This paper proposes an improved direct power control (DPC) strategy for shunt active power filter (SAPF). The conventional DPC control suffers from variable switching frequency and high-power ripples due to hysteresis comparators used. In order to overcome the drawbacks and to ensure a fast response, a perfect reference tracking with required dynamic behavior and low power ripple level, a direct power control combined with space vector modulation DPC-SVM is proposed. An H∞ regulator is considered for the closed loop active and reactive power. The effectiveness of the proposed DPC-SVM control based on H∞ regulator is examined by simulation and experimental validation using Matlab/Simulink software with a real-time interface based on dSPACE 1104 under different loading conditions.