South African power utility Eskom announced a reduction in load shedding to stage 5 on Saturday, citing lower weekend demand and the return of generation units at Kendal and Lethabo power stations.
Eskom has warned that the grid remains unstable, and the reduction in load shedding is only temporary.
The power utility’s spokesperson, Menzi Mngomezulu, cautioned that further breakdowns could lead to a change in the load-shedding stage at short notice.
Eskom has struggled to keep up with electricity demand in recent months due to a combination of breakdowns, maintenance issues, and unplanned outages.
Delays in returning units to service at Kendal, Tutuka, and Medupi power stations have contributed to capacity constraints, and Eskom is working to bring these units back online as soon as possible.
Despite the reduction in load shedding, Eskom’s ongoing grid challenges mean that load shedding cannot be lifted entirely yet.