Eskom enhances board amid rising profits and reliability
In the statement on the most recent Cabinet meeting, it said Eskom’s solid performance demonstrates the efficacy of Eskom’s recovery plan.
Image: Dumisani Sibeko
Eskom, which reported a return to profit this year and expects to repeat that at the end of the 2026 financial year, has added fresh expertise to its board.
Thandeka Zondi-Mthembu joined on December 5 as an independent non-executive director, the utility said on Thursday.
Zondi-Mthembu is a Chartered Accountant with more than 16 years’ experience across sectors, including short-term insurance, retirement funds, ICT and investment management.
The appointment comes as Eskom’s board shifts after the end of the outgoing directors’ three-year term on 30 November 2025.
The outgoing board, led by Mteto Nyati, presided over a period that saw Eskom report a profit after tax of R16 billion for the year ending March 2025, reversing years of losses.
Operational reliability also improved, reaching 98 %, as emergency diesel spending was reduced and maintenance programmes stepped up.
On Monday, in the statement on the most recent Cabinet meeting, it said Eskom’s solid performance demonstrates the efficacy of Eskom’s recovery plan.
Eskom, towards the end of last month, reported its interim results to end-September and said that profit after tax increased by 37% to R24.3 billion.
“These unaudited interim results demonstrate that our annual results for 2025 were not a once-off achievement and that our progress in turning around operational and financial performance, supported by government and stakeholder collaboration, is positioning Eskom for a sustainable future, said Eskom’s chairman, Mteto Nyati.
Nyati noted that, when the outgoing board took over in October 2022, it found an organisation in crisis. “These results reflect how strong leadership and expertise have guided Eskom’s 42,000 skilled employees to deliver the recovery by going the extra mile,” he said.
Speaking of the end of the term of the outgoing board, Nyati said, “I believe that we have laid a solid foundation for the incoming board to build on and position Eskom for the future”.
The refreshed board, which took over on December 1, includes retained directors such as Nyati and new members with expertise in engineering, environmental management and human resources. Cabinet approved the changes in October.
Eskom said the board’s mandate is to sustain financial gains, improve operational stability, steer unbundling reforms and advance energy transition goals.
That the board is being refreshed has generally been seen as important for stabilising the utility, good governance, and restoring investor confidence after years of crisis.
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