"These generation units returned more than 1,500 megawatt capacity to the system. This took total generation capacity returned to the system since 10 July to more than 3,500 megawatt," the power utility said.

The gains brought the company's available capacity to 34,000MW, which is the highest it has been so far this year, and it said it has now managed to replenish its emergency reserves.

"This is sufficient to enable Eskom to suspend this period of load-shedding tonight from 10pm, with no load-shedding expected for the rest of the week."

Eskom said earlier this year that load-shedding would remain a reality for the next two years as the company battles a maintenance backlog on ageing infrastructure and undertook extensive work on two new power plants to repair design faults.

However, after the country went into national lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, load-shedding was suspended for more than three months as the economy ground to a halt and demand plummeted.

Rotational blackouts returned last week as plant units in various provinces went down, overwhelming a system that is under increased pressure because of cold winter weather and the resumption of most economic activity since last month.

Eskom on Thursday asked consumers to reduce usage as far as possible, saying the "system remains unpredictable and unreliable".

African News Agency