The man doing what Ramaphosa once described as the hardest job in South Africa
Eskom’s group chief executive, Dan Marokane, has what President Cyril Ramaphosa once called the hardest job in South Africa.
He must report to two government departments, deal with entrenched corruption and crime, and keep the power grid running in a country that has endured years of load shedding.
Eskom’s history shows how difficult this job is. The utility once stood as one of the best-run companies in the country, even winning the title of Power Company of the Year at the Global Energy Awards in 2001.
Between 1985 and 2007, Eskom had only three CEOs, and under their leadership, the company delivered reliable electricity that helped grow South Africa’s economy.
However, since then, Eskom has had 15 CEOs and acting CEOs in just 17 years, each struggling with a utility in decline.
Former CEO André de Ruyter described the role as “bruising, highly pressured, and extremely complex.”
He left Eskom after three years, saying that corruption, political interference, and even attempts on his life made the job almost impossible.
He warned that his successor would need not only technical skills but also political awareness and unquestionable integrity to cope with the pressures of the position.
It was in this environment that Marokane took over in March 2024. He inherited an organisation in deep crisis.
South Africa had suffered 205 days of load-shedding the previous year, Eskom’s ageing coal plants were constantly breaking down, and the utility did not have enough money to buy diesel to keep the lights on.
At the same time, Eskom was drowning in R396.3 billion in debt, with R81 billion in annual interest and loan repayments.
President Ramaphosa admitted just before Marokane’s appointment that the job was extremely tough and praised anyone willing to take it on.
“We should be pleased that the grid had not collapsed; that would have been the worst Armageddon,” he said.
Backed by the board
Marokane’s appointment was about appointing someone with deep knowledge of the utility, the sector, and the political environment in which it operates.
Eskom’s board chairperson, Mteto Nyati, said the company was convinced Marokane was the right choice, pointing to his extensive experience. Nyati said he had the full support of the board and employees.
Marokane’s career and personal history also explain why Nyati was confident. Marokane is a chemical engineer with a Master’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of London and a business administration degree from UCT.
He had already held several senior roles at Eskom, including chair of Eskom Enterprises and group executive for capital projects, overseeing massive builds like Kusile and Medupi.
His time at Eskom was not without conflict. In 2015, he was suspended along with other executives to clear the way for allies of the Gupta family during the State Capture years.
The Zondo Commission later revealed that the plan to remove him had been discussed at Jacob Zuma’s Durban home. Marokane left Eskom shortly after, but the experience shaped his view of corruption and resilience.
Marokane’s eventual return nearly a decade later was shaped by more than professional credentials.
His personal journey had instilled the discipline, resilience, and moral compass needed for a role as demanding as Eskom CEO.
Born in the rural village of Maula near Brits, he grew up in a large family, the eldest of seven children, and effectively acted as what he called a “deputy mother.”
His childhood, marked by poverty but also by the strength of his mother and the guidance of the Catholic Church, taught him the value of education and persistence.
“My mother was very clear about the role of education and just being good human beings,” he said.
“She taught me that hard work pays off, that you cannot sit back and feel sorry for yourself; you need to apply yourself rigorously and believe results will come.”
The reason why he accepted the position
His Catholic upbringing also shaped his sense of justice and commitment to social responsibility.
“My spirituality is important for my moral compass. The church taught me not only to pray, but to do what’s good despite the challenges around you and to seek justice in everything you do. I became an activist of social justice from a very young age,” he explained.
Teachers in his village encouraged his love of maths and science, and he later discovered his passion for engineering, which he said taught him to break down complex problems into practical solutions.
“The ability to unpack complex challenges into packages that are implementable is something I love,” he said, noting how petroleum engineering trained him to infer solutions from incomplete data; skills he now applies to Eskom’s problems.
His decision to return to Eskom as CEO was also influenced by a personal moment. One Saturday afternoon, while playing with his granddaughter, the lights went out.
“She wasn’t even four, but she called out, ‘load shedding, grandpa.’ For a few minutes, I reflected on how her future, and that of so many other children, would be shaped by this,” he said. That moment convinced him to take on the job.
Marokane described his leadership style as moving between strategy and action. “You can have beautiful slides on strategy, but if delivery doesn’t come through, they are not worth the paper they’re written on. I’m brutal when it comes to execution,” he explained.
Eskom’s board made it clear that Marokane’s main tasks are to end load shedding and to restructure the utility for long-term sustainability.
In his first few months, Eskom has already shown signs of improvement. Load shedding has been reduced, and thanks to better operational performance, the utility is on track to post a R10 billion profit.
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