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Friday, 21 March 2025: Eskom confirms that loadshedding remains suspended. The power system remains constrained but stable and supported by the strategic utilisation of emergency reserves to meet demand, especially during peak periods, and where necessary. The Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), or unplanned outages, for the financial year-to-date, stands at 25.77%, improving from 32.39%...
Residents say Human Rights Day means little in their township
Residents of Social Distance informal settlement demand electricity supply
Thursday, 20 March 2025: Eskom is actively working with defaulting Free State municipalities to resolve outstanding debt following an intervention by the Minister of Electricity and Energy (MoEE), Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, on 17 February 2025. The initiative seeks to develop sustainable solutions for municipalities facing electricity-related financial difficulties. During a meeting in Bloemfontein, Minister Ramokgopa...
Thursday, 20 March 2025: Eskom confirms that loadshedding was suspended at 05:00 this morning supported by a constrained but stable power system and adequate emergency reserves. Eskom had sufficient emergency reserves for last night’s evening peak. However, the loss of five generating units before and during this period necessitated the implementation of Stage 2 loadshedding...
Thursday, 20 March 2025: Eskom welcomes the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (NERSA) approval to amend its distribution facility licence, incorporating the Warden and Ezenzeleni areas, into its licensed electricity supply areas in the Free State. This follows the Phumelela Local Municipality’s resolution to transfer electricity services and infrastructure in these areas to Eskom...
Troubling questions for Booi Brothers about their exploration in Vhurivhuri
Wednesday, 19 March 2025: Eskom welcomes the 11 March 2025 decision by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to approve the Financial Year (FY) 2026 Eskom tariffs adjusted with the 2025/26 tariff increase and changes to the tariff structures. The tariffs for Eskom direct customers will increase by 12.74% effective on 1 April...
Employees were robbed at gunpoint in Makhaza
Alleged Eskom fraudster Michael Lomas granted R2 million bail
Eskom fraud and corruption accused Michael Lomas, has been granted R2 million bail by the Johannesburg High Court.
Lomas appeared in court on Monday and is facing charges in relation to a R745 million payment made by Eskom to Tubular Construction Project.
The company was involved in the construction of Kusile Power Station, in Mpumalanga, where millions of rands were allegedly paid to Eskom officials in illegal gratuities for the awarding of lucrative contracts.
The British businessman, a former contractor for power utility Eskom, was extradited from the United Kingdom in September 2024 to face 65 counts of corruption
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Henry Mamothame, said Lomas’ bail was granted under "stringent conditions".
The court ordered that his United Kingdom passport and his South African Identity Document be surrendered to the investigating officer.
“[Lomas is] barred from applying for travel documents, reside at a care home where he will be provided with the necessary assistance, details of the home to be provided to the investing officer, source a smartphone with location monitoring facility to be monitored by the investigating officer and should not leave the Gauteng jurisdiction without informing the investigating officer,” Mathomane said.
Lomas has been indicted with 11 co-accused in the case, including Eskom’s former senior manager for capital contracts, France Hlakudi, former Eskom group executive for group capital Abram Masango, Tubular Construction Projects’ former chief executive, Antonio Trindade, and businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana.
The trial is expected to commence in July 2026. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 03/18/2025 - 08:05
359 views
Mining companies could fulfil their social obligations by investing in these projects
Saturday, 15 March 2025: The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) Energy Safety and Security Priority Committee, in collaboration with Eskom, continues to make strides in combating corruption and theft within Eskom’s operations. Over the last two days, six individuals were arrested for their involvement in a fraudulent procurement scheme at Kusile Power Station....
Friday, 14 March 2025: Eskom confirms that loadshedding remains suspended, supported by a stable power system and adequate emergency reserves. As of today, unplanned outages are significantly reduced to 13 469MW compared to the previous week, while available generation capacity is 27 231MW, sufficient to meet tonight’s forecasted peak demand of 25 193MW. Eskom continues...
Africa Tech Festival (www.AfricaTechFestival.com), the continent's leading platform for technology innovation and connectivity, is proud to announce the esteemed members of its Leadership Council for 2025. Comprising influential leaders from across Africa's technology, business, and investment sectors, the Leadership Council will play a pivotal role in shaping the festival's agenda, ensuring it remains at the forefront of industry trends, policy discussions, and digital transformation.
The Africa Tech Festival 2025 Leadership Council comprises of:
Bringing together a wealth of expertise, the Leadership Council will provide strategic guidance to ensure Africa Tech Festival continues to address the most pressing issues and opportunities within Africa's digital economy. Their insights will help drive meaningful discussions on connectivity, AI, fintech, cybersecurity, cloud, and the future of digital infrastructure across Africa.
