South Africa’s electricity crisis is deep and painful, as Eskom struggles with old, poorly maintained power plants and mismanagement. Frequent blackouts—called loadshedding—have become part of daily life, forcing families and businesses to adapt with candles, batteries, and solar power. Despite promises to fix the problem, Eskom’s power supply keeps falling short, causing frustration and economic harm. Yet, amid the darkness, communities come together, showing resilience and creativity, sparking hope for new, cleaner ways to bring light back to the nation.
What is causing Eskom’s ongoing loadshedding crisis in South Africa?
Eskom’s loadshedding crisis is caused by a declining Energy Availability Factor (EAF) due to underinvestment, mismanagement, and aging infrastructure. This results in frequent power outages, high diesel costs, and economic disruption, forcing South Africans to adapt with alternative energy solutions and community support.
Shadows over a Nation: The Energy Crisis Unfolds
South Africa’s struggle with electricity goes far beyond flickering lights or the drone of standby generators. The vast, sunlit landscapes and dynamic urban centers now grapple daily with a power grid that teeters on the brink of collapse. Eskom, the country’s once-iconic utility, stands as both a relic of progress and a symbol of persistent challenge. Today, millions structure their lives around unpredictable blackouts—locally known as loadshedding—reminding everyone that energy is far more than a technical concern; it shapes the very rhythm of society.
What was meant to be a narrative of infrastructure mastery has turned instead into a saga of delay and disappointment. Only a couple of years ago, officials at Eskom and within government circles promised a turnaround. Their vision for the utility revolved around a key metric: the Energy Availability Factor (EAF). This indicator measures how much of Eskom’s generation fleet serves the nation at any given time, and its improvement was supposed to herald a new era. Plans set EAF at 60% for 2023, 65% for 2024, and a triumphant 70% by March 2025. These figures represented not just progress but a lifeline for a weary public.
Yet, these promises have evaporated in the face of reality. Instead of rising, the EAF has slipped to a worrying 56.43%, falling below even last year’s levels. This shortfall has ensured that loadshedding—once a rare emergency measure—has become a permanent fixture in daily life. Alerts about scheduled outages flash on phones, and the thrum of diesel engines fills the silence left by absent grid power. For many, the crisis breeds not only inconvenience but a profound sense of frustration and resignation.
The Rise and Fall of a National Beacon
Eskom’s decline didn’t happen overnight. Originally, the utility symbolized the hope of a new, self-reliant South Africa. Its massive plants and national reach spoke of ambition and capability, echoing the confidence of another era—one influenced by the optimism of modernist design and philosophy. But grand visions often stumble when confronted by the realities of politics and economics. Over time, Eskom became a case study in how unchecked ambition can falter amid chronic underinvestment, mismanagement, and shifting political winds.
Ordinary South Africans know these failures intimately. In the suburbs of Johannesburg, families now keep backup lanterns or rechargeable lights within arm’s reach, preparing for the next inevitable outage. Small business owners in Cape Town recount losses each time refrigeration fails or machinery powers down. These stories go beyond inconvenience; they reveal a society forced into a kind of resourcefulness born of necessity, not choice. The return to candlelight in the evenings carries echoes of a bygone era, but nostalgia gives way to a steely determination to adapt.
The cost of this adaptation continues to climb. Eskom has burned through more than R30 billion in diesel over the past two years. Instead of investing in robust infrastructure or cleaner energy sources, the utility poured these funds into keeping emergency generators operational. This approach kept the grid from total failure, but only at great financial and environmental expense. The country has survived, but the price has been steep—measured in both rands and lost opportunities.
Leadership, Accountability, and the Search for Solutions
Eskom’s leadership often paints a picture at odds with the daily struggles of citizens. During the high-profile Winter Outlook briefing in 2025, executives highlighted increased reliability, with CEO Dan Marokane pointing out that the country had power for 96% of the previous financial year. However, this statistic glosses over the reality that even brief but regular outages have a major impact on homes and industries. A technically accurate number does little to calm public anxiety when uncertainty remains the daily norm.
Independent voices have called out this disconnect. Energy analyst Chris Yelland, for example, has remarked that any endurance deserves credit not to Eskom, but to ordinary citizens who have managed to cope. Similarly, economist Duma Gqubule warns that when organizations fail to meet their own benchmarks, they often resort to self-congratulation or offer vague reassurances instead of confronting the true scale of their shortcomings. Eskom’s shift from celebrating the 70% EAF target to emphasizing unrelated gains has only deepened public cynicism and eroded trust still further.
This pattern is not unique to South Africa. Throughout history, ambitious public projects have faltered when lofty goals outstripped the available resources or expertise. The collapse of grand American railroads in the nineteenth century or the struggles of European urban renewal are instructive examples. In South Africa, the much-touted Generation Recovery Plan announced by former chair Mpho Makwana in early 2023 has now joined these cautionary tales—a bold vision ultimately undone by inadequate execution.
