Eskom is reinforcing its dedication to human capital development and engineering excellence by awarding 138 bursaries to aspiring engineering students from various tertiary institutions across South Africa. The handover of the bursaries took place at Eskom head office, Megawatt Park, earlier today.
In recent years, Eskom has faced significant workforce reductions, partly due to a 2016 World Bank report that underestimated the number of skilled professionals required for operational efficiency. Public scrutiny, financial constraints, and below-cost-reflective tariffs set by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) contributed to a 30% decrease in engineering staff between 2017 and 2022 despite rising electricity demand. This decline has impacted operational performance, prompting Eskom to prioritise workforce stabilisation and strengthening.
“We are proud to have invested in the human capital of South African youth. Eskom bursars are essential to our engineering pipeline. As an organisation rooted in engineering expertise, Eskom primarily supports studies in various disciplines of engineering to ensure our workforce can meet both current and future energy needs. Bursary recipients typically start their careers as Engineers in Training and then move into specialist and leadership roles within Eskom’s Generation, Distribution, and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA). We have set a clear goal to ensure that 50% of beneficiaries are women, and we are on track to achieve this, with 39% of beneficiaries currently being women,” said Eskom’s Acting Group Human Resources, Monde Bala.
“Eskom’s bursary programme aligns with the National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) and supports various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reinforcing the company’s role in workforce development, economic empowerment, and sustainable job creation. However, South Africa continues to face a critical shortage of engineering and technical skills, exacerbated by a disconnect between educational qualifications and industry demands. Eskom remains dedicated to closing this gap by equipping students with the necessary expertise to contribute to the country’s energy sector and overall economic growth,” said Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.
“The bursary programme is one of many ways Eskom supports the government in closing the critical skills gap in the country, in line with our developmental mandate as a State-owned company. It also helps reposition Eskom to ensure it remains a pillar of South Africa’s energy sector for the next 100 years. We look forward to the contributions of the recipients to the country’s economy, joining over 10,000 South Africans who have benefited from this scheme since its inception in the 1970s,” concluded Marokane.
“As Eskom, we have this huge responsibility, and it is reassuring to see that the company will continue to function for another 100 years because of the investment we make in the young population of our country,” said Eskom Board Chairperson, Mteto Nyati.
“It is truly inspiring to observe the diversity of the students who have joined us today, proudly representing the rainbow nation we are as South Africa. The future of Eskom and of South Africa is in good hands,” added Nyati.
Eskom endeavours to foster a work culture that promotes high performance, ethics and integrity while ensuring that it has the necessary skilled workforce to effectively execute and manage operations, drive innovation and address future challenges.
The organisation’s drive to promote educational opportunities also extends to its employees. Our investment in Human Capital centred around continuously improving employees’ competencies and transformation of our workforce.
The Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, was in attendance at the event and gave an inspiring keynote address to the students to encourage them for the road ahead.
Through its bursary programme and dedication to a sustainable energy future, Eskom continues to empower the next generation of engineers while shaping the long-term energy landscape of South Africa.
Eskom wishes the students success as they begin this new chapter in their lives, and trust that they will make a positive impact in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
