrease compared to the previous week. This figure remains higher than the 5.79% recorded during the same period last year.

Protect transformers and infrastructure – avoid illegal connections, prevent power failures and load reduction

Despite the overall stability and reliability of Eskom’s power system, load reduction remains necessary in certain high-risk areas to safeguard infrastructure and ensure public safety. This is primarily due to electricity theft through illegal connections and meter tampering, which compromise the integrity of the network. These activities often result in equipment damage, transformer overloads, and, in severe cases, explosions and prolonged outages.

To mitigate these risks, Eskom may implement load reduction by temporarily switching off power in affected areas during peak demand periods.

Eskom, however, is committed to eliminating load reduction within the next 12 to 18 months. This goal will be achieved by addressing 640 000 illegal connections, upgrading infrastructure — including the installation of smart meters — curbing illegal electricity vending, and expanding access to free basic electricity in priority areas.

Customers are urged to avoid illegal connections, purchase electricity only from Eskom-accredited vendors, and regularise their accounts. These measures are essential to preventing load reduction and ensuring safe, reliable, and equitable electricity access for all.

Any illegal activity impacting Eskom’s infrastructure should be reported to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp on 081 333 3323.

Eskom will provide an update on Friday, 24 October 2025, or promptly communicate any significant changes as soon as they occur.

ENDS