Johannesburg, 31 August 2026 – Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) and Eskom recently held a direct and constructive engagement, initiated by the Eskom Chair, on the electricity reform programme and the challenges of implementing it.

Both organisations fully support the electricity reform programme under the government’s leadership, including the work of the Eskom Restructuring Task Team and the Phase 2 process now underway. We support the outcome endorsed by the President following the Task Team’s first-phase report – the establishment of an independent Transmission System Operator with the transmission assets – implemented through a carefully sequenced process that safeguards Eskom’s financial sustainability, respects the rights of lenders, and protects the country’s energy security. We regard successful reform and a financially sustainable Eskom as complementary objectives, not competing ones.

We will not always agree on every aspect of implementation. Where differences arise, we are committed to engaging directly and on the substance. Accelerating South Africa’s economic growth rate and the jobs that depend on it require these reforms to succeed, and both organisations are committed to playing their part in making that happen.

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For media enquiries, please contact: BLSA Internal and Media Relations Manager, Tumelo Muteme, Tmuteme@businessleadership.org.za / 076 5388 502