During a panel discussion at the Enlit Africa Power conference in Cape Town, Eskom’s chief executive for transmission, Segomoco Scheppers, emphasized that despite high levels of load shedding, South Africa is not edging closer to an electricity blackout. Scheppers reiterated that power utilities globally have strategies to manage such situations.
Calib Cassim, Eskom’s acting CEO, expressed confidence in avoiding a complete blackout. Scheppers clarified that the misconception linking load-shedding stages to an imminent blackout lacked logical reasoning.
He highlighted that Eskom maintains control over balancing electricity demand and assured that even during stage 6 or stage 8 load shedding, the risk of a blackout remains consistent.
Eskom further assured that in the unlikely event of a blackout, contingency measures are in place to recover the country’s electricity system.