Minister of Electricity Ramokgopa Tables Bold Interventions to End Load Reduction Within 18 Months

Pretoria – Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced a comprehensive plan to eliminate load reduction, a long-standing issue affecting millions of South Africans, particularly in poor and informal settlements.

Speaking at a media briefing, Ramokgopa confirmed that government is determined to end load reduction within the next 12 to 18 months, with the pace largely dependent on cooperation from communities.

“We are ending load reduction. Our target is 12 months, and at the latest, 18 months. But this can be achieved much sooner if we have full cooperation,” Ramokgopa declared.

From Load Shedding to Load Reduction

While Eskom has made progress in tackling load shedding—with the energy availability factor rising from 48% in early 2023 to consistently above 70% this year—the focus has now shifted to localized power cuts caused by infrastructure strain and illegal connections.

Currently, more than 1.6 million Eskom customers, translating to over 8.5 million people, are subjected to load reduction daily. Transformer failures, vandalism, and widespread illegal connections have compounded the problem, disproportionately affecting poor households.

“For affected communities, it does not matter whether we call it load shedding or load reduction—the reality is hours without power. Worse still, it creates an impression of economic discrimination, with the poor bearing the brunt,” Ramokgopa said.

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Smart Meters and Community Engagement

Key to the interventions is the rollout of smart meters, which will allow Eskom to isolate non-paying or illegally connected households without cutting off compliant customers.

The Minister also revealed plans to:

• Regularize illegal connections by providing formal access to electricity in informal settlements.
• Refurbish distribution infrastructure to prevent failures.
• Expand free basic electricity access, ensuring indigent households benefit from government subsidies.
• Deploy distributed generation (solar and battery microgrids) to electrify remote villages more quickly and cost-effectively.

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Social and Economic Impact

Ramokgopa emphasized that load reduction is more than an energy issue—it is a social and economic crisis.

• Education: Students in poor communities struggle to study in the evenings.
• Small businesses: Township enterprises, such as street food vendors, lose income when power is cut during peak operating hours.
• Safety: Illegal connections expose communities to electrocution risks, particularly children.

Priority Provinces

The bulk of load reduction is concentrated in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, which account for nearly 80% of affected households. In rural areas, engagement through traditional leaders has been smoother, while urban and peri-urban settlements present greater resistance due to entrenched illegal connections.

Despite these challenges, Ramokgopa expressed optimism:

“By March 2026, we expect to have ended load reduction in most provinces, with the entire country following soon after. This is about restoring dignity and ensuring all South Africans share in the dividends of electricity access.”