US EditionElectricity Minister Dr Ramokgopa to Announce Interventions to End Load Reduction
The government and Eskom plan infrastructure upgrades to stabilize overloaded local networks and end load reduction affecting 1.69 million people within 12-18 months, officials said.
- Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced at a media briefing on September 26, 2025, that load reduction in South Africa will end within 12 to 18 months, primarily affecting poor areas across the country.
- The announcement followed a shift from nationally coordinated load shedding, which protected the grid, to targeted load reduction caused by overloaded local networks and illegal connections, mainly impacting vulnerable communities.
- The government plans comprehensive interventions including a nationwide rollout of smart meters to bypass municipal inefficiencies, infrastructure upgrades with solar and battery storage, and efforts to regularize illegal connections with local councillors’ involvement.
- Ramokgopa stated that if communities fully support the efforts, load reduction could be eliminated within a year; however, resistance—often driven by those benefiting from illegal electrical connections—might extend the process to 18 months.
- The interventions aim to ensure universal access to legally procured electricity, reduce the appearance of income-based discrimination, and improve free basic electricity distribution through smart meter technology without relying on additional fiscal resources.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Eskom plan could keep township lights on for good
By Dylan Bettencourt The new smart meters will cut off only households that don’t pay, instead of switching off power for whole communities. Eskom wants to install 6.2 million meters, but the plan depends on community support in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. Millions of South Africans could finally see an end to load reduction but only if their communities agree to Eskom’s new plan. Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa …
Government Plans To Eliminate Load Reduction - Infrastructure news
In the next 12 to 18 months, government will work aggressively to eliminate load reduction by rolling out smart meters, dealing with illegal electricity connections and upgrading infrastructure. Load reduction refers to the intentional interruption of electricity in specific areas where the local network becomes overloaded, especially during peak demand periods. This measure is essential to safeguard critical infrastructure, particularly in area…
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