South Africa has endured electricity shortages for the past 15 years
AFP

The top executives of South Africa's electricity public utility Eskom announced that the power crisis in the country is expected to ease now.

According to Eskom's departing CEO, Andre De Ruyter, the recent maintenance work would lessen some of the country's most severe blackouts.

Since September 2022, stage 6 power cuts, the worst the country has seen thus far, have been enforced three times, reflecting South Africa's energy situation worsening. The possibility of stage 8, which would include 12 to 14 hours per day without electricity, had caused concerns.

The top executives of the electrical company, however, asserted that the conditions are improving. Blackouts should be less frequent this week thanks to the anticipated return of six power-generating units.

CEO Andre De Ruyter announced it is becoming less probable that stage 8 power outages will hit the nation. "That possibility is receding, which is comforting and positive," De Ruyter told a virtual media conference Sunday, Reuters reported.

He did, however, add that there will still be power outages for at least another two years.

De Ruyter also warned that there was always an "inherent risk" that things might get worse if there were any additional outages during periods of high demand.

The outgoing CEO further urged South Africans to schedule their evening electricity use for lower demand. "Switch off air conditioners, only boil water that you need, don't fill the kettle up. These small steps will make a difference," he said.

Mpho Makwana, Eskom's chairperson of the board, also spoke at the news conference and asserted that 2024 is the current anticipated date for the first phase of service restoration. This depends on whether Stage 2 and Stage 3 load shedding are implemented permanently while the power recovery plan is successfully carried out during the following two years.

He said that Eskom once won the title of "Global Energy Utility Company of the Year in 2001" and that they were working to restore its former prominence. Makwana, however, cautioned that it will take some time for the power recovery strategy to be implemented.

South Africa has a significant power shortage as a result of creaking coal-fired power plants, bribery in coal supply contracts, criminal sabotage, and a lack of regulatory easing to allow private providers to quickly bring renewable energy on tap.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he urged Eskom not to enact the 18.65% tariff hike that is scheduled to take effect by April. "I have told Eskom that it should consider halting the hiking of electricity prices, especially for now while our people are struggling under high levels of load shedding," he said, as per Bloomberg.