Several areas in Gauteng, including parts of Soweto, Meadowlands, Dobsonville and Diepkloof, were affected by multiple power outages on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, as Eskom continues to struggle with maintaining a steady supply of electricity amid increasing winter demand.
UPDATE: Electricity supply has been restored in Diepkloof Zones 1, 2, 3, 5 and Orlando East, eskom confirmed on Wednesday.
Eskom power outages: These Gauteng areas struck by rolling blackouts
In a statement, the power utility confirmed that technicians had been dispatched to Dobsonville Extensions 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 to assess a supply interruption.
No estimated time of restoration (ETR) has been provided. Similar outages were also reported in Meadowlands Zones 1 to 5, with the cause still under investigation.
Earlier in the day, a blackout impacted residents in Jabulani, Mofolo North (also known as Sgodiphola), and Zondi. Eskom later clarified that this outage was caused by multiple cable faults.
Repair crews were deployed, but as of publishing, there was still no confirmed ETR.
Cable faults, in simple terms, occur when the underground or overhead electrical cables that transport power to homes and businesses are damaged.
This could be due to wear and tear, vandalism, or bad weather. These faults must be fixed manually by jointers—technical specialists trained to restore these connections.
Meanwhile, Eskom reported a major issue at the Diepkloof Main substation, where the transformer had tripped due to overloading.
This affected electricity supply to Diepkloof Zones 1, 2, 3, 5, and parts of Orlando East. Eskom indicated that electricity should return by 22:00, once power demand in the area drops.
An overloaded transformer happens when too much electricity is being drawn through the system, usually from using heavy appliances like geysers and heaters all at once.
Eskom has urged residents to turn off high-energy appliances, especially during peak hours between 17:00 and 22:00, to avoid further strain.
“Overloaded transformers can cause serious damage or even explosions, putting lives and infrastructure at risk,” Eskom said.
Although electricity supply has been restored to Naledi and parts of Emdeni and Zola, these areas experienced lengthy blackouts earlier on Tuesday. Naledi’s power was restored by 23:00 on Monday, following extensive underground cable repairs.
The utility has also acknowledged growing pressure on the national grid due to unplanned breakdowns, which currently stand at 13 167 megawatts—above the 13 000MW warning limit set in Eskom’s winter forecast.
If unplanned breakdowns rise above 15 000MW, Eskom says it may be forced to implement Stage 2 loadshedding for as many as 21 days before the end of August.
Despite these issues, Eskom maintains that the national grid remains stable for now but continues to monitor the situation closely.