Eskom announces an eight-hour power outage in Gauteng on Thursday

Eskom has announced an eight-hour electricity supply interruption affecting customers in parts of Ga-Rankuwa in Tshwane next week.

The power utility will switch off electricity on Thursday, 22 October, to carry out emergency maintenance on its distribution network.

Eskom shared the notice in its Gauteng Cluster Connect newsletter, developed by its Gauteng Communication and Stakeholder Management team.

Areas affected by the Eskom power outage

According to Eskom, the outage will affect customers in the following areas:

• Makau
• Mothutlung
• Rantol Zone 3

Electricity will go off at 10:00, and Eskom expects to restore supply by 18:00, provided the work goes according to plan.

The utility said it needs the interruption to perform essential maintenance on its distribution power lines.

Because Eskom has classified the work as emergency maintenance, households and businesses in these areas have less than a week to prepare for a full working day without power.

Residents urged to stay safe

Eskom advised customers to treat all electrical appliances as live at all times during the outage.

This means residents should not touch, repair or tamper with any electrical equipment or power lines while the work is under way, as supply can return at any moment.

Residents may also want to charge their phones, power banks and rechargeable lights before 10:00 on Thursday. Keeping fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible will help food stay cold for longer.

Small businesses that rely on electricity, such as spaza shops, hair salons and internet cafés, may need to adjust their trading hours or make backup arrangements for the day.

Eskom thanked customers for their cooperation and apologised for any inconvenience the maintenance may cause.

The utility also cautioned that the planned maintenance may not go ahead as communicated if circumstances beyond its control arise.