Gauteng residents are still facing planned power cuts this week, even though South Africa has kept load shedding suspended. Eskom says the outages fall under its load reduction programme, which targets areas where illegal connections, electricity theft and overloaded infrastructure threaten local networks.

The Gauteng load reduction schedule applies from 7 to 13 April 2026 and affects communities during morning and evening peak periods. That means many households will still lose power during school runs, commuting hours and dinner time despite wider national grid stability.

Eskom keeps load shedding off, but load reduction stays

Eskom says load reduction is different from load shedding. While load shedding is used nationally when generation cannot meet demand, load reduction is a local network protection measure used in high-risk areas. Eskom’s distribution division says the programme is in place while load shedding remains suspended, with interruptions generally scheduled from 05:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 22:00.

The utility said South Africa reached 300 consecutive days without load shedding at midnight on 12 March 2026. In a statement issued on 13 March, Eskom linked that milestone to stronger plant performance and lower unplanned outages.

According to the schedule cited by The Citizen, morning-affected areas this week include Orange Farm and surrounding extensions, Mapetla, Protea South, Chiawelo, Moroka, Dhlamini, Kagiso, Khutsong, parts of Tsakane, Langaville Extension 3, Garankuwa extensions, Ivory Park extensions, Protea Glen, Rabie Ridge and Duduza. Evening interruptions include parts of Orange Farm, Stretford, Sharpeville, Tshepiso, Vereeniging, Klipview, Sebokeng, Vosloorus and Evaton Central.

Why the Gauteng load reduction schedule remains in place

Eskom says illegal connections and meter tampering continue to damage transformers and mini-substations, creating safety risks and repeated overloads. The utility says load reduction is meant to prevent equipment failure while longer-term interventions are rolled out.

Eskom has also said it plans to phase out load reduction by 2027. The programme targets 971 feeders nationally and is tied to smart meter rollouts, distributed energy measures and expanded support in affected communities. By 13 March 2026, Eskom said about 199,160 customers were no longer affected during peak periods.

Responses and next steps

In its latest public material, Eskom said some Gauteng communities could face outages lasting up to four or five hours, depending on area schedules published by province. Residents are being urged to check Eskom’s area-based schedule because block times differ across communities.

For households in affected areas, the immediate reality is unchanged: the national grid may be more stable, but the Gauteng load reduction schedule still means regular local outages this week.