Eskom keeps the lights on for 231 straight days

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.

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“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.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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