Eskom published the weekend loadshedding schedule starting on Friday, 25 August 2023, which forecasts recurring evening shifts of Stage 3 outages.
UPDATE: On Sunday, 27 August 2023, Eskom suspended loadshedding from 02:10 until 16:00 due “to lower weekend demand and adequate emergency generation reserves.” See the updated loadshedding schedule below.
Weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 25 August 2023
On Monday, 21 August 2023, Eskom suspended loadshedding between 11:30 and 16:00 due to a significant recovery in generation capacity.
On Friday, 25 August 2023, rotational outages are expected to follow a pattern of Stage 1 loadshedding between 05:00 and 16:00, and Stage 3 in the evenings until further notice.
“The delay in returning to service a generating unit at Kendal, Matimba and Tutuka power stations is contributing to the current capacity constraints,” the power utility noted.
Here’s a look at the weekend loadshedding schedule starting Friday, 25 August 2023:
| Date | Morning Peak (05:00 – 16:00) | Evening Peak (16:00 – 05:00) |
| Friday 25 August 2023 | Stage 1 | Stage 3 |
| Saturday 26 August 2023 | No loadshedding | Stage 3 |
| Sunday 27 August 2023 | No loadshedding | Stage 3* |
Update on breakdowns and available capacity
On Monday, 14 August 2023, Eskom reported more than 16 054MW of generation capacity lost to breakdowns, with an additional 3 921MW offline due to several units placed out of commission for planned maintenance.
Since Friday, Eskom’s generation fleet lost a generating unit at Kendal, Matimba and Tutuka power stations.
Here is a snapshot of Eskom’s energy availability, observed from the evening peak period of Friday, 25 August 2023: