Black Excellence Network RSA rejects the narrow attribution of South Africa’s load-shedding turnaround

South Africa’s progress in moving beyond prolonged load-shedding deserves recognition. However, the narrative presented in Daily Investor’s article, “Cyril Ramaphosa’s phone call to Adrian Gore that was the beginning of the end of load-shedding,” published on 25 October 2026, gives considerable attention to private business while risking the marginalisation of the leadership, governance and the sustained operational work undertaken within Eskom itself by its highly skilled employees that the nation has invested in for decades.

The Black Excellence Network RSA believes that South Africa must recognise all contributors to this achievement without overlooking the institution at the centre of the turnaround: Eskom.

Private-sector participation has played a role in strengthening the energy sector. Businesses have invested in alternative generation and contributed technical expertise. Such partnerships deserve acknowledgement. However, they do not tell the complete story of how South Africa moved from severe electricity shortages towards excess capacity.

Under the leadership of Eskom Board Chairperson Dr Mteto Nyati and Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane, the utility has pursued and delivered a focused operational recovery programme.

This has involved difficult but necessary decisions, including increasing planned maintenance, accelerated delivery of key generation projects, strengthening accountability and addressing the persistent breakdowns that contributed to years of load-shedding.

Eskom’s own performance reports and public statements have highlighted the impact of its Generation Recovery Plan, including improvements in energy availability and reductions in unplanned outages.

In May 2026, the country surpassed 365 consecutive days without load-shedding, a milestone Eskom’s leadership attributed to the work of its executive team and employees, alongside contributions from government and other stakeholders. The country now has an ongoing surplus of energy with which to attract investment.

These achievements cannot reasonably be reduced to the consequences of a single telephone call or the mobilisation of private business.

The role of leadership and institutional accountability matters.

A board must provide strategic direction, exercise oversight and hold management accountable for performance. An executive team must translate that direction into operational action, while employees must implement the plans that keep power stations running. Eskom’s recovery required these responsibilities to come together in practice.

The Black Excellence Network RSA therefore calls for a more balanced assessment of the turnaround under Dr Nyati’s chairpersonship and Mr Marokane’s executive leadership. Their respective contributions, together with the determination and technical expertise of Eskom employees, deserve meaningful recognition in discussions about the country’s energy recovery.

This is not an argument against private-sector involvement. South Africa needs investment, collaboration and additional generation capacity. But partnership must not become a framework through which the significant contribution of a public institution and its leadership is relegated to the background.

There is also a broader issue of how South Africa documents its successes. Too often, the public debate gives greater visibility to prominent business figures while the skilled institutional work behind national achievements receives less attention. A credible account of progress must examine the decisions, strategies and sustained implementation that produced measurable results.

The Board and executive management should be assessed on evidence, including operational performance, governance, financial sustainability and the ability to maintain reliable electricity over time. Recognition should follow the same principle: it must be grounded in the actual contributions made by the different parties.

The Black Excellence Network RSA maintains that Eskom’s turnaround deserves to be recognised as a collective achievement in which the utility itself has played a central role. Private business, government, the Board, executive management and employees have had different responsibilities, and those distinctions should not be lost in the telling of this story.

South Africa should celebrate collaboration without diminishing institutional achievement. The country’s energy recovery is an important national milestone, and a fair account must acknowledge the leadership and operational efforts that helped make it possible.