Storms Wreak Havoc on South Africa’s Electricity Supply

By Mike Cohen | December 29, 2025

Storms and high winds are wreaking havoc on South Africa’s electricity supply, with disruptions reported nationwide.

“While major disruptions in the Eastern Cape have largely been addressed, the KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Free State provinces remain severely affected,” state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. said in a statement on Sunday.

The adverse weather conditions are placing significant strain on response times, particularly in areas where access is restricted due to flooding, damaged infrastructure or unsafe terrain, and Eskom teams are working round the clock to restore the power supply safely and as quickly as possible, it added.

Scores of homes were damaged in the storms in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal region, according to the disaster management agency.

Photograph: The Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Kusile power plant in Mpumalanga, South Africa, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo credit: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg

Topics Windstorm

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