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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.

Latest Articles in 60 Seconds

Municipal debts to Eskom highlighted as Treasury withholds equitable share

National Treasury has withheld July equitable share transfers from 69 municipalities over poor financial governance, including failure to honour payment arrangements with creditors such as Eskom. Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso notes Johannesburg alone owes Eskom about R3.7-billion, with Treasury requiring signed payment agreements with creditors like Eskom before releasing funds.

Virtual power plants shown to ease grid pressure

Energy specialists say virtual power plants (VPPs) coordinating geysers, solar and batteries could defer grid infrastructure spending, with Plentify CEO Jon Kornik noting Deye battery capacity deployed in South Africa is twice the size of Eskom's planned R11-billion battery storage project. Speakers at a July 8 webinar called for policy reform to extend Eskom's demand-response programme beyond geysers to batteries.

Eskom-linked projects feature in hydropower and nuclear waste plans

The International Hydropower Association's 2026 outlook notes Eskom and France's Agence Française de Développement signed a €6.5-million grant in 2025 to support the 1 500 MW Tubatse Pumped Hydro Storage project. Separately, the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute is developing a R2-billion interim storage facility for spent fuel from Eskom's Koeberg nuclear power station, targeted for 2030.

Eskom Updates


Babcock launches Lincoln Electric partnership for SSA
13th July 2026

At Babcock’s Jet Park in Boksburg, Johannesburg, Babcock launched its new role as the preferred partner of Lincoln Electric welding products across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Hendrik du Toit, MD for... 


Salga Gauteng calls for transparent intergovernmental processes to resolve withholding of equitable share
13th July 2026 By: Schalk Burger

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) Gauteng calls for a fair, transparent and collaborative intergovernmental process to resolve the decision by the National Treasury to withhold... 


Busi Mavuso
Local government's day of reckoning has arrived – Mavuso
13th July 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

National Treasury’s decision to withhold the July equitable share transfer from 69 municipalities follows more than a decade of ignored Auditor-General warnings on municipal deterioration and... 


Solar panels at the Free State Bell Rive farm
RenEnergy appointed as EPC contractor at large Free State commercial farming operation
10th July 2026 By: Lumkile Nkomfe

A Free State commercial farming operation Belle Rive, spanning more than 2 000 ha, has appointed solar energy company RenEnergy Africa as its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)... 


Magazine cover image
NRWDI outlines steps being taken to prepare for safe interim storage of nuclear waste
10th July 2026 By: Natasha Odendaal

Buoyed by several significant milestones that the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI) has achieved over the past year, CEO Riedewaan Bakardien is upbeat its prospects for shaping... 


Magazine cover image
NRWDI outlines steps being taken to prepare for safe interim storage of nuclear waste
10th July 2026 By: Natasha Odendaal

Buoyed by several significant milestones that the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI) has achieved over the past year, CEO Riedewaan Bakardien is upbeat its prospects for shaping... 


Alarm over tender cancellations
Alarm over tender cancellations
10th July 2026 By: Terence Creamer

Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) has raised concern about the high level of tender cancellations, which it believes is having a negative impact on the construction market, as well as on meeting... 


Illustration of a residential VPP
Effectiveness of virtual power plants being proven in South Africa
9th July 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Virtual power plants (VPPs) have been tested and are being proven in South Africa, and their widespread use could reduce the need to build some new transmission and distribution infrastructure... 


An image of Eskom CE Dan Marokane
Collaboration key to energy security, transition – dialogue
9th July 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

With South Africa’s energy sector at a defining moment, with a dual imperative to ensure energy security and a credible transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy, this requires collaboration... 


A residential area in South Africa
Five provinces now load reduction free – Eskom
8th July 2026 By: Creamer Media Reporter

State-owned Eskom says it has reached an important milestone in its nationwide Load Reduction Eradication Programme, with five of the country's nine provinces now free from load reduction. To date,... 


Rand Water infrastructure
Eskom, Rand Water to start Phase 2 of water infrastructure maintenance programme
8th July 2026 By: Creamer Media Reporter

National power utility Eskom and water utility Rand Water will start on Phase 2 of their joint planned infrastructure maintenance programme from 07:00 on July 17. The work will conclude at 19:00 on... 


Ai, Healthcare And Public Sector Procurement In The Spotlight As Supply Chain Managers From Around The World Meet In Cape Town
8th July 2026

Hundreds of supply chain professionals from across Africa and around the world will convene in Cape Town this month to learn, share knowledge and network at the annual SAPICS Conference. Now in its... 


The City of Johannesburg's equitable share is also being withheld
National Treasury withholds July funds to 69 municipalities ‘to instil fiscal discipline’
7th July 2026 By: Irma Venter

National Treasury is temporarily withholding the July equitable share transfers to 70 municipalities across all nine provinces in an effort to “instil fiscal discipline and ensure that public money... 


Transmission infrastructure
Zimbabwe restores power after nationwide blackout, ZESA says
7th July 2026 By: Reuters

Zimbabwe's State power utility, ZESA, said on Tuesday it had restored power to most of the country after a fault on a key transmission line caused a nationwide blackout on Monday evening, while... 


An image of Transport Minister Barbara Creecy
Creecy outlines logistics improvement endeavours
6th July 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

The world is facing a series of interlinked crises, with economic fluctuations, regional and global conflicts, resource constraints and growing environmental risks, and these disruptions are... 


NOA co-founder and head of trading Andrew Taylor
SAETA urges timely finalisation of electricity market rules to unlock investment, competition
6th July 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

South Africa's electricity market reforms have reached a critical point, with the regulations now being finalised by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) set to determine whether... 


City of Johannesburg welcomes Moody's ratings confirmation, positive outlook
City of Johannesburg welcomes Moody's ratings confirmation, positive outlook
6th July 2026 By: Sabrina Jardim

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has welcomed the decision by Moody's Ratings to affirm the city's long-term issuer rating at Ba3, while revising the outlook to positive, following the conclusion of... 


Powerlines
An independent transmission system operator a must, BLSA’s Mavuso argues
6th July 2026 By: Schalk Burger

Section 34A of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act requires that the independent transmission system operator (ITSO), as the licensed transmitter, control the network it operates, says... 


New South32 CEO Matt Daley.
New South32 CEO sees strong growth ahead in zinc, lead, silver, copper
3rd July 2026 By: Martin Creamer

Being a premier base metals-focused business with strong growth potential is the vision for South32 of new CEO Matt Daley. “We've got around 55% production growth over the next handful of years in... 


AfriForum launches PAIA application over grim municipal stats
AfriForum launches PAIA application over grim municipal stats
3rd July 2026 By: Thabi Shomolekae

Lobby group AfriForum has launched a formal Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application targeting the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), following... 


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