While State-owned Eskom has historically faced systemic challenges such as unreliability of its generation fleet and a weak balance sheet, chairperson Dr Mteto Nyati has said the utility is currently “very stable”, having recently achieved an energy availability factor of about 70%.

Speaking on the second day of the Joburg Indaba, on October 9, he attributed this improvement to positive leadership, highlighting that Eskom is focussing on finding new revenue sources and moving towards clean energy generation.

“When you look at the different sources or mix of energy, we know that one of the cheapest forms of energy for us is coal, so it is in our interest to find ways and means of making the coal clean,” he said, noting that the utility is focussing on research and development in that regard.

In addition, Nyati identified corruption as one of the nine systemic issues facing Eskom, noting the utility’s continuous efforts on this front.

“It is not something that we took our eyes off. It is something that we focus on a lot . . . we put together the structures that are helping us to be able to identify where the problems are,” he said, noting that Eskom has partnered with technology companies and audit firms to address this issue using technology, such as AI.

Nyati also explained that Eskom is working with the Special Investigating Unit to address these issues.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to corruption, it's not going to be an overnight thing . . . it starts with having the right leaders, having the right tone from the top and then having people be held accountable,” he said, reiterating the importance of well-rounded leaders who understand aspects such as governance, people and culture.

Meanwhile, Nyati also noted Eskom’s shift in focus from energy security to energy affordability, highlighting the importance of ensuring that, going forward, electricity tariff increases are in line with the Consumer Price Index.

“We cannot [continue to] have double-digit increases,” he expressed, noting, however, that this requires taking costs out of the business.