Eskom recalls National Transmission Company CEO Segomoco Scheppers
Scheppers was seconded to lead the transition and operationalise the NTCSA.
Eskom has recalled National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) interim CEO Segomoco Scheppers.
The utility on Thursday said Scheppers will conclude his secondment and return to Eskom.
Scheppers was seconded to lead the transition and operationalise the NTCSA business in July 2024 due to his extensive experience in the Transmission Division, having joined Eskom in 1993.
New CEO
Eskom said Scheppers served at the NTCSA while the executive search process to appoint a permanent CEO for the subsidiary was underway
'Although Scheppers was shortlisted for the permanent role, the NTCSA Board has not yet identified the candidate to lead the business into its next phase.
ALSO READ: Eskom winter outlook: Here's how many days of load shedding to expect in SA
'The NTCSA and Eskom Holdings Boards are committed to expediting the executive search and securing the appointment of a CEO who will navigate the complexities of operating in a competitive energy market,' Eskom said.
Transmission Development Plan
Eskom said a formal announcement will be made soon regarding the appointment of an ICEO of NTCSA to continue executing the strategy.
The strategy includes implementing an accelerated Transmission Development Plan (TDP), continuing operational unbundling activities as required by legislation, and establishing a fair, competitive electricity market.
'We owe Segomoco a huge debt of thanks for the skills he brought to bear to take the transmission business to a point of separation and create the NTCSA as a wholly owned subsidiary of Eskom Holdings. The NTCSA serves as an important catalyst in the country's evolving energy supply industry and ending the vertical integration business model for the benefit of consumers,' said Priscillah Mabelane, NTCSA Board Chairperson.
Critical role
Mabelane said that Scheppers played a critical role in delivering the NTCSA, which is designed to provide the benefits of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act (ERAA).
'His work paves the way for the necessary reforms in South Africa's electricity sector, including the establishment of a competitive electricity market that will contribute meaningfully to South Africa's energy security and inclusive economic development,' said Mabelane.
ALSO READ: Winter is coming: Does Eskom have a plan to prevent load shedding?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Eskom dismisses false claims of imminent load shedding in July
Eskom has firmly rebutted alarmist claims circulating on social media regarding potential stage 4 and stage 6 load shedding from July 6 to July 20. Image: File Eskom has strongly rejected false claims circulating online about imminent stage 4 and stage 6 loadshedding from 6 July until 20 July with the power utility saying the country's power system remains stable with loadshedding suspended since 10pm 15 May 2025. "The Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2. There are no planned outages of this scale. Misinformation causes unnecessary alarm. Stay informed—trust only official Eskom updates on our official platforms," the power utility said. This past week, electricity and energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said municipalities with a combined debt of over R100 billion have not been able to reduce the amounts they owe to Eskom. The minister added that the ongoing challenges could result in the total collapse of the South African electricity complex. The minister described Eskom's challenge of supplying electricity but being unable to collect revenue as an 'existential problem'. 'They are spending money they must collect from the bulk consumer, and where they are reticulating. They are finding it difficult to collect, so they're unable to reinvest back into their asset base. It's going to result in, if not managed, a total collapse of the electricity complex in the country," Ramokgopa said. On Friday, Eskom revealed that despite the high unplanned outages and severe weather conditions in parts of South Africa, the available generation capacity was enough to meet peak demand. The power utility also revealed that for the week of 20 to 26 June 2025, unplanned outages averaged 14 696MW, exceeding last year's figure by 2 815MW and the base case estimate of 13 000MW by 1 696MW. It said the increase was largely due to Medupi Unit 4, which has been offline since August 2021 and was scheduled to return on 30 May 2025. The delay in its return was factored into the unplanned outage calculations from 1 June 2025, adding 800MW. Year-to-date, average unplanned outages stand at 14 031MW. [email protected]
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Cartoon of the day: 27 June 2025
A massive loan to fix SA's infrastructure will be ineffective if poor governance continues. South Africa has secured a $1.5 billion loan agreement with the World Bank. National Treasury said the purpose of the loan is to fix the country's transport and energy infrastructure, while also helping to boost economic growth. However, poor governance continues to plague South Africa, with the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) Eskom and Transnet serving as glaring examples of this. The unreliability of the power system in certain parts of the country has constrained GDP growth, while ongoing port and rail inefficiencies continue to hamper the performance of the mining and manufacturing sectors. NOW READ: Treasury confirms R27bn World Bank loan to fix infrastructure
