Johannesburg – South Africa has reached an impressive achievement not seen in eight years: a full year without any load-shedding.

At 00:01 on Saturday, 16 May 2026, Eskom announced that the country had successfully maintained 365 uninterrupted days of electricity supply, a milestone last achieved in September 2018.

The utility celebrated this milestone as a significant transition from an unstable grid to a reliable and efficiently functioning power system.

Eskom Board Chairman Mteto Nyati credited the success to the generation recovery plan launched in 2023, pointing out how employees applied years of technical knowledge to secure this reliability.

“South Africa now has a reliable electricity framework that supports an orderly transformation of the industry,” said Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane, underscoring that no energy market liberalization has succeeded without a trustworthy incumbent.

Operational data shows ongoing improvements.

The Energy Availability Factor climbed from 54.56% to 65.16% from 2023 to 2026, while unplanned outages decreased from 32.34% to 22.88%.

Diesel expenses plummeted from R33.3 billion to R6.4 billion, indicating reduced dependence on emergency generation.

This consistent supply has led to savings of R26.9 billion in diesel costs over three years and enabled Eskom to fulfill 100% of the national electricity demand.

Group Executive for Generation Bheki Nxumalo noted that employee morale is currently at an all-time high, attributed to consistent maintenance and enhanced reliability across the fleet.

“Today signifies the most hard-earned advancement in Eskom’s recent history,” he expressed.

The reliable supply has supported energy-intensive industries, particularly ferrochrome producers, assisting in maintaining operations and protecting jobs.

It has also allowed for greater integration of renewable energy during peak demand periods, improving system adaptability.

Financially, Eskom reported a 2.1% year-on-year growth in pre-tax profit and a 1.6% rise in EBITDA for FY2026, while Standard & Poor’s upgraded its credit rating for the first time in over a decade.

Looking ahead, Eskom plans to sustain these successes while preparing for the gradual closure and repurposing of older coal-fired stations, with decisions expected in the second quarter of FY2027.

The utility has also noted advances in its targeted load reduction efforts, with over half a million households now enjoying consistent supply.

Both the Northern Cape and Western Cape have fully eradicated load reduction.

Expressing gratitude to the government for its support through the Energy Action Plan and NECOM, Eskom stated that this achievement reflects collaborative efforts to stabilize the grid and protect infrastructure.

The utility emphasized that a stable and predictable power supply now empowers businesses to plan confidently, fostering investment and growth across the economy.