
Load shedding stage 2 implemented now
Eskom has announced the return of stage 2 load shedding from 16:00 today until 05:00 tomorrow, citing increased demand, generation unit losses, and ongoing maintenance as key factors straining the power grid.
It said despite significant progress in their generation recovery efforts, higher-than-expected electricity demand, the loss of generation units, and extensive planned maintenance have placed strain on the system.
#PowerAlert1
Thursday, 24 April 2025:
Despite significant progress in our generation recovery efforts, higher-than-expected electricity demand, the loss of generation units, and extensive planned maintenance have placed strain on the system. As a result, Stage 2 loadshedding…
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) April 24, 2025
'As a result, Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 16:00 today and will remain in effect until 05:00 tomorrow.
'Given these ongoing constraints, we urge the public to use electricity sparingly to help reduce pressure on the grid. Eskom sincerely apologises for the inconvenience and will continue to provide updates as necessary.'
The City of Tshwane typically releases updated load shedding schedules shortly after Eskom's announcements. You can access the latest schedules on the official City of Tshwane website.
Click here if you are not sure which areas you fall under.
Also read: Feline Parvo outbreak in Pretoria – here is what you should know
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
South Africa's Independent Transmission Projects Programme: Key progress and future plans
Wind turbines lined up at Rietkloof Wind Farm. According to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019) and Eskom's Transmission Development Plan (TDP 2024–2033), over 14 000 km of new transmission lines are required within the next decade to accommodate an additional 53 GW of generation capacity. South Africa's Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) and National Treasury have announced significant strides in the Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) Programme, a public-private partnership aimed at revolutionising the nation's transmission infrastructure. The initiative seeks to unlock billions in investment, accelerate economic growth, and support the country's energy transition by modernizing its overstretched power grid. According to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019) and Eskom's Transmission Development Plan (TDP 2024–2033), over 14 000 km of new transmission lines are required within the next decade to accommodate an additional 53 GW of generation capacity. With the current grid expansion lagging at an inadequate pace, the government aims to construct at least 1 400 km of lines annually to ensure energy security and economic stability. "Government is acting deliberately, and decisively to partner with the private sector to assist the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) to accelerate the rollout of the transmission infrastructure to enable economic growth and the addition of the renewable energy capacity," DEE and Treasury said in a statement on Friday. They said the government has made notable progress since the programme's inception. A global market sounding exercise conducted between December 2024 and February 2025 garnered over 130 responses from local and international developers, financiers, and manufacturers. Key findings highlighted strong interest in partnerships, with 44% of local respondents planning collaborations with global entities. Stakeholders agreed there was a need for a stable regulatory environment and a predictable project pipeline to ensure investment and supply chain readiness. "Risks identified included permitting, Right of Way, and supply chain constraints, which will be proactively mitigated through upfront government measures, drawing on global best practice," they said. On March 28, 2025, a landmark Ministerial Determination was gazetted, designating the DEE as the procurer and the NTCSA as the buyer under Transmission Services Agreements (TSAs). The determination outlined a 1 164 km project scope of 400kV transmission lines across the Northern Cape, North-West, and Gauteng, with procurement adhering to fair and competitive tendering processes. Further advancing the programme, draft Electricity Transmission Regulations were gazetted for public comment on April 3, 2025. These regulations establish transparent cost recovery mechanisms, defined regulatory approval processes, and enforceable project implementation frameworks to ensure the programme's bankability. Following the close of public consultations on May 22, 2025, the DEE is finalising the regulations for promulgation, DEE and Treasury said. Structured Procurement Timeline The Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office, leveraging its proven expertise in energy procurement, will oversee the ITP's Phase 1 tender process. A pre-qualification tender (Request for Qualification) is set for July to shortlist capable bidders, followed by a Request for Proposals by November. "These timelines provide developers with sufficient lead time for due diligence and consortium formation, ensuring a robust and credible procurement process," they said. Innovative Financing Solutions To bridge South Africa's infrastructure funding gap, the government, in collaboration with the World Bank, is developing a Credit Guarantee Vehicle (CGV). Operating as a licensed non-life insurance company, the CGV aims to mobilize private capital and support the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) decarbonisation goals. "A draft Information Memorandum (formal offer via private placement of shares in the CGV) which provide granular details on how the CGV 4 of 4 will operate has been developed and will be shared with our development partners. Following the sharing of the Information Memorandum, the team will in July 2025 engage in one-on-one discussion with the identified development partners who expressed interest in participating in phase one of the CGV. It is envisaged that the CGV will become operational in 2026," the statement said. Looking ahead, the government reaffirms that a programmatic, multi-phase ITP rollout will follow the Phase 1 tender, ensuring a clear pipeline of future bid windows to: • Stimulate industrialisation, support local manufacturing, and build domestic technical capability. • Enable continuous improvement in procurement design and risk allocation. • Foster market depth, investor confidence, and price discovery. BUSINESS REPORT


Mail & Guardian
2 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
South Africa must revive its industrial ambitions
