- Eskom records 365 consecutive days without loadshedding for the first time since 2018.
- Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) stands at 60.99% this week.
Eskom has marked a major milestone for South Africa’s power sector after delivering a full year without a single second of loadshedding, the first such achievement since September 2018. The utility described the achievement as a structural turning point for the country’s electricity system, signalling the transition from a recovering grid to a more stable and reliable power network capable of supporting economic growth and industrial expansion.
Eskom Board Chairman Mteto Nyati said the milestone was the result of a three year recovery programme focused on restoring generation performance and rebuilding institutional capability.
“This moment has been three years in the making since the inception of the generation recovery plan. Eskom employees have again delivered using their deep technical and institutional capability built over decades of public investment,” said Nyati.
He added that Eskom’s future focus would increasingly include the delivery of cleaner energy sources as part of South Africa’s broader energy transition.
Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the stable electricity platform now creates the conditions for an orderly transformation of the power sector and future market liberalisation.
“South Africa now has a stable electricity platform to enable an orderly transformation of the industry, as no energy market liberalisation in the world has been successful without a stable incumbent,” said Marokane.
He noted that Eskom’s workforce of 40,000 employees, together with OEMs and industry partners, had played a critical role in the turnaround. Marokane also highlighted the importance of government intervention through the Energy Action Plan.
Eskom said the utility is well positioned to support implementation of South Africa’s R2.23 trillion Integrated Resource Plan through partnerships with investors and the private sector.
Group Executive for Generation Bheki Nxumalo said morale within the utility had improved significantly as generation reliability continued to strengthen.
“Today represents the hardest won progress in Eskom’s recent history and establishes a stable platform for continued performance improvement,” said Nxumalo.
Eskom performance update
Diesel in the past week was strategically deployed at peak demand times to meet the higher-than-expected demand as well as provide the required reserves in line with the South African Grid Code. The financial year to date (1 April to 14 May 2026) Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) load factor stands at 1.68%, significantly lower than the 12.86% recorded over the same period last year and well below the target annual load factor of 3%.
For the financial year to date (1 April to 14 May 2026), Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) stands at 60.99%, improving from 56.77% over the same period last year, a 4.22% increase, despite increased planned maintenance averaging 7 203MW since the start of the current financial year. This performance reflects sustained progress under Eskom’s turnaround strategy and represents a 1.13% improvement compared to the corresponding period two years ago.
Between 8 and 14 May 2026, average unplanned outages declined to 10 310MW, a reduction of 3 495MW compared to the 13 805MW recorded over the same period last year, contributing to a less constrained power grid.
Over the same period, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), which reflects unplanned outages, was 21.13%, representing a 7.98% reduction compared to the 29.11% recorded during the same period last year, thereby contributing to available capacity.
During the same period, Eskom’s Planned Capability Loss Factor (PCLF), which reflects planned maintenance, averaged 13.52%, higher than the 12.18% in the previous financial year and is aligned with Eskom’s efforts to ensure environmental compliance, improve reliability and support long‑term sustainability.
In addition, 2 535MW is currently in cold reserve due to excess capacity.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
