The Eskom load reduction eradication programme has removed load reduction from seven of South Africa’s nine provinces, and only parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remain on the schedule. In its power system update of Friday, 25 September 2026, Eskom said 247 617 customers were still affected, or 3.4% of its customer base. It repeated its target of ending load reduction for all Eskom customers by March 2027.
If your area still goes dark at peak times, even though the country has not had load shedding since 16 May 2025, this is the programme that decides when that stops.
What the programme is
Load reduction is a targeted, local power cut. Eskom switches off specific feeders, the lines that supply a group of streets or a section of a township, during high-demand periods. This stops transformers from overloading and failing. Eskom applies it in areas with high levels of illegal connections, electricity theft and meter tampering.
Load reduction has nothing to do with national generation capacity. That is why it continues while load shedding has stopped. Our guide to why Gauteng loses power when there is no load shedding explains the difference in detail and covers the Gauteng block schedule.
The eradication programme is Eskom’s plan to end the practice. It targets 971 feeders and about 1.69 million customers across all provinces, out of Eskom’s 7.2 million customers. At its peak, load reduction affected 23.5% of Eskom’s customers.
The programme rests on three interventions:
- Smart meters on load reduction feeders, to cut tampering and bypassing
- Distributed energy resources, meaning local generation and storage that ease pressure on overloaded networks
- Free Basic Electricity (FBE) registration, so that qualifying households receive free units through a legal connection
Which provinces are free of load reduction
Eskom reports progress by pairs of provinces. These are the figures from its 25 September 2026 update.
| Provinces | Feeders removed | Feeder target | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limpopo and Mpumalanga | 163 | 150 | Both fully free |
| Eastern Cape and Western Cape | 14 | 14 | Both fully free |
| North West and Northern Cape | 15 | 9 | Both fully free |
| Free State and KwaZulu-Natal | 135 | 193 | Free State fully free, KwaZulu-Natal ongoing |
| Gauteng | 251 | 604 | Ongoing |
| Total | 578 | 971 | Seven provinces free |
That leaves 393 feeders still to be removed nationally, and 353 of them are in Gauteng. Gauteng holds 604 of the programme’s 971 target feeders, which is why it remains the largest part of the work.
The order in which provinces came off the schedule:
- Western Cape and Northern Cape, by April 2026
- Free State and North West, by July 2026
- Mpumalanga, announced on 8 July 2026, which made five provinces
- Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape was announced as the seventh province in August 2026, ahead of Eskom’s October 2026 target.
How many customers have been restored
Eskom estimates that 1 446 771 customers are no longer affected by load reduction. That is about 86% of the 1.69 million it targeted. By region:
| Region | Customers restored |
|---|---|
| Limpopo and Mpumalanga | 670 785 |
| Gauteng | 493 243 |
| KwaZulu-Natal and Free State | 202 703 |
| North West and Northern Cape | 50 228 |
| Eastern Cape and Western Cape | 29 812 |
Eskom says more than 60% of previously affected customers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have been restored. These figures change every week. Eskom figures reported earlier in September put Gauteng’s restored customers at 268 902, so expect the numbers above to move again.
Why your area may still be on the schedule
Eskom’s position is that load reduction stays wherever the risk of overloading stays. A transformer is built for a specific load, not a number of houses. When illegal connections push demand past that load, the transformer fails. Eskom or the municipality must then remove the illegal connections before replacing it. Eskom puts the cost of replacing a residential transformer at no less than R60 000, before labour.
Eskom has also reported resistance to the smart meter rollout in some areas, including safety incidents, intimidation and work stoppages. It says more than 122 000 planned installations have been affected. By 25 September it had installed 517 810 smart meters on load reduction feeders. That is about 89.7% of its target of 577 347 for high-priority areas. For what the rollout means at household level, see what Gauteng households should expect from Eskom’s smart meter rollout.
The programme covers Eskom customers only. If your electricity comes from a municipality, such as City Power in Johannesburg, interruptions in your area are a municipal matter. The Eskom figures above do not describe them.
What households can do
Eskom has asked affected communities to work with its teams so that feeders can come off the schedule on time or sooner. The practical steps it points to:
- Accept the smart meter installation when Eskom teams arrive in your area.
- Register for Free Basic Electricity if you qualify. You register through your local municipality, which decides indigent status under its own policy. Eskom says 20 amp prepaid customers qualify under national policy. 60 amp prepaid customers can qualify if they are identified as indigent. Prepaid customers claim their FBE token each month by dialling 130*869# or 130*269#, or through their municipality. Unclaimed tokens do not carry over to the next month.
- Report illegal connections and damaged infrastructure to the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 112 722 or on WhatsApp at 081 333 3323. Our guide to illegal electricity connections sets out the law and the penalties.
Eskom says 546 576 customers are now registered for FBE. That is about 26% of the 2.1 million customers it considers eligible.
When load reduction will end
Eskom’s stated target is to end load reduction for all Eskom customers by March 2027. It beat its goal of seven load reduction free provinces by October 2026. Whether it meets the national deadline depends largely on the remaining 353 Gauteng feeders.
Eskom publishes a power system update every Friday evening. Its next scheduled update is on Friday, 2 October 2026.
Where to check
Eskom publishes its weekly progress figures in its media statements. The latest figures in this article come from its 25 September 2026 power system update. To check whether you qualify for FBE, use Eskom’s Free Basic Electricity page and contact your municipality. Eskom’s customer care line is 08600 37 566.
HOW WE REPORTED THIS CROSS-CHECKED
- Built from Eskom's power system update of 25 September 2026, which supplied the feeder, customer, smart meter and FBE figures
- Earlier milestones came from Eskom's 8 July 2026 statement, its August 2026 seven-province statement and SAnews and Engineering News reporting of them
- Transformer replacement cost and FBE qualification rules came from Eskom's Save Your Transformer and Free Basic Electricity pages
- Feeder totals and remaining feeders were added up from Eskom's provincial breakdown
- No comment was sought from Eskom, City Power or any municipality
