Eskom forecasts a stable winter power system, with no loadshedding expected if unplanned outages remain below 13 gigawatts.

The utility said that it has improved reliability, reducing outages by 3.1GW compared to last year. If outages rise to 15GW, about 21 days of Stage 2 loadshedding may occur.

Eskom cited increased maintenance and efficiency as key factors to this stability. The utility also said that its diesel reliance dropped by 50%, saving R16 billion.

Speaking at a briefing on Eskom’s winter readiness on Monday, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramakgopa reminded the public that South Africa’s energy focus needs to be on helping the economy grow.

Ramakgopa added that the economy has been throttled by the energy deficit, and Eskom and his department are working on ways to address this.