All-day stage 3 and stage 4 load shedding this week – the latest schedule

Power utility Eskom says that stage 3 and stage 4 load shedding will continue this week until further notice.

Load shedding will be pushed to stage 4 in the evenings from 16h00 to 05h00, and stage 3 will continue between 05h00 and 16h00. This rotation will continue indefinitely.

“Over the past 24 hours, two generating units at Tutuka Power Station were taken offline for repairs while two units at the Arnot Power were returned to service,” the group said.

Planned maintenance is currently sitting at 6,018MW, while breakdowns currently amount to 15,797MW of generating capacity, it said. A further update will be published as soon as any significant changes occur.

Monday, 23 January

• Stage 3: until 16h00
• Stage 4: 16h00 to 00h00

Until further notice

• Stage 4: 00h00 to 05h00
• Stage 3: 05h00 to 16h00
• Stage 4: 16h00 to 05h00

Eskom had initially planned to bring load shedding down to stage 2 and then stage 1 during the day this week, with stage 3 in the evenings – but these plans have now been scuppered.

The group warned this weekend that its systems remain highly unpredictable, and even the best load shedding schedules and guidelines could change at a moment’s notice.

Group chair Mpho Makwana mentioned that the power utility might implement a permanent state of load shedding for the next two years to bring some degree of stability to the power situation; however, this was ultimately rejected by the group as even a permanent state of load shedding would not be enough to guarantee that higher stages of load shedding would not occur.

The point is moot, however, as South Africa has been in a state of permanent load shedding since early September 2022, with only a few days where load shedding was temporarily suspended.

Analysts and energy experts have warned that conditions are likely to get worse as the country moves towards winter, with stage 7 or stage 8 load shedding on the cards.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter – who is leaving the group at the end of March – said that the risk of stage 8 load shedding is receding, but it could not be ignored.

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: Eskom clarifies permanent load shedding for South Africa