Power utility Eskom on Saturday took to social media on Saturday to remind all that South Africa has gone 150 consecutive days without any planned power outages.
The last time South Africans faced a power outage was on 26 March.
Dramatic turnaround
Even more remarkable is that the last 150 days have fallen during winter, a season in which historically the demand for electricity is at its highest.
The milestone marks a dramatic turnaround from this time last year when South Africa was plagued by record power outages that disrupted daily life.
“The recovery plan has not only made Eskom’s power stations more reliable but has also demonstrated enhanced efficiency,” the state-owned power utility said.
According to Bloomberg, the turnaround began with the appointment of Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as the country’s first-ever Electricity Minister in March 2023.
Eskom reduced diesel expenditure
Alongside this, the government injected $14 billion into Eskom to stabilise the utility as well as appointing Dan Marokane as its permanent chief executive officer in December.
Meanwhile, as reported by The South African website last week, Eskom has recorded a reduction of some R9 billion in diesel expenditure in the last four months compared to the same period last year.
Sunday, 25 August would be 151 days without a power outage.
Here’s to many more!
