Eskom – Sustained Improvement

Friday, 06 March 2026: Eskom’s generation fleet continues to show sustained improvement, with the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) remaining above 65% mark, currently at 65.31% for the financial year to date (1 April 2025 to 05 March 2026). This upward momentum reflects ongoing progress in restoring power station reliability, reinforcing system stability, and advancing Eskom’s operational recovery. The generation fleet has also achieved or exceeded the 70% EAF milestone on 78 occasions this financial year (unaudited), reflecting sustained operational gains.

These tangible results are driven by the disciplined execution of the Generation Recovery Plan, which continues to deliver measurable, year‑on‑year improvements across the fleet, achieving a more reliable electricity supply for South Africans.

Between 27 February and 5 March 2026, average unplanned outages recorded at 8 146MW show a notable improvement from the 15 275MW experienced during the same week last year, a reduction of 7 129MW, equivalent to a 46.7% decrease.

Over the same period, the Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), reflecting unplanned outages, was at 16.89%, representing a reduction of 14.95% compared to the 31.85% recorded during the same period last year.

During the same period, Eskom’s Planned Capacity Loss Factor (PCLF), reflecting planned maintenance, was at an average of 13.08%, an increase from 11.14% in the previous financial year.

In addition, 5 636MW is currently in cold reserve due to excess capacity.

Over the past week, diesel usage contributed 0.86GWh of electricity to the grid at a cost of R5.17 million, resulting in a weekly load factor of 0.15% (pending invoice finalisation at month-end close). For the financial year to date (1 April 2025 to 5 March 2026), diesel expenditure is R7.86 billion lower than during the same period last year, a 55.43% reduction year-on-year. This substantial decrease reflects significant cost savings and continued improvements in operational performance driven by Eskom’s turnaround initiatives.

The use of diesel resulted from the dispatching of the independent power producers (IPP) Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) units in line with existing take‑or‑pay contractual obligations with the two IPPs. These agreements were concluded during a period of severe supply constraints to secure guaranteed minimum average usage levels every six months. Under these contracts, Eskom is required to pay for the committed capacity whether it is utilised or not.

Accordingly, diesel usage over the next few weeks may primarily reflect the fulfilment of these contractual obligations. As system performance continues to improve and the EAF strengthens, Eskom’s operational focus remains on utilising the most cost-effective primary energy sources, while responsibly managing legacy contractual commitments and maintaining grid stability.

Year‑to‑date, diesel expenditure remains consistently below budget and is expected to remain below budget through to the end of the financial year.

South Africa has now experienced 294 consecutive days without an interruption in supply, with only 26 hours of loadshedding recorded in April and May 2025, during this financial year.

To further ensure a stable electricity supply, Eskom will bring 1 575MW of generation capacity online ahead of the evening peak on Monday, 9 March 2026. Evening peak demand is forecast at 23 807MW, with 29 048MW of available capacity, providing a healthy reserve margin above current demand.

Eskom published the Summer Outlook on 5 September 2025, covering the period 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2026, which projects no loadshedding due to sustained improvements in plant performance from the Generation Recovery Plan.

Key Performance Highlights

• For the financial year to date, the UCLF decreased to 22.9%, reflecting a week-on-week improvement of 0.11% and remaining well below last year’s 25.61%.

• For the financial year to date, planned maintenance was at an average of 5 353MW, accounting for 11.38% of total generation capacity, more than last week’s 11.34% and lower than the 12.66% over the same period last year.

• Between 1 April 2025 and 5 March 2026, Eskom generated 1 065.15 GWh from OCGT plants at a diesel cost of R6.322 billion. This is significantly lower than the 2 372.78 GWh generated during the same period last year (1 April 2024 to 5 March 2025), which resulted in costs of R14.185 billion. Notably, diesel usage has declined consistently month-on-month since May 2025, and the month-to-date load factor stands at 0.21%.

• The year-to-date OCGT load factor has further decreased to 3.82%, reflecting a 0.09% improvement from the previous week. This is lower than the 8.52% recorded during the same period last year and remains below the set target.

Progress in ending load reduction: 199 160 customers no longer affected during peak periods.