Adaptation and Innovation Amid Uncertainty
Despite Eskom’s central role in this story, the real heart of South Africa’s response lies in its people. As winter nights lengthen and the chill deepens, communities have built informal networks to share information, tips, and resources. The market for alternative energy—everything from basic batteries to sophisticated solar kits—has boomed. WhatsApp groups buzz with updates about outage schedules, technical workarounds, and a uniquely South African brand of humor that helps lighten the mood during dark times. The spirit of ubuntu, a philosophy of shared humanity, finds new expression in these daily acts of solidarity and creativity.
Beneath this resilience, however, the economic and social costs continue to mount. Small businesses face constant disruptions, from lost inventory to declining customer confidence. Many entrepreneurs share stories of missed opportunities as investors withdraw or clients cancel projects due to uncertainty about reliable power. These individual setbacks accumulate, dragging down overall economic growth and threatening social cohesion.
On the global stage, South Africa’s predicament stands in sharp relief. Here is a country with a wealth of natural resources and technical expertise, but one hamstrung by institutional inertia. As the world pivots urgently toward clean energy and climate resilience, Eskom’s ongoing troubles underscore the stakes: the failure to maintain or improve EAF not only disrupts daily life but also jeopardizes the nation’s ambitions for sustainable development and global competitiveness.
New Pathways: Beyond Centralized Control
The symbolism of light and darkness—in African storytelling and Western philosophy alike—takes on new meaning amid South Africa’s power crisis. Electric light, once a hallmark of progress, now serves as a reminder of both technological achievement and its vulnerability. Each workaround, whether it involves solar panels or shared generators, signals a shift away from top-down solutions toward a more decentralized, innovative approach.
Eskom’s journey highlights the complex legacy of state-led modernization in postcolonial societies. While the promise of autonomy and self-empowerment remains, years of political interference and postponed maintenance have left South Africa grappling with dependence on a faltering institution. Yet within this challenge lies opportunity: civic organizations and the private sector are stepping up, pressing for transparency and reform. Engineers and entrepreneurs experiment with microgrids and renewable solutions, shifting the conversation from waiting for a rescue to building sustainable alternatives from the ground up.
This evolving response reveals a new kind of agency—one grounded in practical action, mutual support, and incremental innovation. While the persistence of loadshedding may point to institutional weakness, it also highlights the ingenuity and determination of ordinary South Africans. The struggle for reliable power, then, becomes both a warning and an invitation: a call to acknowledge hard truths while embracing the resourcefulness that lights even the darkest nights.
FAQ: Eskom, Loadshedding, and South Africa’s Power Crisis
What is loadshedding, and why is it happening so frequently in South Africa?
Loadshedding refers to scheduled, controlled power outages implemented by Eskom to prevent the entire electricity grid from collapsing when demand exceeds supply. It happens frequently due to Eskom’s aging, poorly maintained power plants, underinvestment, and mismanagement, leading to a low Energy Availability Factor (EAF) — currently around 56.43%, below targeted levels. This shortage forces Eskom to cut power in rotation across regions to manage limited supply.
What is the Energy Availability Factor (EAF), and why is it important?
The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) measures the percentage of Eskom’s power generation capacity that is available for use at any given time. It reflects the health and reliability of the power plants. Higher EAF means more consistent electricity supply. Eskom set targets to increase EAF to 60% in 2023, 65% in 2024, and 70% by 2025, but actual levels have fallen below these goals, causing ongoing power outages and loadshedding.
How has loadshedding impacted South African households and businesses?
Loadshedding disrupts daily life by forcing families to rely on candles, batteries, rechargeable lights, and solar power to cope with blackouts. For businesses, it causes financial losses, especially for those reliant on refrigeration, machinery, or continuous operations. The uncertainty undermines investor confidence and economic growth, while households face inconvenience, safety concerns, and increased expenses for backup energy solutions.
What has Eskom done to try to fix the power crisis?
Eskom has invested heavily in running expensive diesel generators to prevent total grid collapse, spending over R30 billion in diesel costs over two years. Leadership has launched plans like the Generation Recovery Plan aiming to improve infrastructure and increase capacity. However, mismanagement, political interference, and delayed maintenance have hampered progress, and official statements about reliability often contrast with citizen experiences of frequent outages.
Are there alternative energy solutions helping South Africans cope with loadshedding?
Yes. The crisis has spurred growth in alternative and decentralized energy solutions such as solar panels, battery storage, microgrids, and community-shared generators. Many households and businesses are adopting these technologies to reduce dependence on Eskom’s unreliable supply. Informal information networks and community collaboration also help people manage outages and share resources, reflecting a spirit of resilience and the philosophy of ubuntu.
What does the future of South Africa’s energy landscape look like?
While Eskom continues to face significant challenges, there is growing momentum toward cleaner, decentralized, and sustainable energy systems. Civic organizations, entrepreneurs, and engineers are experimenting with renewable energy technologies and microgrids that can provide localized power independent of the central grid. The crisis highlights the need for transparent governance, investment in infrastructure, and innovation, offering hope that South Africa can transition to a more reliable and environmentally friendly energy future.
