April 23, 2026 – eRadio SA – Live from the Garden Route

Load shedding free winter on the cards for SA

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Eskom projects that no load shedding will be implemented this coming winter season.

The power utility presented the State of the System at a media briefing on Wednesday, to share its 2026 Winter Outlook.

“Eskom enters the 2026 winter season with a resilient power system, projecting a winter period of continued energy stability from 1 April to 31 August 2026. This positive outlook follows the successful conclusion of the summer period, during which the national grid operated with ongoing sustained reliability.

“With the Generation Recovery Plan firmly embedded in day‑to‑day operations, Eskom has moved beyond short‑term recovery into a phase of stability and sustained energy security, ensuring that homes, businesses and industries remain powered through the peak winter months,” Eskom said in a statement.

Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane added that the power utility now has a stable platform to “operate and grow from”.

“This enables us to integrate renewable energy sources as per the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan for the maintenance of energy security in the future.

“Eskom is consciously assessing the new capacity build rate across all required technologies as this, along with other socio-economic conditions, will be vital in determining the transition of the coal fired power stations,” Marokane said.

The power utility’s diesel consumption – once relied upon to power expensive open cycle gas turbines – is also on the downturn, reducing by some R26.9 billion.

Eskom’s Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, reflected that cost savings such as those were hard to embed when the generation fleet was unstable.

“These savings are a result of strengthened maintenance discipline and project delivery. Every megawatt we return contributes toward economic growth.

“The restoration of a consistent baseload electricity supply has enabled Eskom to be in a position to support industries in distress, particularly the ferrochrome industry, and play a meaningful role in preventing job losses.

“The country has invested in Eskom, and we are continuously working to restore this national asset to full health; it is a resource that all citizens have supported,” Nxumalo said.

Other year‑on‑year improvements in system performance include:

-Energy Availability Factor (EAF) improved by ~10.8%: The EAF has improved from 54.55% in Financial Year (FY) 2023 to ~65.35% in FY2026, a gain of ~10.8%, reflecting stronger generation reliability and power system stability. EAF reached or exceeded 70% on more than 83 occasions during FY26.
-Unplanned losses, reduced by ~7.1GW: Unplanned Capacity Loss Factor (UCLF), measuring unplanned losses, reduced by ~7.1GW, declining from 16.5GW to ~9.1GW as at 31 March 2026, a reduction exceeding one‑and‑a‑half times the capacity of Kusile Power Station.
-Planned maintenance increased, averaging 5.4GW: Planned maintenance increased from an average of 4.7GW in FY2023 to peaks of around 8.0GW, with an annual average of 5.4GW in FY2026, strengthening long‑term plant reliability while temporarily reducing available capacity.

“Together, these improvements supported a period, as of [Wednesday], of 341 consecutive days without load shedding,” Eskom said.

Tackling load reduction
Eskom noted that it is working closely with the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) and other relevant stakeholders to “accelerate the elimination of load reduction”.

Load reduction is implemented by the power utility to protect infrastructure from overloading and destruction where there are illegal connections.

Eskom said its elimination programme is already yielding results, with the Northern Cape and Western Cape now fully removed from load reduction schedules.

“Nationally, more than 340 000 customers who previously faced load reduction are no longer experiencing it, ensuring continuous supply during the winter period.

“A key part of the programme is the installation of more than 600 000 smart meters, which improve network visibility, support better load management and help stabilise local electricity networks.

“In addition, 2119 customers have been connected through distributed energy resources to strengthen the electricity supply in areas where network limitations previously contributed to load reduction,” the power utility explained.

The programme is expected to be concluded by next year.

“By September 2026, Eskom expects that about 60% of feeders currently affected by load reduction, 573 out of 971, will be removed from load reduction, with the remaining feeders addressed progressively by 2027,” Eskom said.

How to opt out of Spam Calls

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The Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs has encouraged consumers to register on the national Opt-Out Registry to block unsolicited telemarketing calls, SMSs and emails from businesses.

The call follows amendments to the regulations of the Consumer Protection Act, which were gazetted on 15 April 2026 and are aimed at strengthening consumer protection against unwanted direct marketing.

Under the amended regulations, the responsibility now shifts to businesses to prevent unwanted marketing communications, rather than placing the burden on consumers to unsubscribe from each company individually.

By registering a pre-emptive block on the National Consumer Commission Opt-Out Registry, consumers will be able to legally stop all registered direct marketers from contacting them.

Acting Chief Director of the Gauteng Office of Consumer Affairs, Milly Viljoen, said the amendments come at a critical time as many consumers face high levels of debt and increasing living costs.

She said consumers need to be aware of their rights under the new regulations, which include the right to refuse direct marketing by registering on the system.

“All direct marketing businesses must register on the system and renew their registration annually. Businesses must respect consumers’ opt-out choices and refrain from contacting them,” Viljoen said.

