The Cape Town loadshedding schedule is expected to switch between Stages 3 and 5 on Saturday, 13 May 2023.
Cape Town loadshedding schedule for Saturday, 13 May 2023
On Friday, Eskom confirmed loadshedding would be reduced this weekend due to lower demand.
The embattled power utility revealed that “during the last 24 hours, a generating unit each at Hendrina, Kriel and Lethabo power stations have returned to service.”
“In the same period, a generation unit each at Kendal, Kriel, Medupi and Tutuka power stations were taken out of service due to breakdowns. In addition, the delay in returning units to service at Arnot, Kendal and Matla power stations continue to add to the current capacity constraints. The team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible,” Eskom explained in a statement.
Therefore, on Saturday, Stage 3 loadshedding will be in effect between 05:00 and 16:00, and thereafter increase to Stage 5 from 16:00 until 05:00 the next day.
Usually, residents and businesses connected to the City of Cape Town municipality’s grid are one or two stages lower than Eskom clients.
However, on Saturday, the Cape Town loadshedding schedule will follow Eskom’s outage timeline.
“We are doing all we can to protect you where possible, but non-stop loadshedding at high stages impacts our ability to protect,” the City wrote.
Here’s a look at the Cape Town loadshedding schedule for Saturday, 13 May 2023:
| Time | Cape Town | Eskom |
| 05:00 – 16:00 | Stage 3 | Stage 3 |
| 16:00 – 05:00 | Stage 5 | Stage 5 |
How to check your loadshedding schedule
In Cape Town, loadshedding is implemented rotationally in zones split between 23 areas.
Areas 1 – 16 follow the City of Cape Town’s loadshedding schedule, while Areas 17 – 23 adhere to Eskom’s national outage timetable.
To check the latest outage status, refer to the schedule for the loadshedding stage announced; dates indicated along the top (left to right), with the corresponding affected areas for that day and time slots (from top to bottom).
Here’s how City of Cape Town lowers loadshedding stages
The City of Cape Town has its Steenbras Pumped Storage Plant to thank for the delayed implementation of increased power cuts. The hydro-electric pumped power station is the first of its kind in Africa and in 2019, it was refurbished to provide auxiliary support when needed most.
Currently, the City of Cape Town is the only metro able to provide a semblance of relief to households impacted by loadshedding. Using the hydroelectric pumped power plant, residents connected to the City’s grid experience a lower stage of loadshedding, where possible.
Here’s how the Steenbras Pumped Storage plant works:
- Electricity generated during off-peak periods pumps water to an upper storage reservoir
- The down-flowing water is then used to power a generator
- Small hydro-generators like the one at Steenbras Dam mean that the City can sometimes avoid loadshedding or stay at a lower stage.