Pretoria: At least five of South Africa's nine provinces are now free from load reduction schedules, following the implementation of Eskom's nationwide Load Reduction Eradication Programme. This development marks significant progress in Eskom's efforts to stabilize the country's electricity supply.
According to South African Government News Agency, since the launch of the programme in September last year, approximately 1.1 million South Africans have been removed from load reduction schedules. This represents about 65% of the power utility's eradication target. The provinces that are no longer subject to load reduction include Mpumalanga, which joins the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, and North West. Eskom aims to achieve national eradication of load reduction by March 2027.
The achievement is part of Eskom's broader strategy to pursue operational and financial sustainability by reducing energy losses and modernizing the power system. The power utility plans to achieve this through targeted investment in strengthening distribution infrastructure. Eskom stated that this initiative supports improved reliability and customer experience, offering tangible benefits to households, schools, clinics, businesses, and communities through a more resilient and secure electricity network.
Eskom Group Executive for Distribution, Junaid Munshi, highlighted that this milestone reflects the power utility's commitment to transforming electricity service delivery across South Africa. While noting significant progress in improving generation performance and maintaining power system stability, Munshi acknowledged that some communities still experience the impact of load reduction. He emphasized the need for sustained investment and infrastructure upgrades, particularly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, along with the deployment of advanced technologies and ongoing collaboration with communities and stakeholders to address the root causes of network overloading.
Load reduction is a measure implemented by Eskom to protect infrastructure from overloading and damage due to illegal connections. Illegal connections, electricity theft, meter tampering, and vandalism continue to pose significant challenges to local electricity networks, increasing the risk of infrastructure damage, supply interruptions, and safety incidents. Eskom calls on all customers and community stakeholders to support efforts to protect electricity infrastructure and maintain a reliable electricity supply.
Community members are encouraged to report illegal connections, electricity theft, and meter tampering, as well as any damaged or unsafe electricity infrastructure. Eskom also urges support for smart meter installations and providing safe access to authorized Eskom technical teams, promoting the safe and legal use of electricity within communities.
Customers are encouraged to report illegal connections and infrastructure damage to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323. Eskom remains committed to delivering a safe, reliable, and sustainable electricity supply while ensuring that the benefits of improved power system performance are progressively experienced by all South Africans.