Although the power system remains stable and generation capacity continues to exceed demand, illegal connections and meter tampering persist, causing infrastructure damage and posing serious safety risks. In response, Eskom continues to implement load reduction as a temporary measure in high-risk areas to protect both communities and the electricity network.

To address these challenges sustainably, Eskom has launched a phased programme to eliminate load reduction by 2027. The programme targets 971 feeders and will benefit approximately 1.69 million customers across all provinces, out of Eskom’s total customer base of 7.2 million. Key interventions include the rollout of smart meters, the integration of Distributed Energy Resources, and the expansion of Free Basic Electricity support. These measures will be accompanied by targeted customer education initiatives.

Progress on key interventions

• Smart Meter Rollout:

To date, Eskom has installed 426 176 smart meters nationwide, of which 155 874 (about 37%) have been deployed on load reduction feeders. These installations empower customers with greater visibility and control over their electricity consumption, support accurate billing, and significantly enhance the overall user experience.

Of the 155 874 smart meters installed on load reduction feeders, approximately 90% are concentrated in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu‑Natal, where network risk is highest.

The phased programme to eliminate load reduction programme targets the installation of 577 347 smart meters on load reduction feeders by March 2026, with full rollout on these feeders planned for completion in 2027. Current implementation represents approximately 27% of the total end‑state target.

The rollout is deliberately focused on high-loss areas affected by illegal connections, meter bypassing, overloaded infrastructure and widespread electricity theft. Eskom has undertaken extensive community and stakeholder engagement through ward councillors, public meetings, radio platforms and social media to support the implementation of the programme.

Despite these efforts, installation teams continue to face persistent resistance, including intimidation, violent incidents and repeated work stoppages. These disruptions have led to deployment delays, the redeployment of teams, and heightened safety risks for Eskom employees and contractors.

As a result, approximately 122 000 planned meter conversions have been delayed to-date, undermining the stability and predictability of the rollout programme.

• Feeders Removed from Load Reduction:

The total number of feeders removed from load reduction is 151. This includes:

• 16 feeders in Limpopo and Mpumalanga (46% of the target of 37),
  • 40 in Gauteng (32% of the target of 126),
  • 9 in the Eastern and Western Cape (60% of the target of 15),
  • 83 in Free State and KwaZulu-Natal (88% of the target of 94),
  • 3 in the North West and Northern Cape (33% of the target of 9).

Nationally, the 151 feeders removed represent about 56% of the overall year-end target of 271 feeders to be removed from load reduction by March 2026.

• Customers benefiting from the elimination of the load reduction programme

With the feeders removed from load reduction to date, an estimated 199 160 customers are now benefiting, comprising 35 149 in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, 49 922 in Gauteng, 10 788 in the Eastern and Western Cape, 92 109 in KwaZulu-Natal and Free State and 11 192 in the North West and Northern Cape. The remaining customers still due for load‑reduction removal by financial year‑end are 199 187 in both Limpopo and Mpumalanga, 95 560 in Gauteng, 14 714 in both Eastern and Western Cape, 35 737 in the Free State and KwaZulu‑Natal, and 32 989 in the Northern Cape and North West provinces.

Overall, 378 187 customers, representing 65.50% of the 577 347 target, still need to be removed from load reduction by March 2026.

• Free Basic Electricity (FBE):

Nationally, registrations remain at 568 375 customers. The FBE beneficiaries figure fluctuates monthly, and the average for this financial year remains at 581 495 beneficiaries.The 568 375 figure reflects a 17.19% increase from the baseline of 485 000 customers and represents 27% of the 2.1 million eligible customers.

Eskom is harnessing technology, upgrading infrastructure, and partnering with communities to ensure a safer, smarter, and more reliable power network for South Africa.

Eskom calls on communities to report illegal connections, use electricity responsibly, and protect infrastructure. Any illegal activity affecting Eskom’s infrastructure can be reported to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.

Eskom data sources

The Eskom data portal provides a 24/7 365 snapshot of system performance. [Eskom Data Portal].

Since May 2024, Eskom has released a detailed power system update every Friday, providing a consolidated view of key areas of its generation performance through the Media Desk and across its social media platforms. This is a deliberate effort to improve transparency.

Eskom will provide its next update on Friday, 13 March 2026, or communicate any significant developments as they occur.

Courtesy of Eskom

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