Eskom is expected to implement various stages of load shedding over the upcoming long weekend.

Stage 4 load shedding is expected to be implemented from 4pm today to 5am tomorrow (Thursday) morning and will drop to Stage 2 between 5am and 4pm tomorrow.

From then on, Stage 4 will be implemented until 5am on Friday, followed by Stage 3.

That pattern will continue until Sunday when Stage 4 load shedding will drop down to Stage 1 between 5am until 4pm, when Stage 3 load shedding will commence.

On Wednesday morning, Eskom reported that some 16 283MW of capacity was unavailable due to breakdowns, coupled with a further 5 065MW unavailable due to planned maintenance.

"Over the past 24 hours, a generation unit at Kriel Power Station was returned to service. In the same period, a generating unit each at Camden and Duvha [power stations] were taken offline for repairs.

"The delays in returning a unit to service at Kendal and two units each at Kriel and Tutuka power stations contributed to the current capacity constraints. The team is working around the clock to ensure that generating units are returned to service as soon as possible," the power utility said.

Eskom called on South Africans to use electricity sparingly to relieve demand pressure on the system.

"We thank those South Africans who heed the call to use electricity sparingly and efficiently to help alleviate the pressure on the power system, as this helps to avoid higher stages of load shedding," the power utility said.