Plan to suspend load shedding shelved – here’s the new schedule

Power utility Eskom has shelved plans to suspend load shedding this weekend, instead alternating between stage 1 and stage 3 load shedding.
Stage 3 load shedding will continue until 05h00 on Sunday, thereafter stage 1 load shedding will be in effect from 05h00 to 16h00.
Stage 3 will again follow in the evening peak. This pattern will repeat until further notice, Eskom said.
Eskom had previously intended on suspending load shedding during the day on Saturday and Sunday, but this is no longer the case.
The reason for the change in schedule is due to a drop in energy generation and an increase in breakdowns.
Breakdowns are currently at 16,547MW of generating capacity while the generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 4,507MW.
Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit at Arnot and two generating units at Matla power stations were returned to service.
In the same period, a generating unit at Camden, Duvha, Kendal, Kriel and Majuba power stations was taken offline for repairs.
The delay in returning to service a generating unit at Kendal and two generating units at Tutuka power stations is contributing to the current capacity constraints.
The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, 12 August
- Stage 3: until 00h00
Sunday, 13 August
- Stage 3: 00h00 to 05h00
- Stage 1: 05h00 to 16h00
- Stage 3: 16h00 to 00h00
Monday, 14 August
- Stage 3: 00h00 to 05h00
- Stage 1: 05h00 to 16h00
- Stage TBA
While government officials and some energy experts are talking up the easing of load shedding going into the later parts of the year, rolling outages are likely to remain a fixture of daily life for the foreseeable future.
The blackouts have become so intense and so frequent that the energy sector has had to make provision for load shedding to get worse or even go beyond what is currently planned for.
To this end, energy regulator Nersa on Friday published new load shedding stages for public comment.
The proposed stages now go up to stage 16 and appear to alter the way in which the stages are determined, now basing the total megawatts removed on the demand profile at the time rather than the available load.
The consultation document, which details all 16 stages, can be read below:
Schedules
For people living in the major metros, load shedding schedules are available here:
- City of Johannesburg
- City of Ekurhuleni
- City of Tshwane
- City of Cape Town (PDF)
- Nelson Mandela Bay
- eThekwini
- Manguang
- Buffalo City
For access to other load shedding schedules, Eskom has made them available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.
Smartphone users can also download the app EskomSePush to receive push notifications when load shedding is implemented, as well as the times the area you are in will be off.
Read: New load shedding stages for South Africa – this is what happens if we hit stage 16