- Eskom says it met electricity demand throughout South Africa’s 2026 winter period.
- The utility has gone 476 consecutive days without load shedding.
- Diesel spending fell by R4.84 billion ($303 million), or 81.64%.
South Africa’s state-backed utility firm, Eskom, has revealed that it has gone 476 consecutive days without load shedding after fully meeting electricity demand throughout the 2026 winter period.
Eskom said in a media statement on Sunday that its improved generation performance helped it maintain electricity supply during the winter, while 6,888 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity was restored.
The utility also recorded an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 67.79%, its highest level since 2020.
Eskom said the results were consistent with “improved generation performance and substantially reduced reliance on costly emergency generation.”
The improvement comes after years of severe electricity shortages that forced Eskom to implement load shedding across South Africa. The utility has been working to improve the reliability of its generation fleet while reducing the use of emergency power sources.
Diesel costs fall during winter
In addition, Eskom said diesel spending fell by R4.84 billion ($303 million), representing an 81.64% reduction, as the utility reduced its reliance on diesel-fired open-cycle gas turbines.
Eskom said the lower diesel expenditure reflected the improved performance of its generation fleet and reduced need for emergency generation.
The utility’s open-cycle gas turbine load factors were 3.9% for Eskom-owned turbines and 3% for independent power producer turbines. Both were below the budget assumption of 5.8%.
Eskom restores generation capacity
Eskom said it restored 6,888MW of generation capacity as it improved the reliability of its fleet.
Eskom also said its improved generation performance helped reduce load reduction in areas where the electricity network remains constrained.
About 1.2 million customers have been removed from load reduction, while seven provinces are now free from the measure.
The utility said the improvement in its operational performance was also reflected in its financial results, including a profit after tax of R30.3 billion ($1.90 billion) in the 2026 financial year.
“The operational and financial outcomes are inseparable,” Eskom said. “Improved generation performance strengthens energy security and reduces reliance on expensive diesel-fired generation.”
The utility said the improvement has continued into the 2027 financial year. As of Aug. 27, diesel expenditure was 82.38% lower than in the previous year, while the load factor averaged 1.10%.
Eskom said the reduction in diesel use, improved generation availability and sustained period without load shedding were strengthening South Africa’s energy security and supporting economic growth.
