At least five of South Africa’s nine provinces are load reduction-free following the implementation of Eskom’s nationwide Load Reduction Eradication Programme.
Since the launch of the programme in September last year, some 1.1 million South Africans have been removed from load reduction schedules, representing some 65% of the power utility’s eradication target.
Provinces eliminated from load reduction are Mpumalanga, joining the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and North West, with national eradication targeted by March 2027.
“The achievement reflects Eskom’s broader strategy to pursue operational and financial sustainability by reducing energy losses and modernising the power system through targeted investment in strengthening distribution infrastructure.
“It also supports improved reliability and customer experience, while delivering tangible benefits to households, schools, clinics, businesses and communities through a more resilient and secure electricity network,” Eskom said in a statement.
Eskom Group Executive for Distribution Junaid Munshi added that the milestone is indicative of the power utility’s drive to transform “electricity service delivery across South Africa”.
“While significant progress has been made in improving generation performance and sustaining power system stability, we recognise that some communities continue to experience the impact of load reduction.
“Reaching the milestone of more than one million customers removed from load reduction demonstrates that the programme is delivering tangible results. However, the work is not complete.
“The remaining areas, particularly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, require sustained investment, continued infrastructure upgrades, the deployment of advanced technologies and ongoing collaboration with communities and stakeholders to address the root causes of network overloading,” Munshi said.
Load reduction is implemented by the power utility to protect infrastructure from overloading and destruction where there are illegal connections.
“Illegal connections, electricity theft, meter tampering and vandalism continue to place significant pressure on local electricity networks, increasing the risk of infrastructure damage, supply interruptions and safety incidents.
“Eskom, therefore, calls on all customers and community stakeholders to support efforts to protect electricity infrastructure and maintain reliable electricity supply,” the power utility said.
Community members are encouraged to:
- Report illegal connections, electricity theft and meter tampering.
- Report damaged or unsafe electricity infrastructure.
- Support smart meter installations and providing safe access to authorised Eskom technical teams.
- Promote the safe and legal use of electricity within communities.
“Customers are encouraged to report illegal connections and infrastructure damage to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 112 722 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.
“Eskom remains committed to delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable electricity supply while ensuring that the benefits of improved power system performance are progressively experienced by all South Africans,” Eskom said. – SAnews.gov.za