“Africa Tech Festival serves as a platform for connection, collaboration, and innovation across the continent,” said James Williams, Event Director of Africa Tech Festival. “With the guidance of our Leadership Council, we will continue to curate an event that drives impactful conversations, supports industry growth, and fosters Africa's position as a global technology leader.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
Media Contact:
Tori Wilson
Senior Marketing Manager
tori.wilson@informa.com
About Africa Tech Festival 2025:
Now in its 28th edition, Africa Tech Festival 2025 will take place from 11 to 13 November 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), bringing together over 15,000 technology leaders, policymakers, investors, startups, and visionaries. The festival encompasses four anchor events:
With over 500 speakers, 300 exhibitors, and multiple networking opportunities, Africa Tech Festival remains the largest and most influential tech event on the continent.
For more information about Africa Tech Festival 2025 and its Leadership Council, visit www.AfricaTechFestival.com.
Wednesday, 12 March 2025: South African young scientists are set to showcase their innovative research on the global stage, competing in the environmental science and computer science categories at this year’s International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia (I-FEST²). Eskom Expo International Science Fair 2024 Gold medal recipients, Hamzah Ismail and Vibhav Ramdas,...
Operation Shanela nets more than 14 000 suspects
Through its high-density operation, commonly known as Operation Shanela, the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested 14 165 suspects between Monday, 03 March 2025, and Sunday, 09 March 2025.
“Through Operation Shanela, the SAPS continues to take a bold and decisive approach in dealing with crime in the country. These crime fighting activities include tracking operations, roadblocks, high visibility patrols, stop and searches as well as tracing of wanted suspects,” the SAPS said in a statement.
All Shanela operations are led by the Provincial Commissioner of each province.
During the period, the following arrests were made:
Under recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes:
On Friday, 07 March 2025, the National Commissioner for SAPS, General Fannie Masemola presided over a drug destruction process in which R340 million worth of drugs were destroyed, this included cocaine worth R220 million seized during police operations.
General Masemola commended the vigilance and commitment of the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) and Crime Intelligence officers in the Western Cape following the arrest of two suspects at a storage facility in Bellville, Cape Town.
The arrest of the duo, a man and a woman, followed the discovery of 50 000 mandrax tablets and an arms cache including three AK47 rifles and twelve 9mm pistols amongst other firearms
Also, a shipment of cocaine worth R6 million was detected and seized at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, 04 March 2025. The drugs were concealed in boxes disguised as hair products.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the shipment was en route to France from Brazil via South Africa.
Police arrested a 37-year-old suspect for theft and tampering with essential infrastructure; the suspect illegally connected electricity. The team also seized 41 Eskom transformers worth millions in lost revenue during multiple operations carried out in Winterveldt, Erasmia and Diepsloot, last week.
“The police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country,” the police said. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Tue, 03/11/2025 - 14:37
49 views
Monday, 10 March 2025: Eskom is pleased to announce that on Sunday, 9 March, at 18:17, Koeberg Unit 2 was successfully brought back to service. The unit has been incrementally ramped up to 646MW and will continue to increase its output until it reaches its full capacity of 930MW, in accordance with established operational protocols....
Minister Ramokgopa to engage North West on electricity challenges
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, will lead an intergovernmental engagement with all municipalities in the North West province do discuss electricity challenges and introduce effective interventions.
He will be joined by Premier of the North West, Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi, during Monday’s meeting.
This initiative follows the Minister’s recent engagements with municipalities in Limpopo and the Free State, where similar discussions were held to address municipal electricity issues.
“This effort is in line with the seventh administration’s commitment to fostering a functional local government capable of fulfilling its obligations through a coordinated effort involving all three spheres of government.
“Several municipalities are currently under Section 139 intervention, necessitating oversight from the Provincial Executive. This situation stems from longstanding municipal debts, including both arrears and current accounts owed to Eskom for electricity distribution.
“An integrated approach is essential for developing a sustainable intervention plan that focuses on medium to long-term solutions. Some strategies may require financial reconfiguration, particularly in light of the country’s ongoing fiscal consolidation efforts,” a joint statement by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy and the North West provincial government said.
The outcomes of the meeting aim to formulate collaboration, which will ensure that municipalities can meet their financial obligations to Eskom and ensure reliable electricity access to all. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sun, 03/09/2025 - 15:10
18 views
Eskom focuses on bringing new capacity onto the grid
Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, has reiterated the power utility’s commitment to bolstering electricity generation as it focuses on bringing new capacity online and completing its maintenance.
