KEY POINTS
- Eskom appoints seven new directors effective 1 December 2025, aiming to strengthen governance and drive its turnaround strategy.
- The reshuffle blends continuity and change, with five members retained and six outgoing directors stepping down at the end of November.
- The new board will oversee Eskom’s reform agenda, debt management, and transition to cleaner, more reliable energy.
Eskom Holdings SOC Limited has announced a sweeping reconstitution of its Board of Directors, unveiling seven new appointments effective 1 December 2025, in what officials describe as a strategic step to consolidate governance and accelerate the utility’s turnaround.
The state-owned power company, which recently marked over 200 consecutive days without load shedding, remains burdened by a R400 billion debt and the enormous costs of modernising South Africa’s electricity network. The announcement, made in Johannesburg on Thursday, signals a push to balance continuity and renewal, with five current board members retained while six non-executive directors conclude their terms at the end of November.
Cabinet approved the refreshed board on 16 October, extending the tenure of the outgoing board by two months to ensure a smooth transition. The new lineup is designed to inject deeper expertise across engineering, finance, law, human resources, and environmental science, areas critical to Eskom’s plan to stabilise its generation fleet, improve operational efficiency, and pivot towards cleaner energy sources.
Eskom’s Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, and Chief Financial Officer, Calib Cassim, will both remain in their roles. Their retention reflects a broader government effort to maintain executive continuity amid leadership restructuring.
A board built for transformation and accountability
The new board brings together a cross-section of technical and governance specialists drawn from both the public and private sectors. Among the incoming members are telecommunications expert Dr Andrew Barendse, engineering and infrastructure specialist Dr Dimakatso Matshoga, environmental scientist Dr Kgaogelo Chiloane, human resources strategist Ms Sharmila Govind, and legal scholar Dr Vuyo Peach.
They are joined by finance professional Ms Bajabulile Tshabalala, who steps in as Lead Independent Director, and former Industrial Development Corporation chief executive Mr Tshokolo Nchocho, whose experience in large-scale project financing is expected to help Eskom attract investment for critical infrastructure upgrades.
This diverse cohort is tasked with guiding the utility through an intricate reform process, including the long-delayed unbundling of Eskom into generation, transmission, and distribution entities.
Chairman Dr Mteto Nyati, retained for another term, will continue to steer the board through this transitional phase. Nyati, a respected turnaround specialist and former chief executive of MTN South Africa and Altron, has played a key role in improving Eskom’s performance metrics since 2023. Other continuing directors include Dr Busisiwe Vilakazi, Mr Lwazi Goqwana, Mr Clive Le Roux, and Dr Tsakani Mthombeni. Their continued presence is seen as a stabilising factor amid the broader shake-up.
The outgoing directors, including former Lead Independent Director Mr Leslie Mkhabela and finance expert Ms Fathima Gany, will step down on 30 November after serving through one of the most challenging periods in Eskom’s history.
