Eskom skills crisis 

Eskom is facing a severe skills crisis as many experienced and qualified employees have left or plan to leave the power utility due to its difficult working environment.  

The recent resignations of former CEO Andre de Ruyter and COO Jan Oberholzer are seen as symptoms of the long-standing skills crisis at Eskom. Oberholzer, a highly experienced individual, recently left the company, leaving a considerable gap. 

 The utility’s lack of skilled personnel is reflected in maintenance projects running over budget and behind schedule, leading to poor-quality work. Eskom’s exodus of skilled employees began over a decade ago during a transformation process, and the utility has struggled to retain both black and white engineers due to political interference and low morale.  

This skills crisis poses a significant challenge to Eskom’s operations in the short and long term. 

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