• Eskom says South Africa’s power system entered 2026 more stable
• Available capacity up 4,400 MW; fleet performance indicators improved
• Diesel savings reached 16 billion rand as turbine use declined

South African public utility Eskom announced on Monday, Jan. 12, that the national power system entered 2026 in a more stable and resilient state than in the past five years. The company attributed this improvement primarily to the success of the Generation Recovery Plan launched in April 2023.

South Africa currently has 4,400 MW of additional available capacity compared to the same period in 2025.

Beyond electrical capacity, this progress is reflected in the key performance indicators of the production fleet. The energy availability factor increased from 56.03% in April 2023 to 64.55% at the beginning of 2026. Unplanned losses have fallen sharply, while scheduled maintenance, after peaking at 12.76% in 2025, has decreased to 9.32%, approaching international standards.

This progression has also allowed for a reduction in the use of open-cycle gas turbines. This shift generated approximately 16 billion rand ($973 million) in diesel savings during the 2025 fiscal year.

These performance gains follow a period marked by a long power crisis that heavily impacted the national economy. According to FTI Consulting, load shedding, which appeared as early as 2007 according to several sources, has weighed lastingly on the South African economy, with a particularly severe impact in 2022 and 2023. In an analysis published in October 2025, the firm stated that power cuts hindered the productivity of companies and workers, fueling a cycle of slowing activity, employment, tax revenue, and investment.

FTI Consulting also noted that estimates compiled by Janse van Rensburg and Morema indicate load shedding may have reduced real GDP growth by 0.2 to 4.2 percentage points in 2022, depending on the methodologies used.

For Eskom and the entire country, the current situation is a real relief. However, this stabilization still relies heavily on the reliability of coal-fired power plants, which make up the bulk of the production fleet, while the country has committed to an energy transition.

In the medium and long term, this performance must be accompanied by an increase in renewable energy, a strengthening of the transmission network, and a progressive reduction in coal dependence. These steps are intended to durably consolidate the country's electricity supply security in accordance with climate commitments.

Abdoullah Diop