By Mapaballo Borotho
- Eskom reports a rise in electricity demand due to cold, wet and windy weather across South Africa.
- Despite this, the power system remains stable, supported by improved generation performance and reduced diesel use.
- However, illegal connections continue to pose risks, prompting ongoing load reduction in affected areas.
Eskom says it is experiencing increased electricity demand as cold, wet and windy weather sweeps across much of South Africa.
South Africans woke up to a blustery and rainy Saturday morning, following warnings of inclement weather conditions expected to persist across most parts of the country until Monday.
In a statement issued on Saturday, 18 April 2026, Eskom said it continues to provide a reliable and resilient electricity supply despite the slight increase in demand driven by cloudy and cold conditions.
The utility attributed this stability to improved generation performance, increased available capacity and reduced reliance on emergency generation.
Eskom added that its Generation Recovery Plan is yielding positive results, with the year-on-year Energy Availability Factor (EAF) increasing by 5.75% and diesel expenditure dropping by 89.76%.
While the power system remains stable and generation capacity exceeds demand, Eskom warned that illegal connections and meter tampering continue to pose serious risks, including infrastructure damage and safety hazards.
To mitigate these risks, the utility is continuing to implement load reduction in high-risk areas as a temporary measure to protect both communities and the electricity network.
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