There will be major changes to load-shedding schedules in Gauteng. City Power, Johannesburg’s power utility, will be taking over the management of power outages from Eskom starting next week. This significant shift comes with a notable change: load-shedding slots will now be limited to two hours at a time, a reduction from Eskom’s slots which could last up to four hours. This decision by City Power is aimed at supporting local businesses and preventing job losses, as prolonged power outages have previously forced many businesses to shut down.
On Monday afternoon, Eskom made the announcement that it will be handing over the load-shedding operations to City Power, effective from Monday, 6 November. This transition will result in changes to load-shedding blocks, impacting schedules in Johannesburg and other parts of Gauteng.
Changes to Load-Shedding Schedules Made to Prevent Further Job Losses
City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, emphasized the unsustainability of four-hour load-shedding slots, which have had detrimental effects on local businesses. City Power aims to prevent further job losses by taking over the management of load shedding. Additionally, there are plans in place by City Power to completely exclude several larger companies, particularly those in the industrial sector, from load shedding altogether. This will be achieved by reconfiguring the network.
However, it is essential to note that certain areas will remain unaffected by these changes to load-shedding due to the network’s configuration and technical complexities. Eskom will continue to manage the load shedding for City Power customers in the following areas:
- Tshepisong
- Lufhereng (Roodepoort)
- Hoogland
- Maroeladal
- Morningside
- Riverclub
- Dainfern
- Bloubosrand
- Waterford Estate
- Riverbend
- Kyasands
- Bellairspark (Randburg)
- Halfway House
- Halfway Gardens
- Vorna Valley
- Willowway (Midrand)
- Marlboro Transit Camp (Alexandra)
Power cuts are to be reduced for the rest of 2023.
Both Eskom and City Power are committed to finding technical solutions that will eventually allow City Power to manage the load-shedding operations for all its customers.
Earlier this year, Eskom had taken over the load-shedding operations from the City of Ekurhuleni due to the municipality’s failure to implement power cuts to safeguard major local industries. However, the load-shedding function was returned to the City in July.