This comes after Eskom announced the implementation of Stage 3 loadshedding from Friday until Monday due to unplanned losses and to replenish emergency reserves over the weekend while high levels of planned maintenance continued.
“Our focus remains on bringing new capacity. Kusile unit 6 is going through its last stages of commissioning and we expect it to be synchronised to the grid by 18 March. We should have at the end of March and April Medupi unit 4 also synchronised
“It is the combination of maintained units and the new capacity that will essentially form the backbone of our entry into the winter period and the winter period plans to be announced at the end of March,” Marokane said on Saturday in Pretoria during a media briefing.
Eskom is currently executing its maintenance plans ahead of the winter season to ensure a more stable electricity supply and reduce the risk of loadshedding.
“We will see that path starting to taper as we go into the end of March and April. The one issue that requires our attention is the clinical finish in the execution of the maintenance. As we return units back from maintenance they need to come in and stay online.
“In the last week, whilst we have done the maintenance, a number of units slipped in terms of their due dates of returning from the outages. We saw slippages of about 1500MW that are adding to the unplanned unavailability,” he said.
The unplanned slippages happened in conjunction with big units such as Koeberg being off the grid for more than a week.
“We also experienced sub optimal coaling activity due to the intense weather conditions in the vicinity of Kusile from Thursday evening into Friday. It is on the back of this that our attention is really shifting towards getting back the tight discipline of executing our maintenance and getting the return and reliability of the units from the maintenance window to be such that we do not have this massive slippages adding pain to us,” Marokane said.
Eskom saw the unplanned capability loss factor rising from around 15 000MW in the middle of the week and on Friday it was at 18 000MW. This is what triggered the implementation of stage 3 loadshedding on Friday.
“Since than we returned 3 200MW by Saturday morning so quite a number of units came back, including two units at Kusile which returned last night at 10pm and this morning further units came back to give us the reduction in the unplanned losses.
“We are now sitting at about 4 500MW, on Sunday, we expect about 750MW capacity to come back. The remaining 2 800MW is expected to be returned by Monday morning. This will include the return of Koeberg unit 2 that has been on breakdown since last Sunday. Our plan is to finish the maintenance, get value of out of it and ensure that slippages do not occur,” the CEO said. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 14:06
105 views
Friday, 07 March 2025: Eskom has announced that Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from today at 14:00 until Monday, 10 March 2025 at 05:00. This decision comes after a loss of 2700MW in the past 14 hours. This includes Koeberg Unit 2, which was taken offline after being brought back on Wednesday, and two...
The Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy was briefed by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on the reasons for its decision on Eskom's Multi-Year Price Determination 6 (MYPD6) Revenue Application.
Briefing the committee, NERSA outlined the rationale behind its decisions, emphasising the need to balance Eskom's financial sustainability with the economic pressures facing consumers. The presentation highlighted that Eskom originally requested a staggering 57% increase in tariffs over three years. However, after thorough evaluations and consultations, NERSA approved a significantly reduced increase of 24.3%.
NERSA said it considered its decision within the broader context of ensuring affordability for consumers while enabling Eskom to address its operational challenges effectively.
The committee expressed significant concerns about the implications of tariff increases on consumers and the broader economy. Members highlighted the historical pattern of tariff hikes and their adverse effects on economic activity, seeking clarification on how NERSA plans to ensure that future increases do not unduly burden vulnerable households and small businesses.
Additionally, there were worries that the tariff increases might stem from mismanagement at Eskom. Some committee members voiced scepticism about Eskom's ability to effectively utilise the funds generated from these increases, pointing to past inefficiencies and corruption. In response, NERSA explained that the approved increases are contingent upon Eskom meeting specific performance targets and operational efficiency benchmarks. The regulator assured the committee that it would closely monitor Eskom's financial management and operational practices to ensure that any additional revenue is directed towards improving service delivery and reducing load shedding.
The energy regulator emphasised its commitment to conducting thorough economic impact assessments prior to approving any tariff adjustments. NERSA noted that the approved increases were based on careful consideration of operational costs, maintenance needs and performance targets for Eskom. Additionally, NERSA recognised the necessity for enhanced accountability and oversight, reaffirming its intention to monitor Eskom's compliance with established performance standards diligently.
Another significant question raised by the committee involved the integration of independent power producers (IPPs) into the energy landscape and how this would affect future pricing. Members expressed concerns about the potential costs associated with integrating renewable energy sources and whether these costs would be passed on to consumers. NERSA assured the committee that while IPPs will contribute to diversifying the energy mix, careful planning and regulation will be essential to manage costs effectively.
