Stage 3 load-shedding returns to South Africa

Eskom has announced that stage 3 load shedding will once again be implemented, starting from 17:30 on Saturday.

After 20 days of uninterrupted power, the power utility cited “another temporary setback” as the reason for resuming power cuts.

Eskom revealed this in a post on X, where they said they would provide an update on Sunday. The company did not provide reasons why these cuts were being implemented.

Although the utility has managed to halt load-shedding for over 200 days since May of 2024, it once again implemented stage 3 power cuts in January due to the depletion of emergency fuel reserves amid breakdowns and service delays.

Despite the return to blackouts, Eskom’s most recent System Status Report from Friday, 21 February 2025, indicated that unplanned outages stood at 13,275MW, while available generation capacity was 26,640MW.

The utility had forecasted peak demand that day would be over 1,500MW lower than its available capacity. Eskom also noted that its average unplanned outages had risen to 12,976MW in the past week, up from 10,780MW the previous week.

However, it highlighted a significant year-to-date improvement in energy availability, which stood at 61.44%, compared to 54.64% in the previous year.

Eskom’s initial announcement of Stage 3 load-shedding came without prior warning or details regarding unit outages, with its first public notice appearing on X precisely at 17:30.

While the reason for the latest power cuts remains unclear, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has repeatedly cautioned that load-shedding was not over and setbacks were bound to happen.

Despite Eskom’s assurances that 3,410MW of capacity is expected to return to service by Monday evening, its latest system status update confirms that shortfalls remain a risk.