By Alister Bull.
Eskom said on Friday it had managed to keep the lights on in South Africa for 231 consecutive days, citing better maintenance of its plants.
The state-owned utility, whose turnaround after years of frequent power outages have helped improve the outlook for the South Africa’s economy, said it recorded only 26 hours of load shedding – as scheduled power cuts are locally known – in April and May 2025.
“Eskom’s power system remains stable and continues to meet electricity demand, supported by sustained and measurable improvements in generation performance,” it said in a statement on Friday.
“The Generation Recovery Plan is delivering clear results,” it added.
It said the energy availability factor (EAF) – a key metric in gauging the resilience of the electricity supply – was 69.1% in December 2025, compared with 56.6% in the same month a year ago, citing improved plant maintenance on the reduction in unplanned power cuts.
“The ongoing improvement in EAF has greatly reduced Eskom’s dependence on expensive diesel generation, enabling a stronger focus on more cost‑effective primary energy sources,” it said.
To maintain a stable power supply, Eskom said it will bring 5 585MW of generation capacity online ahead of the evening peak on 5 January, as South Africans begin to return from their traditional holiday break during which many businesses closed.