South Africa has achieved a significant milestone with more than 200 consecutive days of uninterrupted electricity supply, marking a key turning point in the country's efforts to address its longstanding energy crisis, media reported on Monday, citing Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
He emphasized the government's commitment to ending load shedding, a practice that has disrupted businesses, hindered economic growth, and affected citizens' daily lives.
"Load shedding has been an albatross on the economy and logistics, interrupting businesses and being responsible for the bloodbath of unemployment," he reportedly said at a media briefing in Free State Province.
Ramokgopa, while optimistic, acknowledged that work remains to ensure load shedding becomes a thing of the past.
The minister also credited the improved performance of Eskom, South Africa's state-owned power utility, which has boosted its energy availability factor (EAF) to over 66%—a major leap from the 55% recorded in March 2023. Eskom is on track to achieve an EAF of 70% by 2025, promising even greater stability in the nation’s energy supply.
In his weekly newsletter, president Cyril Ramaphosa also echoed this optimism, noting the positive impact on the country's GDP and investment climate, with forecasts from the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University predicting up to 3% GDP growth in the next 18 to 24 months.