A man walks beneath electricity pylons during frequent power outages from South African utility Eskom, caused by its ageing coal-fired plants, in Orlando, Soweto, South Africa, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko 

JOHANNESBURG, April 24 (Reuters) – South African state power utility Eskom said on Thursday that it would implement “Stage 2” scheduled power cuts from 1600 local time (1400 GMT) until Friday morning.

“Higher-than-expected electricity demand, the loss of generation units, and extensive planned maintenance have placed strain on the system,” Eskom said in a statement.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Writing by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Alexander Winning)