Eskom warns of rolling power cuts

While the power utility had not confirmed reports of imminent power outages, it did indicate on its website that there was a risk of power cuts.

"Summer is the season to do power station maintenance. The risk of power outages is high and we are asking all South Africans to switch off all non-essential electrical equipment immediately," it said.

Eskom spokesperson Hilary Joffe said the maintenance was necessary as some power generating units had tripped and others were not performing well.

It's believed Eskom this week had asked its large customers, including municipalities, to decrease power use and switch off as many appliances as possible.

The last time the country experienced serious rolling power outages was in 2008 when there was a high demand for electricity and the national grid was under severe pressure.