Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, faces significant financial pressures with losses of R15 million daily due to illegal electricity connections, severely impacting its revenue and infrastructure maintenance.

Despite a stable financial performance last year, increased load shedding, high diesel costs, and customers generating their own power are worsening Eskom’s outlook.

The utility is deploying advanced IoT monitoring and rolling out 7 million smart meters to combat theft and manage demand, though software platforms to analyze data are still under development.

Eskom requires over R200 billion for infrastructure and renewable energy integration over the next decade, but limited government support signals potential rises in electricity tariffs for consumers.