South africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in a meeting with the Chairperson of the Eskom Board on Thursday, August 27, 2026, reaffirmed South Africa’s energy reform path as imperative to achieve an affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity supply for all South Africans. The President reiterated the government’s commitment to establish a fully independent Transmission System Operator (TSO) with ownership and control of transmission assets, aiming to create a level playing field for competition and unlock investment in the electricity sector.

According to African Press Organization, the implementation of the reforms is being developed by the Eskom Restructuring Task Team (ERTT), which will oversee the process. This includes representatives from The Presidency, National Treasury, the Department of Electricity and Energy, Eskom, and the National Transmission Company South Africa. President Ramaphosa further emphasized that the TSO will remain state-owned, as a strategic national asset serving the public interest.

In response to concerns raised by Eskom Board Chairperson, Mr. Mteto Nyati, President Ramaphosa reiterated the government's commitment to continue working closely with Eskom, the NTCSA, and other stakeholders. This collaboration aims to ensure the reform is implemented in a manner that preserves Eskom's financial position, ensures the TSO can invest in expanding and strengthening the transmission network, and engages lenders and funders in a transparent and responsible manner.

The Chairperson confirmed the Board's strong support for the policy direction determined by the government and committed to ensuring continued alignment between the Board and the shareholder in this regard going forward. The August 27 meeting followed a recent engagement between President Ramaphosa and the leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers and was in line with the President's commitment to continued engagement with all affected parties throughout the process.