Durban power outages today (29 October 2026): affected areas, causes and when power returns
eThekwini lists power outages in Dassenhoek, Springfield Flats, Dubes Land, Umbumbulu, Lusaka, Congella, Bothas Hill and more on 29 October 2026, several from copper theft. Here is what the municipality says and how to report.
By Reported Team · Updated
Update (12:00 SAST, 30 October 2026): Several of these outages carried into Friday, and eThekwini has listed new ones. See Durban power outages on 30 October 2026 for the latest official list.
Parts of eThekwini are without electricity on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The municipality's official electricity faults list shows three new area outages still being diagnosed (Dassenhoek, Springfield Flats and Dubes Land) and 12 more where repairs have been escalated to depot teams, several of them caused by copper cable theft. Load shedding remains suspended, so these are network faults (eThekwini load shedding page).
Which Durban areas have no power today?
New outages still being diagnosed. eThekwini says its fault teams are working to identify these faults and that response time is generally 1 to 8 hours (eThekwini faults list).
| Area | Depot |
|---|---|
| Dassenhoek | Central Western |
| Springfield Flats | Northern |
| Dubes Land | North Western |
Repairs escalated to depot teams. The percentage is how much of each area eThekwini lists as restored, with the time of its latest entry (eThekwini faults list).
| Area | Cause listed | Restored so far | Latest entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umbumbulu | Overhead line failure | 10% | 29 Oct, 12:53 |
| Lusaka | Copper theft | 60% | 29 Oct, 11:56 |
| Lower Molweni | Copper theft | 80% | 29 Oct, 11:28 |
| KwaSondela | Overhead line failure | 80% | 29 Oct, 10:33 |
| Bothas Hill | Copper theft | 70% | 29 Oct, 09:57 |
| Gunjini | Copper theft | 90% | 29 Oct, 09:23 |
| Amanzimtoti | Cable fault | 90% | 29 Oct, 08:48 |
| Amatikwe | Pole transformer failure | 90% | 28 Oct, 20:29 |
| Umlazi G | Overhead line failure | 90% | 28 Oct, 20:20 |
| Congella | Cable fault | 40% | 28 Oct, 18:39 |
| Belvedere | Not stated | 0% | Not stated |
| Durban Middletown | Cable fault | 0% | Not stated |
Residents on the outage app ESP also report power off in parts of Mount Vernon, Hillary, Malvern and Illovo, which are not all on the official list (ESP eThekwini). These are residents' reports, not confirmed by the municipality.
When will power be restored?
eThekwini has not given restoration times for individual areas. For outages escalated to depots, it says these repairs involve complex processes and, while it aims for 24 hours, restoration may take 36 to 48 hours depending on complexity (eThekwini faults list).
When power comes back, switch appliances on one at a time so the network does not trip again.
Is this load shedding?
No. Eskom load shedding is suspended, and eThekwini says that if your power is off when load shedding is not active, it is a fault on the network (eThekwini load shedding page).
How do I report a power outage in Durban?
First check whether your area is already on the official faults list. eThekwini asks residents not to log multiple faults for the same area outage, because it does not speed up repairs, and to share the existing reference number with neighbours instead.
| Channel | Details |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp chatbot | Send "Hi" to 064 761 7930 (eThekwini) |
| Toll free contact centre | 080 311 1111 (eThekwini) |
| Online portal | webfaults.durban.gov.za |
| [email protected] (eThekwini) |
Separately, parts of Phoenix face daily water cuts, which eThekwini says may continue until 2032. Read what the municipality says about the Phoenix water cuts.
FAQ
Which Durban areas have no power on 29 October 2026?
eThekwini's faults list shows new outages in Dassenhoek, Springfield Flats and Dubes Land, and repairs under way in Umbumbulu, Lusaka, Lower Molweni, KwaSondela, Bothas Hill, Gunjini, Amanzimtoti, Amatikwe, Umlazi G, Congella, Belvedere and Durban Middletown.
Is Durban load shedding today?
No. Load shedding is suspended. eThekwini says outages when load shedding is not active are network faults, such as cable faults, overhead line failures and copper theft.
How long do eThekwini repairs take?
eThekwini says fault finding usually takes 1 to 8 hours. For repairs escalated to depots it aims for 24 hours, but says restoration may take 36 to 48 hours depending on complexity.