She added that companies are now expected to clean up their marketing databases and ensure that consumers’ personal information is not used without consent.

“These amendments matter because too many consumers are still being harassed by spam calls and messages, often after asking to be removed. These new rules aim to shift the burden onto businesses to comply — and not for consumers to chase them,” she said.

Consumers have been advised to register their opt-out request either for a specific company or for the entire industry once the system becomes available.

The registration will be a once-off step offering ongoing protection, although consumers should ensure their details remain updated if circumstances change.

Consumers are also encouraged to report businesses that continue contacting them after an opt-out request and to be cautious about where they share their personal information.

The amendments will take effect from July 2026, when direct marketing businesses must register and the system becomes available to consumers.

According to the Consumer Protection Act, non-compliant businesses could face fines of up to R1 million or 10% of annual turnover, whichever amount is higher.

More FMD vaccines arrive in South Africa

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The Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced the arrival of two million doses of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine in South Africa, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to control the spread of the disease.

The vaccines, sourced from Dollvet in Turkey, represent the first tranche of a six million doses order secured through local agents Dunevax. Distribution to provinces is expected to begin within the next few days.

Building on this progress, the Minister said an order for an additional five million doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina has been placed with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP).

He said the consignment of vaccines will arrive in the country in two batches, 3.5 million and 1.5 million doses, pending approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under a Section 21 application.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Steenhuisen said the department has secured all matched vaccines currently available on the international market to ensure access to a steady supply.

“We will push forward to make sure that we achieve our goal - vaccinate the national herd to achieve World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) recognition of FMD-free status with vaccination. This will allow us to access international markets for South African red meat that have been closed for decades due to FMD,” Steenhuisen said.

Strategic vaccine allocation
In order to effectively manage the vaccine rollout, the Minister said the Department of Agriculture is implementing a scientific, targeted allocation strategy based on animal risk and population figures.
Under this approach, the latest batch of vaccines will be distributed as follows:

The Eastern Cape has been allocated 135 400 doses; Free State 182 400 doses; Gauteng 124 800 doses; KwaZulu Natal 192 000 doses; Mpumalanga 144 000 doses; North West 182 400 doses; Western Cape 150 000 doses; Northern Cape 100 000 doses; and Limpopo 150 000 doses.

Additional allocations have been set aside for key agricultural sectors to ensure the continuity of our food supply chain, including 100 000 doses for the dairy industry, 150 000 for feedlots, and 150 000 for the pig industry. A further 239 000 doses will be reserved for immediate emergency deployment where required.

The Minister said strengthened surveillance and faster reporting systems, which allows the department to capture data from provinces more quickly, are critical to these efforts.

“We continue to work closely with the private sector and industry bodies to ensure that our vaccination drive remains efficient and reaches every corner of our country,” Steenhuisen said.

Since February 2026, South Africa has received four million FMD vaccine doses, including 2.5 million from Biogénesis Bagó and 1.5 million from Dollvet.

This is in addition to the 2 million vaccine doses imported in the last quarter of 2025. This has ensured the vaccination of more than 2.1 million animals nationwide.

On 10 April 2026, Minister Steenhuisen officially announced the intention to publish the Routine Vaccination Scheme for Foot and Mouth Disease (RVS-FMD) under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984).

The department said the deadline for comments was 17 April 2026, and the submissions that have been received are currently being evaluated and consolidated, following which the final scheme will be published.

Global context
FMD outbreaks remain a global concern and are not unique to South Africa. Recent cases have been reported in parts of Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region, including in Greece, China, Cyprus, Israel, and most recently Germany.

The SAT1 topotype 3 strain currently affecting South Africa has also been detected in several countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, and Syria between late 2025 and early 2026.

Garden Route Named the World’s Best Road Trip

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The Garden Route has been ranked the number one road trip in the world by Autotrader, achieving a score of 90.6 out of 100.

The global study assessed leading road trips based on factors such as road quality, scenery, weather conditions, visibility, temperature, and overall driving experience. The Garden Route emerged as the top performer.

At the centre of this route is the Garden Route National Park, which spans key sections along the journey and offers a range of nature-based experiences.

The Wilderness Section, located along the N2, is known for its calm waterways, birdlife, forest cabins, and outdoor activities such as canoeing and mountain biking.

The Knysna Section offers access to estuarine and forest environments, with activities including visits to the Thesen Island area to see the endangered Knysna seahorse, as well as forest trails in Diepwalle and scenic viewpoints.

The Tsitsikamma Section features rugged coastal scenery at Storms River Mouth, with accommodation options, camping sites, and access to the famous suspension bridge.

The Garden Route National Park remains a key part of this internationally recognised route, offering diverse landscapes where forests, rivers, mountains, and coastline meet.

Visitors are encouraged to experience this globally recognised journey and the national park that forms part of it.