Eskom announces stage 2 load-shedding

Eskom announced the implementation of Stage 2 load-shedding at 18:25 on Wednesday, 19 March 2025, due to the breakdown of five generation units prior to the evening peak demand period. 

The load-shedding will continue until 05:00 on Thursday, 20 March 2025. Eskom did not specify which generation units broke down. 

Despite significant progress in generation recovery, Eskom stated that the loss of five generation units before the peak period necessitated the implementation of Stage 2 load-shedding.

Eskom emphasised its commitment to prioritising planned maintenance to enhance system reliability ahead of winter. 

The company urged the public to conserve electricity and apologised for any inconvenience caused.

The previous instance of load-shedding at Stage 3 occurred between 14:00 on Friday, 7 March, and 10:00 on Sunday, 9 March, also due to the loss of several generation units, resulting in a total capacity loss of 2,700MW.

Eskom generation head Bheki Nxumalo acknowledged the challenges faced in the two-year generation recovery plan and apologised for the temporary setback. 

He mentioned delays in returning tripped units to the grid and the upcoming return of three units on long-term outage, which will add 2,500MW to the grid in the coming weeks.

Nxumalo reassured the public that Eskom is dedicated to preventing a return to the severe load-shedding levels experienced in 2023.