Stage 2, stage 3, stage 4, and stage 5 load-shedding for the weekend — and a break

Eskom has provided an update on its reduction in power cuts on Thursday and revealed its schedule of varying load-shedding stages for the coming weekend.

The utility dropped load-shedding from stage 5 to stage 3 at 10:00 on Thursday.

It plans to increase load-shedding to stage 4 from 16:00 until 20:00 and then switch to stage 5 until 05:00 on Friday morning.

It previously anticipated stage 6 load-shedding for the latter period.

On Friday, it will implement stage 3 load-shedding from 05:00 until 16:00 and follow the same schedule as the day before — with stage 4 between 16:00 and 20:00 and stage 5 thereafter until 05:00 on the next day.

This load-shedding rotation will continue to be implemented on Saturday, before a break in the power cuts throughout most of the day on Sunday.

Thereafter, stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented between 16:00 and 20:00, and stage 4 from 20:00 onwards.

Eskom said the reduction from a rotation of stage 5 and stage 6 load-shedding was possible due to improved generating capacity and emergency generation reserves.

“Unplanned outages have reduced to 13,513MW of generating capacity, while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 6,596MW,” Eskom said.

“In the past 24 hours, 800MW capacity was returned to service and approximately 3,700MW of generating capacity is anticipated to return to service by Sunday evening.”

The higher stages of load-shedding will be implemented from 20:00 until 05:00 daily to manage the emergency reserves.

Eskom said it would closely monitor the power system and communicate any changes to load-shedding should it be required.

The table below summarises the load-shedding schedule for the next few days.

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