In a recent candid conversation on Money Web TV, Mteto Nyati, Chairman of Eskom and founder of BSG, offered a masterclass in leadership that transcends the technical realm. While many diagnosed South Africa’s energy crisis as a problem of aging infrastructure, Nyati revealed that the true fault line was cultural.
“Most of the time, it’s the culture of the organization that is the problem,” Nyati stated, echoing the late Peter Drucker’s famous axiom that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
Nyati shared how, upon arriving at Eskom, the board shifted focus from purely technical fixes to confronting leadership failures head-on. He introduced a philosophy of “tough love”—a concept he learned from his mother—rooted in accountability and performance management.
For the engineers watching, Nyati’s advice was deeply personal. Reflecting on his own journey from a junior engineer at Afrox to a chairman, he urged young black engineers not to rush the climb.
“Don’t rush too quickly,” he advised. “Build the necessary understanding wherever you have been put in terms of the job. Try and understand that before you move on to the next. You are building that solid foundation from which you are going to be able to spring.”
He also challenged engineers to abandon the pressure to mimic others. “Be yourself… The secret is to go inside. You have been given everything that you need in order for you to be successful. Listen to your gut.”
Watch the full interview above to hear his insights on the “energy cliff,” reviving pride in state-owned enterprises, and why the GNU needs one unified agenda.