Eskom Chairperson Admits to Service Delivery Quality Challenges

• Eskom’s chairperson, Mteto Nyathi, had pleaded with South Africans to be patient with the state-owned enterprise
• He spoke at the BizNews conference held at Hermanus in the Western Cape, where he admitted that the power utility faced service delivery problems
• He pointed out some of the challenges Eskom faces in providing electricity to communities

With 10 years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, has provided insights into infrastructure challenges and state-owned enterprises in South Africa, having worked at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

HERMANUS, WESTERN CAPE— Eskom Chairperson Mteto Nyathi admitted that the state-owned enterprise sucked in providing service delivery. He opened up about some of the challenges in providing electricity in a timely manner.

According to My Broadband, Nyathi addressed attendees during a Q&A session at the BizNews conference in Hermanus, Western Cape, on 10 March 2026. A property developer told Nyathi that their company pays the costs of upgrading mini-substations nine months in advance, before the development of the property. However, despite the advance payment, installation dates are constantly pushed out, and there is no communication from the state-owned entity. He asked how Eskom can be held accountable for delays and how it can assure customers of timeous service delivery after payment.

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Mteto Nyathi admits that Eskom sucks

Nyathi acknowledged that Eskom wrestles with service delivery issues as a major challenge. He remarked that although loadshedding has come to an end, Eskom still struggles with service delivery. He said that Eskom sucks and the service delivery is terrible. He implored that Eskom had changed and needed more time.

Eskom faces woes even after loadshedding

Even though Eskom successfully curbed rolling blackouts, the SOE continues to face challenges. The Gauteng High Court rejected Eskom and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s attempt to impose tariff hikes worth over R50 billion. This was after Eskom approached the court for a R54 billion out-of-court settlement after it applied for a tariff increase, which would be spread over three years. NERSA had approved a 12.7% tariff hike for 2025 with further adjustments for the following three years. The court ruled that Eskom must consult the public before implementing the tariff increase.

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An expert warned that the days of loadshedding may not be over as many think. BizNewsTV Synthesis Power Solutions director Thomas Garner warned that the electricity supply is expected to decline as the demand for electricity will rise due to the growth of the economy. Garner pointed out that the planned decommissioning of coal-fired stations, including Grootvlei near Heidelberg, Hendrina in Mpumalanga, and Camden near Ermelo, will reduce available capacity, creating a supply-demand imbalance that may trigger renewed loadshedding.

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa hails nuclear facility approval

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, welcomed the approval of a nuclear facility in Cape Town. He spoke after the former Environment Minister Deon George overturned appeals, which caused an eight-year delay.

Ramokgopa said that the move will strengthen the plans to secure a stable baseload supply. This, he remarked, would be central to generating reliable, low-carbon electricity while creating high-quality jobs.

Source: Briefly News