Eskom CEO Dan Marokane doing what André de Ruyter could not

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane is leading the utility’s turnaround as it records a second consecutive year in its return to profitability.

During the financial year ending 31 March 2026, Eskom recorded a profit of R30.35 billion as it continued to work towards restoring its operational and financial sustainability.

Much of the success of this turnaround has been attributed to Marokane, with Eskom Chairman Mteto Nyati saying his leadership had “driven Eskom’s recovery with purpose and determination.”

Marokane took over as CEO of Eskom in March 2024, one year after his predecessor, André de Ruyter, resigned from the position.

Under Marokane, Eskom returned to profitability for the first time since 2017, registering a before-tax profit of R23.9 billion in 2025 after suffering a R25.5 billion loss the year before.

During the first year of his tenure, the utility also increased its Energy Availability Factor (EAF) from 54.56% in 2024 to 60.6% in 2025.

In its latest results, Eskom reported an EAF of 65.16% for 2026, with the fleet reportedly achieving daily EAF levels exceeding 82% in recent weeks.

Additionally, Eskom implemented loadshedding over just 4 days during its most recent financial year, reaching 365 consecutive days without it on 15 May 2026.

By comparison, loadshedding was implemented on 329 days during Eskom’s 2024 financial year, totalling 6,367 hours or 13.2 TWh of lost electricity supply.

Nyati has previously said that the work of Marokane and his team in turning Eskom around had been downplayed by the South African media.

“If André de Ruyter had done half of what Dan Marokane has done at Eskom, he would be called ‘Mr. Fix-It’,” Nyati said in a social media post from August 2025.

“Instead, Dan’s efforts are overlooked, attributing Eskom’s turnaround to the private sector or a miracle.”

The toughest job in the country

Marokane’s rise to CEO of Eskom came after a lengthy period of leadership instability at the utility, with its 11th CEO in the span of a decade at the time of his appointment.

His predecessor, André de Ruyter, had taken the position in January 2020 and resigned just three years later in February 2023.

In between de Ruyter’s resignation and Marokane’s appointment, Eskom CFO Calib Cassim served as acting CEO.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously described the position of Eskom CEO as the most difficult job in South Africa.

This is because they must report to two separate government departments, deal with entrenched corruption and crime, and keep the country’s electrical grid running and maintained.

In his book Truth To Power: My Three Years Inside Eskom, de Ruyter said the role was bruising, highly pressurised, and extremely complex.

“I would have liked to be seen as the knight on the white horse coming in and fixing all the problems,” de Ruyter said. “Clearly, this is impossible.”

“After being Eskom CEO, I feel bruised, especially after being accused of high treason, told not to play policeman, and suffering an attempted poisoning.”

While the power utility has seen a significant recovery under Marokane’s leadership, many have pointed to other factors as playing a major role.

Nedbank’s Energy Tracker for August 2025 revealed that Eskom’s improved performance could be largely attributed to lower electricity demand.

Eskom’s electricity sales volumes in 2026 totalled 178 TWh, its lowest point in over 25 years, while its EAF remains below historical averages.

This has been credited to a rise in alternative energy sources as households and businesses find themselves increasingly unable to afford Eskom’s electricity tariffs.

With regards to Eskom itself, both Nyati and Marokane have previously pointed to the utility’s head of generation, Bheki Nxumalo, for spearheading its improved fleet performance.

“Strong leadership in generation has made a huge difference, with Bheki Nxumalo galvanising his team to focus single-mindedly on recovering plant performance,” Marokane said in 2024.