Eastern Cape power outages today (28 October 2026): affected areas, causes and when power returns

Parts of the Eastern Cape are still dealing with storm damage to the power network on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. Eskom says heavy rain and strong winds damaged poles, conductors and other equipment in the Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo, Amathole and Chris Hani district municipalities and Buffalo City Metro (Eskom, 27 October). Eskom has not announced that supply is fully restored, and it has not given a restore time (Eskom).

Flooding in the OR Tambo District is also making some roads and bridges hard to reach, which Eskom says is slowing repairs (Eskom; The South African).

This is not load shedding. Eskom's load shedding page shows it is currently not load shedding.

Which Eastern Cape areas are affected?

Eskom lists these as the most severely affected (Eskom):

• Alfred Nzo District Municipality
• OR Tambo District Municipality
• Amathole District Municipality
• Chris Hani District Municipality
• Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

Eskom has not published a list of towns, villages or wards, or a customer count. Not every home in these areas is off.

In the OR Tambo District, the municipality says flooding has hit areas including Mqanduli, Buntingville, Ngqeleni, Green Farms in Port St Johns, and communities around Qumbu and Tsolo (Mail & Guardian).

What caused the outages?

Eskom says heavy rainfall and strong winds damaged its network, including poles, broken conductors and other network components (Eskom; eNCA). The rain started on Monday, 26 October, after warnings from the South African Weather Service (Mail & Guardian).

When will power be back?

There is no official restore time. Eskom says restoration will vary by area, depending on the damage and the weather, and that difficult road access is hampering its teams (Eskom). It has not posted a newer Eastern Cape update since 12:45 on 27 October.

The South African Weather Service has not issued an impact based warning for the Eastern Cape for Wednesday, 28 October, according to The South African, which should help repair teams.

Which roads and bridges are flooded?

The South African reports flooding at the Mqanduli Bridge south of Mthatha and the Buntingville Bridge near Ngqeleni, and says officials warned residents not to cross the Ngwevana Bridge (The South African; Algoa FM). Authorities have not confirmed which routes are still closed today, so check local traffic updates before you travel (The South African).

The OR Tambo District says its disaster management teams are assessing the damage and identifying households that need help, and it will give a full update once the information is consolidated (Mail & Guardian).

What about learners writing exams?

The Department of Education's Coastal District has asked principals and parents to put safety first and make other arrangements for exams where needed (The South African). Contact your child's school if the route is flooded.

How do I report an outage or a fallen power line?

Call or WhatsApp Eskom on 08600 37566 to report fallen power lines or damaged equipment (Eskom). If your electricity account is with your municipality rather than Eskom, report the outage to your municipality.

How do I stay safe?

• Stay away from fallen power lines and treat all electrical equipment as live (Eskom).
• Do not cross flooded rivers, streams or low lying bridges (Mail & Guardian).
• Switch off appliances so they are not damaged by a surge when the power comes back.

Yesterday's coverage: Eastern Cape power outages today (27 October 2026).