Eskom System Operator chief Isabel Fick resigns after 30 years to join Africa GreenCo

Isabel Fick has resigned as general manager of the System Operator at Eskom and joined Africa GreenCo, a licensed renewable energy buyer and trader operating in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia.

Africa GreenCo on Wednesday announced that Fick, a seasoned system operations specialist, will join the company in 2026 as group head of trading and operations, following the completion of her responsibilities at Eskom and the newly established National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).

GreenCo said Fick will only assume her new role once her duties at Eskom and NTCSA are fully concluded, ensuring continuity during what it described as a critical period of transition for South Africa’s electricity sector.

Fick, who has spent her career at the centre of South Africa’s power system operations, is widely regarded as one of the country’s foremost experts in grid management and electricity market development.

She has been instrumental in modernising operational practices, improving grid reliability, and laying the foundations for the evolution of South Africa’s future electricity market structure.

Fick will bid Eskom farewell on 31 January after 30 years with the company.

The company said Fick’s appointment will bolster its efforts to expand regional power trading, support renewable energy generation, and accelerate private-sector capital mobilisation for new energy capacity across Southern Africa.

GreenCo emphasised that Fick’s move should not be viewed as a loss to the public sector, but rather as a continuation of her contribution to national energy reform.

Her experience, the organisation said, will help strengthen collaboration between state-owned utilities and emerging market participants as South Africa transitions towards a more competitive, rules-based electricity market.

“We are delighted that Isabel will be joining GreenCo once she completes her duties at Eskom and the NTCSA. Her leadership has been pivotal to South Africa’s electricity reform journey,” said Ana Hajduka, founder and CEO of Africa GreenCo.

“Isabel’s expertise, integrity, and sector-wide respect make her one of the most significant voices in our energy transition - and she will continue to be an asset to the country as we move into a new era of market design and system innovation in collaboration with the public sector.”

Through GreenCo Power Services, Africa GreenCo holds both a domestic trading licence and South Africa’s first private-sector import and export electricity licence, enabling renewable energy wheeling and cross-border power trading within the Southern African Power Pool.

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