In a notable achievement, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has attributed the resolution of the country’s long-standing electricity load-shedding crisis to the efforts of the African National Congress (ANC). As the nation approaches the local government elections slated for November 4, Ramaphosa highlighted that South Africa has gone over 460 days without experiencing national power outages, a feat he attributes to enhanced electricity generation and improved management at the state utility, Eskom.
Addressing supporters at the ANC manifesto launch, Ramaphosa emphasized that the sustained improvement in the electricity supply is a direct result of strategic changes at Eskom. The utility has reported that since May 16, 2025, there have been no instances of load shedding nationwide, thanks to better performance of power stations and a reduction in unplanned outages, which have historically plagued the country’s energy infrastructure.
Despite these advancements, some regions continue to grapple with load reduction measures. These are deployed to protect local electricity networks from being overwhelmed. In particular, communities in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal still face these challenges. Nonetheless, Ramaphosa remains optimistic, stating that ongoing efforts are expected to eventually eliminate load reduction across the entire nation, ensuring a more stable and reliable power supply for all South Africans.
The prolonged period without load shedding represents a significant milestone for South Africa, which has struggled with power supply issues for years. The improvements at Eskom, underpinned by strategic management changes, are seen as a testament to the government’s commitment to addressing one of the key issues affecting the country’s development and economic growth.