Don't be a crybaby; Stage 6 is short-term pain for long-term gain.

This is President Cyril Ramaphosa's assessment of the return of extreme load shedding that is once again costing the economy over R1 billion a day.

The president pleaded with the country to bear with Eskom as it ramps up maintenance of its ageing coal electricity generating units that have been tripping during peak demand periods.

The country was plunged into Stage 5 on Sunday and Stage 6 on Monday morning, resulting in homes and industries losing at least 10 hours of electricity a day.

Even businesses that have contingency plans for Stage 2 to Stage 4 said they battle to cater for Stage 6 where a single blackout interval lasts four hours.

"What we are going through now is occasioned by what Eskom is having to do to reposition the generation of our fleet," Ramaphosa told journalists after his question and answer session in Parliament on Monday.

"So there is short-term pain. In the long term these are things we have to do in order to say goodbye to load shedding," Ramaphosa told journalists after his question and answer session in Parliament on Monday.

"They are maintaining our fleet. As much as it is at Stage 6, it is short-term in nature."

He said the Minister of Electricity has briefed him thoroughly about the processes that Eskom is going through.

Eskom confirmed a tough week ahead for the SA economy.

"Stage 6 load shedding will be implemented from 5 am on Tuesday until further notice," it announced.

"Overnight, a further two units at Lethabo and Matla power stations will have to be shut down for urgent repairs."

Pointing to the extent of the unreliability of its ageing fleet Eskom said the nation was losing 22,104 MW of electricity to breakdowns (16,210 MW) and planned maintenance (5,894 MW).