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Daily Maverick
The hidden cost of Eskom's electricity deals with smelters
Eskom, Nersa and the Ministry of Energy & Electricity must explain why energy-intensive smelters deserve these deals – and why other commercial, industrial, manufacturing and mining customers, and ordinary consumers, should foot the bill. A fierce debate has erupted over the preferential electricity pricing deals – known as Negotiated Pricing Agreements (NPAs) – that Eskom has struck with major industrial users like South32's Hillside aluminium smelter and ferrochrome producers. Government insists these deals are vital to protect jobs and exports, but critics say they lack transparency, impose costs on other customers and ordinary consumers, and contradict the principles of a fair and competitive electricity market. Hillside: South Africa's 'congealed electricity' South32's Hillside Aluminium smelter in Richards Bay is one of the largest of its kind globally, and a cornerstone of South Africa's aluminium industry. With no local bauxite reserves, Hillside relies on imported feedstock and vast amounts of electricity – 10.3 TWh per year, around 5.6% of Eskom's total sales. Under the 10-year NPA approved by Nersa in 2021, Hillside pays a discounted rate for electricity that currently amounts to around R10-billion per year less than it would pay on Eskom's standard Megaflex tariff for mines and large industry. The effective discount over the life of the agreement is about 50%. Interruptability vs affordability Eskom justifies this discount by pointing to Hillside's role in stabilising the grid. The smelter's operations can be interrupted briefly during supply shortfalls, providing a form of demand-side flexibility that Eskom can use instead of reserve generation. But according to a recent and critical analysis by Meridian Economics, this function could be replicated – more cheaply – using 1.2 GW of two-hour battery energy storage. Using current battery procurement prices from the IPP Office, such a solution would cost less than R3-billion per year, suggesting a net discount of R7-billion annually to Hillside. The case for socioeconomic value Supporters of the NPA argue it helps preserve jobs and downstream aluminium beneficiation. Hillside employs about 1,800 workers directly and supplies 27% of its output domestically. But critics say this argument is based on false binaries – that without the NPA, the smelter would close and jobs would vanish. Instead, the electricity used at Hillside could be reallocated to smaller businesses, potentially yielding broader and more resilient economic benefits. The real question, then, is not whether Hillside provides value, but whether that value exceeds what other sectors could generate with the same power. Nersa and the fog of regulation The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) approved the Hillside NPA in 2021, but the process was opaque. The decision lacked detailed economic modelling, failed to evaluate alternatives like battery storage, and made no attempt to compare Hillside's benefit to that of alternative electricity uses. It would further appear that no other party in South Africa has done a proper economic analysis and calculation of the real socioeconomic benefits of the Hillside NPA. Furthermore, key economic inputs – like the pricing escalation clause and aluminium price 'upside' mechanisms – were based on unclear rationale. Although the NPA was touted as free of embedded derivatives, Meridian Economics argues that a call-option structure remains embedded in the deal. Cabinet's broader move — more NPAs are coming In a related development, the Cabinet has just approved a framework to extend NPAs to South Africa's ferrochrome and alloys smelters – long-time industrial electricity users struggling with soaring electricity tariffs. According to Energy and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the aim is to protect energy-intensive exporters and maintain South Africa's industrial base. But this raises more questions than answers: Are these deals being driven by sound economic analysis and proper power planning, or by ad hoc industrial policy dressed up as regulation? A system at odds with reform Eskom is in financial distress. Other customers – particularly households and SMEs – are paying ever-higher prices for less reliable power. Load shedding, grid instability and rising tariffs have become hallmarks of the crisis. And yet, one of Eskom's biggest customers pays half-price for electricity – a situation kept under wraps until civil society group Open Secrets forced publication of the full Hillside NPA. That it took four years for civil society to scrutinise the deal signals how deeply broken the oversight processes are. Towards a transparent future The principle of cross-subsidisation can be legitimate, but only when clearly justified. Preferential electricity pricing must be scrutinised like any public subsidy: through open modelling, public hearings and clear metrics of cost-benefit. Right now, that is not happening. Eskom, Nersa and the Ministry of Energy & Electricity must explain why energy-intensive smelters deserve these deals – and why other commercial, industrial, manufacturing and mining customers, and ordinary consumers, should foot the bill. Without that, NPAs risk entrenching elite privilege at the expense of national equity, economic dynamism and the future of South Africa's energy system. DM
