South Africa is set to mark 365 days without load-shedding this week, with the last significant bout of power cuts having been implemented on 15 May last year.
Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said the milestone reflects significant progress towards achieving a more stable electricity supply across the country.
Ramokgopa added that the government expects all provinces to overcome load reduction by March 2027.
“The Free State, the North West, and the Eastern Cape should be done with load reduction by the end of September. Mpumalanga, we’re confident, will follow by October, as well as Limpopo,” he said.
He noted, however, that KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng remain the biggest challenges.
“The two provinces giving us challenges are KZN and Gauteng. Part of the problem is that there are rent-seekers and markets that benefit from illegal connections,” Ramokgopa said.
The minister also confirmed the government’s plans to expand nuclear energy generation and implement a 20-year strategy for coal-fired power stations as part of South Africa’s long-term energy security plan.
VOC News
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