South Africa’s state-owned utility, Eskom, is entering the southern hemisphere summer with a markedly improved electricity outlook, signalling minimal risk of power cuts unless unplanned outages rise sharply.

The utility has struggled for over a decade to deliver reliable electricity, a challenge that constrained Africa’s most industrialised economy. A concerted effort under Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan has reduced outages significantly. Last summer, South Africans experienced just 13 days of power interruptions, down from 176 days the previous year. Unplanned electricity losses in August fell to around 10,000 megawatts, well below the 15,000-megawatt threshold that triggers rolling blackouts.

Eskom operates a total generation capacity of 46,000 megawatts, dominated by coal-fired plants, with supplemental nuclear, hydroelectric, and diesel facilities. A key factor in the improved outlook is the successful reconnection of the second unit at Koeberg, Africa’s only commercial nuclear power station, which contributes roughly 1,860 megawatts to the national grid. Coal-fired plants have also increased output by 7 percent over the past year, easing reliance on more expensive and polluting diesel and gas units.

CEO Dan Marokane said the system now has sufficient headroom to allow routine maintenance while meeting peak demand. Analysts note that sustaining operational improvements will be critical as South Africa enters its high-demand summer months, which are historically challenging for both residential and industrial users.