In the mid-2020s, South Africa’s national electricity crisis began a remarkable, if still fragile, reversal. While the expansion of private generation capacity undeniably contributed to the load-shedding reprieve, a fundamental shift within Eskom itself—spearheaded by three pivotal figures—has been the critical catalyst. CEO Dan Marokane, Generation Head Bheki Nxumalo, and Chairman Mteto Nyati formed a leadership triad that combined deep institutional knowledge, technical rigor, and strategic business acumen to pull the utility back from operational and financial collapse.
The debate over Eskom’s contribution versus private generation is nuanced. Private installations (estimated at over 5,000 MW by 2025) certainly reduced grid demand, easing pressure. However, independent energy analysts point to a more robust Energy Availability Factor (EAF), improved plant reliability, and a return to profitability as clear indicators that Eskom’s internal recovery is real and substantial. This turnaround is not merely a statistical artifact but the result of deliberate, often difficult, leadership decisions.
A chairman that got hands on
Bheki Nxumalo: The Technical Architect of Recovery
Appointed in April 2023, Bheki Nxumalo’s return to lead Generation was a homecoming. With two decades in the energy sector and 15 years at Eskom, he famously stated he “literally grew up” at the utility. His mandate was the direct execution of the Generation Recovery Plan, a task requiring not just engineering skill but the ability to rally a demoralized workforce.
Nxumalo’s strategy embraced a counterintuitive truth: to have more power available long-term, you must first take more capacity offline for proper maintenance. This explains the initial dip in the EAF from 56.03% (FY2023) to 54.9% in his first year—a period of “short-term pain.” His team intensified targeted, planned maintenance at the most broken-down stations, a move that initially increased diesel consumption for the Open-Cycle Gas Turbines but was essential for foundational repair.
The results materialized in the following year, with the EAF climbing to 61.2% for FY2025, and reaching 63.65% for the first half of the 2026 financial year. Critically, weekly EAF began consistently exceeding 70%, signaling sustained plant health. This wasn’t luck; it was the outcome of allowing technical experts to make technical decisions, freeing them from the bureaucratic paralysis that had plagued operations.
Mteto Nyati: The Strategic Enabler and Board Disruptor
Mteto Nyati, appointed Chairman in October 2023, was the catalyst who made Nxumalo’s work possible. A seasoned CEO from IBM, Microsoft, and MTN, Nyati represented a new breed of board leadership for a state-owned entity. He broke convention by diving into operational details, visiting power stations to hear directly from engineers and managers about systemic obstacles.
His most significant contributions were as an enabler and a shield for the operational team. First, he personally persuaded a reluctant Nxumalo to take the Generation role by guaranteeing him operational freedom—specifically, the authority to move station managers without internal political interference. This empowered Nxumalo to place the right skills where they were most needed.
Second, Nyati leveraged his board position to attack systemic bottlenecks. He formally challenged government procurement rules that forced Eskom to use local intermediaries for parts, which inflated costs and caused critical delays. His advocacy led Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to grant Eskom a three-year exemption, allowing direct procurement from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). This single move slashed lead times and costs, addressing a key frustration voiced by former CEO André de Ruyter but left unresolved until Nyati’s strategic intervention.
An engineer CEO
Dan Marokane: The Steady Hand Restoring Integrity and Financial Health
Dan Marokane’s appointment as CEO in early 2024 completed the triad. His return was deeply symbolic: a former Eskom executive (Group Capital) who was ousted in 2015 in a move the Zondo Commission linked to state capture, now cleared of all accusations. He brought not just a chemical engineering background and a master’s in petroleum engineering, but also a reputation for integrity and a willingness to resist political pressure.
Marokane’s focus was twofold: cementing the operational stability driven by Nxumalo and Nyati, and restoring financial sustainability. To allow him space, Chairman Nyati acted as Eskom’s public face for his first 100 days. Marokane’s disciplined, focused leadership provided the steady platform for recovery. The tangible outcomes were historic: Eskom reported its first annual profit in eight years for the 2025 financial year, and its liquidity position improved dramatically.
His recognition as Sunday Times Business Leader of the Year underscored that the turnaround was being noticed beyond energy circles. Marokane represented the principled, technically-grounded leadership necessary to rebuild trust both inside the organization and with the South African public.
The Synergy of the Triad: A Model for SOE Turnaround
The success of this trio lies in their complementary roles and mutual reinforcement. Nyati used his board authority and business credibility to remove external obstacles and protect the operational team. Nxumalo, empowered by that protection, applied deep technical expertise to fix the plants. Marokane provided overall strategic stability and financial stewardship, ensuring the gains were institutionalized and sustainable.
Their approach offers a blueprint for other struggling state-owned enterprises: empower technical experts with real authority, use board influence strategically to change damaging policies, and install CEO leadership with both expertise and unimpeachable integrity. While challenges remain, including the long-term energy mix and transmission grid constraints, the Eskom of 2025 is fundamentally more robust than the entity on the brink just a few years prior—a testament to the impact of decisive, coordinated leadership.
