Eskom looks to attract data centres to South Africa

After years of shortages, South African power utility Eskom is expected to post a capacity surplus of 6,000 MW this year. No power cuts have been recorded in the past 12 months, a first since 2018. The surplus stems from improved availability at Eskom's power plants, the growth of self-consumption and sluggish electricity demand. South Africa accounts for 70% of Africa's data centres and installed capacity could double by 2031. Data centre operators in South Africa can choose between contracting with Eskom or becoming self-generators. The challenge for Eskom will be to prove it is a reliable supplier, having lifted the availability rate of its generating fleet from 50% in 2023 to 66% this year.