Your power is off, and it is not load shedding
Eskom load reduction is running across Gauteng from 7 to 14 September 2026. Power goes off in blocks A to J during two daily windows, 05:00 to 09:00 in the morning and 17:00 to 22:00 in the evening, even though the national grid is stable and there has been no load shedding.
The two things are not the same, and the difference matters if you are trying to work out when your lights will come back.
Load shedding is national. It happens when Eskom cannot generate enough electricity for the whole country, and it rotates through stages that affect everyone on a published schedule. Load reduction is local. It is applied to specific feeders and transformers where the network is overloaded, and it happens regardless of how much generating capacity the country has.
Why Eskom does it
Eskom’s position is that illegal connections, electricity theft, meter tampering and vandalism have pushed local networks past what the equipment can carry, particularly during peak hours when geysers, heaters, kettles and stoves run at the same time.
Cutting supply during those peaks is meant to stop transformers and mini substations from burning out. When one fails, the area loses power for days rather than hours, and replacing it is slow.
Eskom said in a statement that although the power system remains stable and generation exceeds demand, illegal connections and meter tampering persist in certain localised areas, driving infrastructure damage and posing safety risks. It describes load reduction as a temporary, targeted measure.
Whether that is fair to households who pay for their electricity is a separate argument. The practical position is that a paid-up customer on an overloaded feeder is cut along with everyone else on that feeder.
Which provinces are still affected
Eskom launched a Load Reduction Eradication Programme in September 2025. By July 2026 it reported five provinces clear of load reduction: Mpumalanga, the Western Cape, the Northern Cape, the Free State and the North West. About 1,1 million customers had been removed from schedules at that point, roughly 65% of the eradication target.
Eskom Group Executive for Distribution Junaid Munshi said the remaining areas, particularly in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, need sustained investment, infrastructure upgrades and community cooperation to deal with the root causes of overloading. National eradication is targeted for March 2027.
Later Eskom figures reported in August put a sixth province as cleared, with about 1,196 million customers removed, or 70,8% of the 1,69 million originally affected.
The Gauteng schedule this week
| Detail | Position |
|---|---|
| Period | 7 to 14 September 2026 |
| Blocks | A to J |
| Morning window | 05:00 to 09:00 |
| Evening window | 17:00 to 22:00 |
| Typical outage length | Four to five hours |
Areas named in the current rotation include Sebokeng, Sharpeville, Vereeniging, Orange Farm, Stretford, Zonkizizwe, Daveyton, Mapetla, Protea South, Protea North, Chiawelo and Nooitgedacht. Ekurhuleni, Soweto and surrounds, Tshwane, Sedibeng, the West Rand and northern Johannesburg all carry affected feeders.
Blocks rotate, so the block cut in the morning is usually not the block cut that evening. That is why a neighbour two suburbs away can have power while you do not.
How to find your block
Eskom publishes the load reduction schedule on its distribution pages at www.eskom.co.za, listed by block and by area name. Look up your suburb, note your block letter, then read the block against the daily rotation rather than assuming your times are fixed.
Two things worth knowing.
- Schedules change. Eskom adjusts arrangements when a local network improves or deteriorates, so a schedule saved a month ago may be wrong.
- Areas supplied by a municipal distributor rather than by Eskom directly are on that distributor’s arrangements. City Power in Johannesburg runs its own approach and has at times suspended load reduction independently of Eskom.
What you can actually do about it
- Report illegal connections, electricity theft, meter tampering and damaged infrastructure to the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 112 722, or by WhatsApp on 081 333 3323. Removal from the schedule depends on the load on your feeder coming down.
- Allow access for smart meter installation. Eskom lists this as one of the conditions for getting an area off the schedule.
- Shift heavy use out of the peak windows where you can, particularly geysers and electric stoves.
- If you are considering a backup system, note that Eskom has said there are no fines for unregistered home solar, and that solar panels and batteries are being targeted by syndicates.
Load reduction sits awkwardly alongside the better national news. Eskom has gone more than 300 days without load shedding, and prices are still going up regardless, with a further tariff increase proposed for 2027. For households on a load reduction block, the improvement in generation has not reached them.
Where to check
Eskom publishes current load reduction schedules by province and block on its distribution section at www.eskom.co.za. The Eskom Crime Line for reporting illegal connections and infrastructure damage is 0800 112 722, with WhatsApp on 081 333 3323. If your supply comes from a municipal distributor, check that municipality’s own notices rather than Eskom’s.
