- More than 1.1 million customers have been removed from load reduction, achieving 65.17% of Eskom’s national target.
- Five of South Africa’s nine provinces are now free from load reduction, with Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remaining the main focus areas.
- Eskom aims to eliminate load reduction in seven provinces by October 2026 and nationally by March 2027.
Eskom has removed more than one million customers from load reduction as part of its national programme to eliminate the practice, with five of South Africa’s nine provinces now free from load reduction.
The utility announced that 1 104 225 customers have been removed from load reduction schedules, representing 65.17% of its national eradication target. A total of 545 overloaded network feeders have also been removed from load reduction, with the remaining affected areas concentrated mainly in Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal.
The latest milestone follows the successful removal of load reduction in Mpumalanga, joining the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and North West as provinces where the programme has been completed.
Eskom remains on track to eliminate load reduction in seven provinces by October 2026, with national eradication targeted for March 2027.
The utility said the programme forms part of its broader strategy to improve operational and financial sustainability through investment in electricity distribution infrastructure, while reducing energy losses and modernising the power network.
According to Eskom, the initiative is improving supply reliability for households, schools, healthcare facilities, businesses and communities by strengthening the resilience of local electricity networks.
The utility also reiterated the distinction between load reduction and loadshedding. While South Africa has now recorded more than 413 consecutive days without loadshedding following significant improvements in generation performance and lower unplanned outages, load reduction was introduced to protect local electricity infrastructure from network overloading.
Eskom said overloaded networks have largely been driven by illegal electricity connections, electricity theft, meter tampering and rapid growth in demand that exceeded the design capacity of local distribution systems.
To address these challenges, the utility continues to invest in network upgrades, smart meter deployment, distributed energy resources, revenue protection initiatives and expanded Free Basic Electricity support, while working closely with municipalities and communities.
Junaid Munshi, Eskom Group Executive for Distribution, said removing more than one million customers from load reduction demonstrates that the programme is delivering measurable results.
He said the remaining areas, particularly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, will require sustained investment, continued infrastructure upgrades, deployment of new technologies and ongoing collaboration with communities and other stakeholders to address the underlying causes of network overloading.
Eskom emphasised that the long term success of the programme depends on cooperation between the utility, municipalities, government departments, traditional leaders, law enforcement agencies and local communities.
The utility has urged customers to report illegal electricity connections, electricity theft, meter tampering and damaged electricity infrastructure, while supporting smart meter installations and providing safe access for authorised technical teams.
Eskom said it remains committed to delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable electricity supply while ensuring that the benefits of an improved power system are experienced by all South Africans.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
