In May, Eskom had projected an unprecedented level of power cuts during the winter months. Although its most dire predictions did not materialise, the country still experienced 10 hours of power cuts for 39 days in winter and not a single day with uninterrupted supply. The country's central bank said in June that regular power cuts would shave off almost 2% from the country's growth rate. In the base case scenario, the country would see "Stage 4" loadshedding at worst, which translates into up to six hours of power cuts in a 32-hour cycle, he said. Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom's head of generation, said he expected lower daily rolling blackouts as the Kusile power plant would progressively come online from October.

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Persons: Siphiwe, Eskom, Calib Cassim, Bheki, Cassim, Promit Mukherjee, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Sasolburg, Free State, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG