Eskom
Eskom is South Africa's state-owned electricity utility and the dominant power generator in the country. The company supplies approximately 90% of South Africa's electricity and is one of the largest utilities in Africa by generation capacity. Eskom operates a fleet of coal-fired, nuclear, hydroelectric, gas turbine and pumped-storage power stations, with coal-fired generation forming the backbone of its capacity. The utility is headquartered in Johannesburg and employs tens of thousands of people across its generation, transmission and distribution operations. Eskom has faced significant operational and financial challenges in recent years, including ageing infrastructure, maintenance backlogs, high debt levels and governance issues. These difficulties have led to recurring periods of loadshedding, during which the utility implements rolling blackouts to prevent a total grid collapse. The company's performance is critical to South Africa's economy, as reliable electricity supply underpins mining, manufacturing and other energy-intensive industries. Eskom was established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission and has undergone several restructurings and reforms over the decades. The utility remains a focal point of South Africa's energy policy debates and economic planning.
Eskom Updates
Eskom extends assistance timeframe for grid-tied solar installation registrations amid regulatory, cost concerns
By: Lumkile Nkomfe 1st October 2026 State-owned power utility Eskom says it will extend its waiver of registration-related charges beyond September 30 for eligible customer-owned... →
#LGE2026: Seven claims from the DA’s election manifesto fact-checked
By: Africa Check 28th September 2026 South Africans will vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. Survey data from Afrobarometer suggests that unemployment, crime, water... →
Power outage disrupts Rand Water pumping operations
By: Natasha Odendaal 28th September 2026 A power outage and power dip at State-owned power utility Eskom has disrupted operations at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch and Lethabo pumping stations.... →
Draft electricity pricing policy published, SAWEM start needs to be set – BLSA
By: Schalk Burger 28th September 2026 While the recently published draft Electricity Pricing Policy, which is due to be finalised by March 2027, will support a competitive electricity... →
Daily Poodcast – September 25, 2026
25th September 2026 September 25, 2026. For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity’s Daily Podcast →
Reappointed Nyati links Eskom unbundling to board’s new top priority of electricity affordability 
By: Terence Creamer 25th September 2026 Eskom chairperson Dr Mteto Nyati, whose term has been extended by a further three years, says the board’s top priority has shifted from... →
Eskom board chair reappointed after turnaround in power supply
By: Reuters 25th September 2026 South Africa's government has reappointed State utility Eskom's board chairperson Mteto Nyati, for another three years after a sharp improvement in... →
Puppet Master: The secrets of Markus Jooste and the Steinhoff crash
25th September 2026 When Markus Jooste died in 2024, he took many of Steinhoff’s secrets with him. But not all of them. The collapse of Steinhoff wiped more than... →
Burning platform
By: Terence Creamer 25th September 2026 Prior to the stabilisation of Eskom’s operational performance, the issue of loadshedding was undoubtedly South Africa’s ‘burning platform’. Besides... →
Johannesburg tests solar microgrids for informal settlements
23rd September 2026 Johannesburg is investing R517.8-million in solar-powered microgrids that roll out renewable energy in five informal settlements, Thabo Molelekwa... →
