Photo by: Duane Daws
Eskom will move from stage 1 to stage 2 load shedding at 18:00 on Thursday, which is expected to continue until 22:00.
This is due to a further shortage of generation capacity as additional units have had to be taken out of service for unplanned maintenance caused by technical faults, Eskom said in a statement.
Eskom has implemented stage 2 load shedding every day since Sunday, with Thursday's stage 1 load shedding starting from 06:00.
On Thursday, it said the electricity supply system remains very constrained and vulnerable due to a shortage of generation capacity. "Several units are currently out of service due to planned and unplanned outages."
Eskom said load shedding is implemented as a necessary measure to protect the power system. "Any additional changes on the already vulnerable and constrained power system could lead to a change in the stage of load shedding at short notice."
At a media briefing on Wednesday, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said South Africans should expect load shedding to be a way of life for at least the next two years.
"There will be load shedding for the next two years," she said. "It is time for South Africans and the economy to adapt to the situation and find a way to save electricity and manage their productivity during the few hours of load shedding when it occurs."