Load shedding eases for the weekend as Eskom finds its feet

·15 Sep 2023

Power utility Eskom says that load shedding will be reduced to stage 4 from 14h00 on Friday due to lower demand and pumped storage dam levels returning to normal.

Currently, the plan is for stage 4 load shedding to remain in effect until 05h00 on Saturday.

Stage 2 load shedding will then be implemented from 05h00 on Saturday until 16h00, followed by stage 4 until 05h00 on Sunday. This pattern will be repeated on Sunday.

Friday, 15 September

Stage 5: until 14h00
Stage 4: 14h00 to 00h00

Saturday, 16 September

Stage 4: 00h00 to 05h00
Stage 2: 05h00 to 16h00
Stage 4: 16h00 to 00h00

Sunday, 17 September

Stage 4: 00h00 to 05h00
Stage 2: 05h00 to 16h00
Stage 4: 16h00 to 00h00

The de-escalation of load shedding continues after the group downgraded to stage 5 in the early hours of Friday morning – but it follows a week full of stage 6 load shedding.

The higher stages of load shedding hit this week due to colder weather pushing up demand, further breakdowns in generation, delays in returning units back to the grid, and Eskom upping its planned maintenance.

During a meeting on Wednesday, the Cabinet was assured that elevated stages of load-shedding are a temporary measure that will have long-term benefits for the country, with ministers now making a slogan of “short-term pain, for long term gain”.

Load shedding has been implemented in South Africa since 2007, and permanent load shedding has been in effect for more than a full year.

While Eskom appears to be in the clear for now, load shedding remains elevated, and the group’s latest system update paints a worrying picture for the year ahead.

Code Red at Eskom

Schedules

For people living in the major metros, load shedding schedules are available here:

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: Code Red at Eskom

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