Committee members inquired whether NERSA is considering any changes to the existing regulatory framework to better address Eskom's challenges and those of the energy sector as a whole. In response, NERSA said the evolving landscape of the energy market, continuous policy review will be required. Furthermore, NERSA stressed that any amendments would only be made after careful consideration of the long-term implications for both Eskom and consumers.
The discussion also touched on the issue of the gas/coal problem, particularly with regard to the integration of gas as a transitional fuel in South Africa's energy mix. Committee members raised questions about the implications of relying on gas while also managing coal dependencies. NERSA recognised the complexity of this issue, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to energy generation that considers both environmental sustainability and economic viability.
Regarding the negotiated pricing agreements between Eskom and large industrial users, committee members questioned the fairness of these agreements in the context of rising tariffs for ordinary consumers. The energy regulator reiterated that such agreements are governed by the electricity pricing policy and said that it will continue to review these contracts to ensure they align with South Africa's broader economic goals.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
SA needs R440 billion for transmission development
South Africa requires upwards of R440 billion in the next 10 years to expand its transmission infrastructure, says Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
Addressing the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town on Tuesday, the Minister said the country’s transmission development plans have identified the need to modernise and expand the grid for 14 000 kilometres in the next 10 years.
“This is going to require an enormous amount of investment. The fiscus won’t be able to carry that. The Eskom balance sheet is not sufficient, so it is important to find bespoke financing instruments to make this possible,” the Minister said.
He called on financial actors to actively take steps to significantly lower the cost of borrowing for the investment of the continent’s development, climate resilience and clean energy transition initiatives.
“We expect the increase in electricity trade volumes to grow by about 300% by 2040 and by that time, the projection is that Africa’s population will be at about two billion people from the current 1.5 billion. For us to be able to achieve this level of ambition, there are huge investments that are required.
“One of the studies done by some of the... organisations suggests that Africa will need upwards of R2.6 trillion in investments in the energy sector by 2040. The pool of financing is enormous. Even if you had to consolidate the balance sheet of the continent, I don’t think we are going to get anywhere near raising this money.
“That is why it is important that we are able to design a financing instrument for us to be able to achieve this level of ambition,” Ramokgopa said.
He expressed support for a single electricity market on the continent, as advocated for by the the African Union's Agenda 2063.
“We think that the ambitions of achieving a single electricity market on the continent is not far-fetched .For us to have universal access by 2063, as advocated for in Agenda 2063, which makes a point that we can achieve that through regional integration… there has to be significant investment on interconnectivity,” the Minister said.
With South Africa hosting the Group of Twenty (G20) Presidency, Ramokgopa outlined the G20 technical energy group priorities, which include energy security and forging reliable and affordable access; achieving just, affordable and inclusive energy transitions, as well as African connectivity and energy pools.
These priorities were canvassed through the platform of the African Union.
According to Ramokgopa, 43% of the total population in Africa does not have access to electricity.
“This is a big issue. Before you can talk about transitioning, people need to have access to whatever form of electricity, irrespective of the fuel sources.
“As a country and the continent, we bear the responsibility to ensure that we are able to provide this access in a manner that doesn’t degrade the environment and keep to our obligations to ensure that we reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, although we contribute less than 2.5% of the CO2 emissions. Going into the future, gas will still be part of the mix on the continent,” the Minister said.
Focus on just transition
South Africa’s G20 Presidency will elevate the issue of just, affordable and inclusive energy transitions.
“That is important because we are of the opinion that there is no single transition. Any transition should take into account the unique circumstances of individual countries, and the pace and scale that they can afford.
“We will be meeting with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and are hoping that the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) will be release to the public soon. The plan will explain how we see the transitions unfold in the country,” Ramokgopa said.
South Africa's G20 Presidency is the fourth consecutive emerging market Presidency, and it is also the first African Presidency.
It commenced on 1 December 2024 and all engagements are being held under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”.
The year-long deliberations will culminate in a G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2025.
The G20 was established to tackle pressing global economic and financial issues. Together, G20 members account for around 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade.
It comprises 19 countries and two regional bodies, namely the European Union and the African Union.
The grouping plays a critical role in influencing global policy making and fostering global economic stability. - SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 03/05/2025 - 12:03
108 views
Tuesday, 04 March 2025: Eskom, in collaboration with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) Energy Safety and Security Priority Committee, continues to combat corruption and theft within its operations. The ongoing efforts have resulted in a series of arrests, with the financial impact of these crimes totalling R1.09 million. To date, R873,000 has...
Sunday, 02 March 2025 – Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station experienced an unplanned, non-technical trip while operating at full capacity. Koeberg Unit 2 inadvertently tripped during the execution of work on Unit 1, which is currently offline for work to be conducted as part of its Long-Term Operation (LTO) program. Unit 2...