South Africa's
Power Reality

Load-shedding is South Africa's system of controlled, rotational power cuts implemented by Eskom, the national electricity utility, when electricity demand exceeds available supply. Instead of an uncontrolled grid collapse — which could take weeks to restore — Eskom sheds load in scheduled blocks across different areas of the country.

Stages 1–8 indicate severity: Stage 1 means 1,000 MW needs to be shed nationally (roughly 2 hours off per day per area), while Stage 8 would mean 8,000 MW shed (12–14 hours off per day). South Africa has experienced up to Stage 6 in recent years.

The best way to manage load-shedding as a visitor is to download the EskomSePush app, which gives your area's specific schedule. Most hotels, guesthouses and restaurants have generators or inverters — always worth confirming when you book.