Reinforcing its commitment to human capital development and engineering excellence, Eskom has awarded 138 bursaries to aspiring engineering students from various tertiary institutions across South Africa.
Eskom has awarded 138 bursaries to aspiring engineering students, looking to strengthen engineering excellence among South Africa’s youth.
Over recent years, Eskom has faced significant workforce reductions. The utility says this was partly due to a 2016 World Bank report that underestimated the number of skilled professionals required for operational efficiency, and adds that 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 the stabilisation and strengthening of its workforce.
Speaking at the handover of the bursaries on 11 February 2025 at Eskom’s Megawatt Park head office, Acting Group Head for Human Resources, Monde Bala said: “We are proud to have invested in the human capital of South African youth. Eskom bursaries are essential to developing an engineering skills pipeline to meet the organisation’s needs and the country’s future energy needs. As an organisation rooted in engineering expertise, Eskom primarily supports studies in various disciplines of engineering. 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,” Bala said.
Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane added: “Eskom’s bursary programme aligns with the National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) as well as several 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.
“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. They join over 10 000 South Africans who have benefited from this scheme since its inception in the 1970s,” Marokane noted.
“As Eskom, we have this huge responsibility and, with the investments we make in the young population of our country, we are reassured that the company will continue to operate for another 100 years,” said Eskom Board Chairperson, Mteto Nyati.
“It is 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,” Nyati added.
Eskom endeavours to foster a work culture that promotes high performance, ethics and integrity and seeks to ensure that it has the workforce with the necessary skills to execute and manage operations effectively, drive innovation and address future challenges. The organisation’s drive to promote educational opportunities also extends to its employees with investment in human capital centred around continuously improving employees’ competencies and transforming the workforce.
The Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, was also in attendance at the event and, in his keynote address to the students, he encouraged them to grow beyond the challenges they will face on the road ahead.
Through its bursary programme and in its commitment to a sustainable energy future, Eskom seeks to empower the next generation of engineers, to shape the long-term energy landscape of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
For more information visit: www.eskom.co.za
