Power utility Eskom has welcomed electricity and energy minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s announcement that the term of Eskom board chairperson Mteto Nyati has been extended by a further three years.
Eskom group chief executive Dan Marokane says the extension provides continuity and leadership certainty as the utility positions itself for long-term sustainability.
“We are rebuilding an economic asset for South Africa. The board has played a critical role in strengthening governance, improving operational and financial performance, advancing the restructuring of the business and creating the conditions required for a competitive marketplace,” Marokane said on Friday.
The extension takes effect on 1 November 2026, providing continuity in governance and strategic oversight as Eskom builds on the gains made during its recovery phase, says the power utility.
It adds that the extension supports the utility’s focus on operational and financial sustainability, long-term competitiveness and sustainable value creation for South Africa.
The power utility notes that, under Nyati’s leadership, the board had overseen significant operational, financial and governance progress, while guiding Eskom in fulfilling its dual mandate: commercially, to operate a financially-sound business; and developmentally, to keep South Africa connected, growing and inclusive.
According to the state-owned company, during this period, Eskom strengthened governance and accountability, improved operational performance, reduced its reliance on diesel-powered generation and returned to profitability, reporting profits in two consecutive financial years. It also advanced reforms that are positioning the organisation for long-term sustainability.
The board has also overseen significant progress in separating Eskom’s businesses, including advancing the unbundling strategy, establishing and operationalising the National Transmission Company South Africa, and launching Eskom Green, its utility-scale renewable energy business.
It says these moves are strengthening the foundation for Eskom’s long-term sustainability and supporting South Africa’s evolving energy sector.
“Nyati is well-respected across Eskom and the industry, by our shareholder and by our key stakeholders, including organised labour, our investor base and the wider business community. Eskom and South Africa are fortunate that Nyati remains available for this reappointment, and I personally look forward to continuing our strong working relationship,” Marokane says.
Nyati says the request for him to continue as Eskom chairperson was a responsibility he accepted with humility and a clear understanding of the country’s expectations.
“I want to thank the minister of electricity and energy, the Cabinet and the president for the trust they have placed in me. Over the past three years, Eskom’s employees have shown what is possible.
“They have proved that impossible is not a fact; it is an opinion. They have lifted this organisation out of the worst crisis in our democratic history and brought it to a point where we now have excess capacity that can be used to drive economic growth,” the chairperson says.
He notes that he looks forward to continuing the work alongside his board colleagues.
“We must now help our country industrialise and support industrialisation across the Southern African Development Community region. Eskom must be more than a supplier of power. It must be a platform for growth,” Nyati says.
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