Planned Power Outages to Affect Several Johannesburg Suburbs

City Power Johannesburg has confirmed upcoming electricity interruptions that will affect various parts of the city on Thursday, 31 July 2025 and Tuesday, 5 August 2025. These outages form part of routine maintenance aimed at improving the stability and reliability of the power supply.

The utility has advised that electricity could be restored at any time during the maintenance period, and residents should treat all power points as live throughout the day.

On 31 July, the Olivedale Substation will undergo maintenance, impacting Johannesburg North, Noordhang and Jukskei Park. The power will be off from 09:00 to 17:00.

On 5 August, work at the Longmeadow Switching Station will affect Longmeadow Business Park North, East, South and West, as well as Ayrshire Street. The outage will also run from 09:00 to 17:00.

Eskom Reports Progress in Power Generation Capacity

Eskom has reported a noticeable improvement in the performance of its power stations, with eight out of fourteen currently operating at Energy Availability Factors above 71 percent. This development is part of the utility’s broader plan to improve generation reliability across the grid.

The current statistics do not include the 720 megawatt contribution from Kusile Unit 6, which has been supporting the grid since 23 March 2025. While the unit has not officially begun commercial operation, it is expected to do so after September. Once in full operation, it will further enhance Eskom’s overall generation capacity.

One of the power stations has reached an impressive Energy Availability Factor of 91.1 percent, with three others performing above 60 percent. The utility also highlighted a reduction in unplanned outages, now recorded at 8,888 megawatts, as a major contributing factor to this progress.

Suspects Caught with Stolen Electrical Cables

In a separate incident, two undocumented individuals were arrested for allegedly being in possession of stolen electrical cables. The arrest took place on Tuesday, 29 July 2025, along the N3 Van Buuren On-Ramp.

The suspects were apprehended by the Gauteng Traffic Police and the Gauteng Traffic Wardens Infrastructure Unit. The cables were recovered at the scene, and authorities are continuing investigations into the matter.