Somerset Mall and surrounding areas in Cape Town have been without electricity for three consecutive days.
Eskom said the outage was caused by the theft of high-voltage electrical infrastructure.
The utility said the incident caused significant damage to its network.
The outage has disrupted power supply to the shopping centre and nearby industrial areas.
Businesses, workers and customers have all been affected by the power cut.
Eskom teams work on repairs
Eskom said its technical teams have been working continuously to repair the damaged infrastructure.
The utility said it is trying to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
Eskom has set an estimated restoration time of 18:00 on Wednesday, 15 July 2026.
However, it warned that the repairs remain complex because of the extent of the damage.
The outage has again shown how infrastructure crime can leave entire communities and business hubs in the dark.
Theft puts pressure on grid
Eskom said theft, vandalism and illegal connections continue to place major strain on the electricity network.
The utility said these crimes lead to prolonged outages, financial losses and disruptions to economic activity.
The power cut has affected one of the Western Cape’s major shopping centres at a time when businesses rely heavily on stable electricity to operate.
For customers and employees, the outage has caused further disruption during the working week.
Eskom condemns vandalism
Eskom strongly condemned the theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure.
“Eskom strongly condemns acts of theft and vandalism targeting electrical infrastructure, as these crimes affect entire communities and undermine economic activity,” the utility said.
The power utility also renewed its support for its “Hands Off!” anti-crime campaign.
The campaign was launched in 2024 to fight infrastructure theft through investigations, arrests and public participation.
Eskom urged anyone with information about infrastructure theft to report it anonymously.
Members of the public can call Eskom’s toll-free crime hotline on 0800 11 27 22.
They can also report information to their nearest South African Police Service station.