Neglecting existing infrastructure generates higher long-term costs. South Africa's industrial decline is accelerating. State-owned enterprises that once drove economic transformation now epitomise institutional failure. Eskom's power cuts cripple manufacturing. Transnet's rail network deteriorates while ports struggle with backlogs. The Industrial Development Corporation, established to finance industrialisation, limps along with a compromised balance sheet. This infrastructure was built on the vision of Jan Smuts, prime minister from 1919 to 1924 and 1939 to 1948. While his commitment to racial segregation was morally reprehensible, his approach to economic development offers lessons for today's policymakers grappling with sluggish growth and persistent inequality. Smuts understood that South Africa needed to transcend its role as a commodity supplier to Britain's industrial economy. His developmental state model, combining strategic state investment, international partnerships and technocratic competence, transformed the country from a mining enclave into Africa's most sophisticated industrial economy. The foundations he laid endured for decades. The Electricity Supply Commission (later Eskom) provided cheap power that enabled large-scale manufacturing. The Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) supplied essential inputs for further industrialisation. His successors built on these foundations, establishing Sasol for synthetic fuels and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Today, these institutions are shadows of their former selves. More troubling, the country appears to have lost the capacity for the long-term thinking that created them. South Africa's economic performance tells a sobering story. Growth has averaged just 0.8% annually over the past five years, well below the rate needed to reduce unemployment or meaningfully tackle poverty. The Gini coefficient, measuring income The benefits of black economic empowerment (BEE) policies have accrued primarily to political and economic elites, while the rest remain excluded from meaningful economic participation. The debate over the benefits of BEE has resurfaced, particularly concerning its mechanisms for wealth distribution. This has been highlighted by the recent scepticism surrounding the potential introduction of Starlink to South Africa, with concerns about exceptions to BEE compliance. Nonetheless, it is undisputed that, as a result of transformative Moreover, the state capture scandal, where politically connected individuals systematically looted public resources, represents the nadir of this failure, which has been accounted for by the collapse of Transnet and Eskom, the consequences of which are signified by inefficiencies thereafter. Despite the Zondo state capture commission spending more than R1 billion investigating the theft, many implicated figures retain positions of influence. Why do voters continue to elect leaders who have demonstrably failed them? The answer lies in how persistent unemployment, poverty and inequality make populations vulnerable to manipulation by the very politicians who created these conditions. The contrast with Smuts's approach is stark. He prioritised competence over patronage, choosing Hendrik Johannes van der Bijl, a German-educated engineer with US business experience to integrate the country's fragmented electricity supply. Van der Bijl's technical expertise, combined with political backing, enabled the creation of a power system that underpinned decades of industrial growth. Today's leaders talk about infrastructure development but have forgotten a crucial lesson: maintenance matters more than new construction. Neglecting existing infrastructure generates higher long-term costs than building new capacity. Johannesburg's collapsing central business district exemplifies this short-sightedness. Years of deferred maintenance have created a crisis that will cost far more to resolve than it would have cost to prevent. The rot runs deeper than poor maintenance. It reflects a broader failure of vision and leadership. Where Smuts aligned South Africa with international partners to attract investment and expertise, contemporary leaders often prioritise political survival over economic transformation. South Africa does not need to resurrect Smuts's racial ideology; his vision of white supremacy was both morally bankrupt and economically counterproductive. But it needs his approach to state-led development, clear vision, international partnerships, infrastructure investment and, above all, competence in execution. The formation of a government of national unity after the 2024 elections suggests political leaders recognise the scale of the crisis. The question is whether they possess the vision and competence to address it. As Smuts understood, South Africa's prosperity depends on reliable electricity, efficient transport and industrial capacity. These foundations are crumbling. Without urgent action to rebuild them, the country risks becoming a case study in how great institutions can be destroyed by poor leadership. The blueprint for revival exists in South Africa's own history. The question is whether anyone has the courage to follow it. Ashley Nyiko Mabasa holds master's in economic and labour sociology focused on energy policies and master's in public policy and governance focused on data governance, and is co-chairperson of the Brics Youth Council.


The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Eskom debt is strangling Endumeni, warns Chamber
The Endumeni Chamber of Commerce meeting last week laid bare the township's deepening woes, as members heard that Eskom debt has ballooned to R294 million despite a repayment agreement. The municipality is now paying R1.8 million a month simply to cover arrears and current costs—yet Eskom still flags Endumeni as a high risk, warning of possible load shedding. 'They do not budget properly,' said newly elected Chamber president Alan Schonken, adding that infrastructure maintenance should account for 8% of the capital budget but typically sits just above 3%. Hence, the perpetual battle with poor roads and failing streetlights. Former councillor Anthon Raubenheimer pointed out that three years ago, Endumeni had no Eskom debt, but now finds itself in turmoil. Raubenheimer also criticised the outdated municipal website and residents' inability to comment on the 2025/26 draft budget, which must be passed imminently. Paul Coetser warned of collapsing sewage systems—an Umzinyathi District responsibility—calling the leaks a 'doomsday warning' that makes living and doing business in Endumeni unpleasant. Meanwhile, Pam McFadden of Talana Museum cautioned about 17 new mining applications, describing them as the start of fracking that could jeopardise groundwater supplies. Members lamented the absence of Endumeni and Umzinyathi councillors at Chamber meetings. 'The only recourse is to petition higher authorities,' one member declared, urging collective action to pull the municipality back from the brink of total collapse.' HAVE YOUR SAY: Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or email us at Add us on WhatsApp 071 277 1394. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!