Eskom Escalates Loadshedding from Stage 3 to Stage 6 After Multiple Unit Failures
By Mpho Moloi
Johannesburg, South Africa – 22 February 2025 – South Africans woke up to grim news on Sunday morning as Eskom announced that loadshedding had escalated to Stage 6, effective from 1:30 AM on 23 February 2025. The decision came after “multiple unit trips at Camden Power Station,” plunging the country into deeper power cuts just hours after Stage 3 loadshedding was rolled out on Saturday evening. The state-owned power utility said the sharp escalation was unavoidable due to a string of technical failures and the urgent need to replenish emergency reserves ahead of the coming week.
A Sudden Shift from Stability to Crisis
For more than 20 days, South Africans enjoyed a rare break from loadshedding, a period of uninterrupted electricity that had sparked hope of a turning point in the country’s energy woes. But that hope was short-lived. On Saturday, 22 February 2025, Eskom broke the silence with a statement: “Following over 20 days of uninterrupted electricity supply, Eskom has encountered another temporary setback. As a result, Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from today at 17:30 until further notice.” The announcement, shared at 07:30 AM PST (Pacific Standard Time), caught many by surprise, reigniting frustration across households and businesses.
Less than 24 hours later, the situation worsened dramatically. In an early Sunday update, Eskom revealed the jump to Stage 6, citing “multiple unit trips at Camden Power Station” as the immediate trigger. The power utility also pointed to earlier failures at Majuba Power Station and a unit trip at Medupi, which together slashed 3,864 MW from the grid. With planned maintenance already accounting for 7,506 MW offline, the system was stretched to breaking point. “Additionally to replenish emergency reserves and prepare for the week ahead, Stage 6 loadshedding was essential,” Eskom explained in its latest “#PowerAlert1” statement.
Eskom has promised more clarity, with a media briefing scheduled for 11:00 AM on Sunday, 23 February 2025. For now, South Africans are left grappling with the reality of extended blackouts and the uncertainty of when relief might come.
What Went Wrong at Camden, Majuba, and Medupi?
The rapid escalation from Stage 3 to Stage 6 has raised questions about what’s happening behind the scenes at Eskom’s power stations. According to the utility, the Camden Power Station in Mpumalanga suffered multiple unit failures overnight, though specific details about the cause remain unclear. Camden, a coal-fired plant with a capacity of around 1,600 MW when fully operational, is one of Eskom’s older facilities, often plagued by ageing infrastructure and maintenance challenges.
Earlier setbacks at Majuba and Medupi added to the strain. Majuba, another coal-powered giant in Mpumalanga, has a history of technical issues, including a catastrophic silo collapse in 2014 that crippled its output. The latest unit trips there compounded the loss of generation capacity. Meanwhile, Medupi – once hailed as a flagship modern power station – saw a single unit trip that further eroded the grid’s stability. Together, these incidents wiped out nearly 4,000 MW, a significant chunk of the country’s electricity supply.
Energy analyst Chris Yelland, speaking to SABC News on Saturday, warned that Eskom’s ageing fleet remains a ticking time bomb. “These plants are old, and breakdowns are inevitable without major upgrades or replacements,” he said. While Eskom has not confirmed whether the Camden failures were linked to maintenance delays or unexpected faults, the scale of the crisis suggests a deeper systemic issue.
Social Media Reacts: Anger, Resignation, and Dark Humour
The news spread like wildfire across social media, particularly on X, where South Africans vented their frustrations and shared updates. One user, posting early on Saturday, remarked, “Hello darkness my old friend,” echoing the sentiment of millions facing the return of blackouts. Another warned that “Eskom’s announcement of a return to Stage 3 loadshedding until further notice rings huge alarm bells,” pointing to the ripple effects on jobs and economic growth.
By Sunday morning, the mood had shifted from frustration to outrage as Stage 6 took hold. Posts on X highlighted the speed of the escalation, with some users accusing Eskom of mismanagement. “Stage 3 at 17:30 yesterday, now Stage 6 by 1:30 AM? What’s going on at Eskom?” one user demanded. Others turned to humour to cope, with memes circulating about candlelit dinners and generators becoming the new national treasure.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) wasted no time weighing in, with a post stating, “Load-shedding and reduction, like VAT hikes, will plunge SA’s prospects of growth and jobs and DA will not allow it.” The party linked to a statement outlining its plans to oppose Eskom’s strategy, though specifics were thin on the ground.
The Economic Fallout: Businesses and Households Hit Hard
The jump to Stage 6 loadshedding is a bitter pill for South Africa’s economy, already battered by years of unreliable power. Small businesses, many of which lack the resources for backup generators, face hours of downtime. “We can’t keep up,” said Thandi Mokoena, a bakery owner in Soweto. “Every blackout means lost sales, spoiled stock, and unhappy customers. How are we supposed to survive this?”
Larger industries, from mining to manufacturing, are also feeling the pinch. The Minerals Council of South Africa estimated that loadshedding cost the sector over R1 billion a day during previous high-stage outages. With Stage 6 cutting power for up to 12 hours daily in some areas, those losses could skyrocket. “This is a disaster for production and investor confidence,” said council spokesperson Charmane Russell.
Households, meanwhile, are scrambling to adapt. Families with young children or elderly members worry about basic needs like refrigeration and heating. “We just got used to having lights on again, and now this,” said Durban resident Sipho Ngcobo. “It’s like we’re back to square one.”
Eskom’s Plan: What Happens Next?
Eskom’s Sunday media briefing will be closely watched for answers. The utility has promised updates on the power system and a timeline for restoring stability, but past promises have often fallen short. In its latest statement, Eskom said Stage 6 would remain “until further notice,” a phrase that offers little comfort to a weary public.
Replenishing emergency reserves is a key focus, with Eskom likely relying on diesel-powered open-cycle gas turbines to bridge the gap. However, this stopgap measure comes at a steep cost – both financially and environmentally. Diesel expenses have soared in recent years, contributing to Eskom’s R400 billion debt burden, while emissions from these turbines clash with South Africa’s climate commitments.
Longer-term, the spotlight is on maintenance and new capacity. The 7,506 MW offline for planned maintenance reflects Eskom’s efforts to overhaul its fleet, but critics argue the pace is too slow. The government’s push for renewable energy, including solar and wind projects, has gained traction, but these sources won’t fill the gap fast enough to ease the current crisis.
A History of Loadshedding: How Did We Get Here?
Loadshedding is no stranger to South Africans. The term entered the national lexicon in 2007, when Eskom first introduced scheduled power cuts amid a supply crunch. Since then, the country has cycled through periods of relief and relapse, with stages climbing as high as 8 during the darkest days of 2022 and 2023.
The root causes are well-documented: decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, corruption scandals, and delays in building new power stations like Medupi and Kusile. Camden, commissioned in the 1960s, exemplifies the strain of relying on outdated plants. Even newer facilities like Medupi have been dogged by design flaws and construction setbacks, leaving Eskom in a perpetual catch-up game.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has pledged to end loadshedding by boosting private sector involvement and fast-tracking renewables. Yet, with Stage 6 now a reality in 2025, those promises ring hollow for many.
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