Eskom must soon publish more detail about what its staff earn, MyBroadband reported. New provisions of the Companies Amendment Act came into operation on 22 May 2026.
The change comes as average annual pay at the power utility reached R1.165 million in 2026. Eskom’s annual reports show the average was R72,133 in 1994.
For the first time, Eskom must publish median pay alongside the average, according to MyBroadband. The report said the average can mislead because it does not show which staff earn what.
MyBroadband said a median far below R1.165 million would mean a small part of the staff earns the most. A median close to the average would support the board’s claim that higher pay extends across generation operations.
The provisions were published in the National Government Gazette and signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. They require public sector companies to include background statements and an implementation report, along with approved remuneration policies.
Implementation reports must also give the total pay of each director and prescribed officer. MyBroadband said those are the only per-employee figures Eskom currently discloses in its integrated annual report.
Until now, the utility gave only minimal pay information, including its total employee costs and staff count. MyBroadband said several other state-owned entities already share more salary data than Eskom did.
Eskom’s salary bill rose from R32.3 billion in 2023 to R50.4 billion in 2026. MyBroadband described this as the biggest increase in the utility’s history. Over the same three years, the average salary package rose from R816,000 to R1.165 million.
Board chairman Mteto Nyati said prior management had put a five-year salary freeze in place. He said it also suspended all performance-based incentives.
Nyati said the freeze was unfair and deeply demotivating. He said it penalised all staff, even those performing well or working on critical maintenance. His board reversed the freeze, raised salaries and brought back production and performance bonuses.
Staff numbers have also changed sharply over the years. Eskom reported 39,760 employees in 1994, and the figure fell to 31,548 in 2006.
A recruitment drive over the next eight years, reportedly to meet Affirmative Action targets, took the number to 46,919. By 2018, Eskom had 48,628 employees, the highest in its history.
Hiring was halted and staff were cut while André de Ruyter was chief executive. Headcount fell to 39,601 during his tenure.
Staff numbers began rising again after he left and the new board was installed. Newsday reported that Eskom had 43,274 employees by the end of the 2026 financial year, the highest in five years.
Source: this article is based on reporting by MyBroadband. Image: MyBroadband. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.