Eskom on last night announced the reduction of Stage 5 load shedding to Stage 4.
The power utility said Stage 4 would be implemented from 5am on Thursday until 5am on Sunday.
Thereafter, said Eskom, Stage 3 power cuts will be implemented on Sunday.
This came hours after Eskom chief executive officer André de Ruyter resigned from the state-owned entity.
In a statement, the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, said De Ruyter “carried an enormous burden on behalf of South Africa” and thanked him for what he called “sacrifice and resilience in a difficult job”.
His resignation comes in light of intermittent Stage 5 and Stage 6 power cuts.