Eskom has confirmed that Sunninghill in Gauteng will lose power on Wednesday, 27 May, from 9:00 to 18:00. That is nine hours without power, and the utility says the outage is unavoidable.
The outage forms part of essential maintenance on Eskom’s distribution network. Residents who work from home, run small businesses, or depend on electrically powered medical equipment need to plan ahead now.
What Eskom says about the power outage
Eskom did not leave residents guessing. The utility confirmed that “the interruption in electricity supply is necessary to perform essential maintenance on our distribution power lines.”
The power supplier also issued a direct safety warning to all affected customers: “Customers are advised to treat all electrical appliances as live at all times during the power supply outage.” Do not assume any appliance is safe to touch simply because the lights are off.
Eskom added that it “apologises for any inconvenience that may be caused by this maintenance” and thanked residents for their cooperation.
Eskom included an important disclaimer in its notice. Should circumstances beyond the utility’s control arise, the planned maintenance may not proceed as communicated. In plain terms, the power outage could be postponed or extended without prior notice.
How to prepare before 9:00 Wednesday
Nine hours is a long time. Here is what to do before the power goes off:
- Charge all devices, phones, laptops, and power banks, overnight Tuesday
- Store water in case your complex or household relies on an electric pump
- Plan meals that do not require cooking during outage hours
- Switch off and unplug sensitive appliances before 9:00 to protect them from surge damage when power returns
How to contact Eskom
If you need to reach Eskom during or after the outage, use these channels:
- WhatsApp: 0860 037 566
- USSD: Dial *120*37566#
- Alfred chatbot: Alfred.Eskom.co.za/chatroom
- Contact Centre: 08600 37566, available 24 hours
- MyEskom Customer app: Available for download now
