Cape Town residents have entered the new year with the hope that consistent power supply will continue in 2025, particularly as the City of Cape Town pushes for greater energy independence.
What’s the state of Cape Town’s power supply in January 2025?
January marks the 10th consecutive month without loadshedding at a national level, with Eskom boasting significant milestones, including reduced reliance on diesel and improved energy availability factors (EAF).
However, challenges persist, especially for Cape Town residents in areas where Eskom remains the direct supplier.
Reports indicate that as maintenance ramps up ahead of winter, unplanned outages remain a concern, with parts of Cape Town still vulnerable to network failures.
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The City continues to advocate for the takeover of Eskom-supplied areas to bring more stability to these regions, although negotiations with the national utility remain stalled.
Eskom loadshedding and Cape Town’s efforts to reduce the impact
The City of Cape Town has consistently been at the forefront of mitigating the impact of loadshedding.
Through initiatives such as its hydroelectric facility at Steenbras Dam, Cape Town protects its customers against up to two stages of Eskom loadshedding.
Residents served directly by the City often experience reduced outages compared to those reliant on Eskom.
Despite this progress, a setback occurred in May 2024 when Eskom officially ended talks about transferring supply areas to the City.
This decision left approximately one-third of Cape Town’s electricity users under Eskom’s management.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis responded by launching a petition to push for the transfer, citing concerns over prolonged outages and inadequate infrastructure maintenance in Eskom-serviced areas.
To secure a more sustainable future, the City unveiled an R14.6 million solar energy project in August 2024, adding a 990kWp solar installation at the Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Along with additional solar projects, Cape Town is working towards adding one gigawatt of independent power supply by 2026 to safeguard against four stages of loadshedding.
How vandalism and renewable energy projects shape Cape Town’s power supply
While Cape Town works to diversify its energy mix, vandalism and theft remain significant threats to the City’s electricity infrastructure.
Between September and December 2024, the Mitchells Plain area alone reported 35 incidents of substation vandalism.
In one case, four substations were attacked in a single day, leaving residents without power for extended periods.
The City has launched initiatives to combat this issue, urging residents to report suspicious activity and remain vigilant.
The City’s MMC for Energy Xanthea Limberg emphasised the impact of these crimes, stating:
“These acts of destruction divert resources from essential services and impact our ability to deliver consistent electricity to our communities.”
Meanwhile, Cape Town’s renewable energy projects continue to progress.
The City’s R4 billion grid upgrade plan aims to support a decentralised, sustainable energy system that reduces dependence on Eskom while addressing climate change goals.
By leveraging solar power and small-scale embedded generation, Cape Town is steadily moving toward a more resilient energy future.
