Eskom has confirmed the return of loadshedding this weekend due to unexpected unit failures and depleted reserves.
UPDATE: Eskom released a statement on Tuesday evening (25 February 2025) confirming that loadshedding will be suspended at 05:00 on Wednesday due to “the successful recovery of generation capacity and significant progress in replenishing emergency reserves.“ The schedule has been updated below.
| Date | 00:00 – 16:00 | 16:00 – 17:30 | 17:30 – 22:00 | 22:00 – 00:00 |
| Monday 24 Feb 25 | Stage 4 | Stage 4 | Stage 4 | Stage 4 |
| Tuesday 25 Feb 25 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | Stage 2 |
| Wednesday 26 Feb 25 | Suspended* | Suspended | Suspended | Suspended |
Eskom loadshedding: What’s the state of the power system in February 2025?
Eskom’s power grid remains highly unstable in February 2025, despite recent claims of improved performance and extended periods without loadshedding.
After boasting about 99% electricity availability and billions in fuel savings, Eskom unexpectedly implemented Stage 3 loadshedding on Saturday. 22 February 2025, citing a “temporary setback.”
The sudden power cuts point to ongoing breakdowns at key power stations and whether Eskom’s progress in stabilising the grid is as significant as previously stated.
Industry experts have long issued warnings that Eskom’s system remains fragile, with unplanned breakdowns still averaging over 12,000MW—well above the benchmark needed for a stable supply. While emergency reserves have been replenished, the power utility continues to rely on peaking stations to avoid severe blackouts.
With scheduled maintenance ongoing at major plants, the risk of further loadshedding remains a persistent challenge. Eskom has promised an update on the situation, but for now, rolling blackouts are expected to remain in place until further notice.
Reporting on the loadshedding situation earlier this month
Speaking before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy on Friday, Morakane stated that two major power units broke down earlier this week, forcing the utility to rely on its emergency reserves to keep the grid stable.
While Eskom is working to restore these units, the risk of power cuts remains high, and the power utility has warned South Africans to be prepared for possible outages at short notice.
“This is a potentially temporary setback. Loadshedding is largely behind us due to the structural improvements in our generation fleet. However, over the past seven days, we have experienced several breakdowns that require extended repair times. This has necessitated the use of all our emergency reserves, which now need to be replenished. Consequently, we are closely monitoring the status of our current emergency reserves, and loadshedding up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend,” Morakane confirmed.
Eskom is expected to provide a formal system update in its weekly Power Alert later today, which will confirm whether loadshedding will be implemented and at what stage.
This development comes after energy analysts had previously warned that loadshedding would return in early 2025, despite Eskom dismissing these concerns at the start of the year.
Eskom electricity prices expected to increase in April 2025
Adding to consumer concerns, NERSA has approved a three-year electricity tariff hike that will see Eskom customers paying significantly more for power from April 2025.
According to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s decision, electricity prices will rise by:
- 12.74% in 2025
- 5.36% in 2026
- 6.19% in 2027
These increases come despite Eskom initially requesting a 36.15% tariff hike for 2025 alone. While the regulator reduced Eskom’s proposed increase, the approved hikes will still place a further strain on households already battling rising living costs.
NERSA stated that the price adjustments aim to balance Eskom’s financial needs with consumer affordability, noting that over 1,200 public objections were submitted before the final decision.
Loadshedding schedule for February 2025
Eskom has yet to confirm a detailed loadshedding schedule for February, as power cuts will only be implemented if system conditions worsen.
If loadshedding does return, the utility will provide an official schedule through its Power Alert system.
South Africa follows a staged loadshedding system, which determines the severity of power cuts:
- Stage 1: Up to 1,000MW cut from the grid, resulting in short, infrequent outages.
- Stage 2: Up to 2,000MW cut, leading to longer, more frequent outages.
- Stage 3 to Stage 6: Increasingly severe power cuts, lasting up to four hours at a time.
- Stage 7 and Stage 8: The worst-case scenario, where 50% of the country is without power at any given time.
South Africans are advised to monitor Eskom’s official channels for real-time updates, as the next 48 hours will determine whether the grid remains stable or if power cuts will be enforced.
