Eskom announced on Sunday that stage 2 load shedding will be extended to 05:00 on Wednesday following the loss of further generation capacity and to replenish emergency generation reserves.
The power utility said it regrets having to take this step, but it is due to generation capacity still being severely constrained.
"Over the past two days, Eskom teams successfully returned a generation unit each at the Matimba and Medupi power station. However, during the weekend we have suffered further breakdowns at five power stations, putting further strain on the generation capacity," Eskom said in a statement.
Additional breakdowns have occurred at the Tutuka, Majuba, Kusile, Matimba and Duvha, adding to previous breakdowns at the Kriel and Kendal power stations. There were also delays in units returning to service at Hendrina, Duvha and restoring full load on the Cahora Bassa line.
"We currently have 6 545 MW on planned maintenance, while another 12 915 MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns and delays. This has led to our inability to supply the demand," said Eskom.
"[We are] working hard to return the units back to service."
Eskom continues to implement reliability maintenance during this period and, therefore, expects that the system will continue to be constrained, with the possibility of load shedding remaining elevated.
"Eskom requests the public to continue using electricity sparingly as the system remains vulnerable and unpredictable, and we will communicate timeously should there be any significant changes to the power system," it said.