How to Get a Job at Eskom: Graduate, Apprentice and Experienced Posts

Eskom generates most of South Africa's electricity and runs the national transmission network and much of the distribution network. That makes it one of the country's biggest employers of engineers, technicians, artisans, scientists and plant operators, and a major trainer of young people through apprenticeships, learnerships and graduate programmes. It also means that Eskom vacancies attract huge numbers of applicants, and the posts that are advertised can close within a couple of weeks.

This guide explains how Eskom recruits, where the jobs are, what its programmes involve, how to read the grades in its adverts, and what you can do to stand out on the careers portal. Eskom's processes change from time to time, so always follow the instructions in the current advert, but the principles here hold true.

Where Eskom's jobs are

Eskom's work is spread across the country, but its jobs cluster in a few places, and knowing this helps you understand adverts quickly.

• Power stations. Most coal-fired stations are in Mpumalanga, with major stations in Limpopo near Lephalale. Koeberg nuclear power station is near Cape Town. Station jobs include operators, artisans, technicians, engineers, maintenance planners, chemistry and environmental staff, and safety officers.
• Head office. Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, Johannesburg, houses many corporate and specialist functions: finance, HR, IT, procurement, legal, risk and strategy.
• Distribution and customer operations. Regional and local offices around the country employ electricians, line workers, technicians, customer service staff and supervisors who maintain the network that supplies homes and businesses.
• Transmission. High-voltage lines and substations need engineers, technicians and specialist maintenance teams, often based in regional centres.

Adverts usually give a town rather than a station name, so it helps to know the main power station towns: Witbank (eMalahleni), Middelburg, Standerton, Balfour, Volksrust, Ermelo, Secunda and Lephalale, among others. Before applying, think honestly about whether you can live and work in the town listed.

Ways into Eskom

Apprenticeships and learnerships

For many young people with a matric, Eskom's apprenticeships are the best route into a skilled, well-paid trade. Apprentices train as electricians, fitters, boilermakers, instrument mechanics and other artisans, combining theory with practical work under qualified artisans. Most apprenticeship adverts ask for Grade 12 with Mathematics and Physical Science, and some ask for N-level technical subjects. At the end of the programme, apprentices write a trade test to qualify as artisans. Our guide to artisan and trade test careers explains that route in detail.

Learnerships combine learning with work experience and lead to a recognised qualification. Eskom has offered learnerships in areas such as plant operations and electrical work. Learners receive a monthly allowance rather than a salary; see our guide on learnership stipends for how allowances are set.

Graduate in Training (GIT)

Eskom's graduate programme takes people who have recently completed a degree or diploma, mostly in engineering, science and some business disciplines, and develops them through structured on-the-job training. In adverts you will see posts such as "Graduate in Training: Environment" or "Graduate in Training (GIT) Stakeholder Management". These usually require a completed qualification in the stated field, and some require that you have not worked full-time for long since graduating. Engineering graduates are often expected to register with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as candidates as they work towards professional registration.

Experienced professional posts

Most adverts on the Eskom portal are for experienced people: senior advisors, chief engineers, middle managers, technicians and specialists. These posts list specific qualifications and years of relevant experience, and many require professional registration or specific technical knowledge. If you are already working in a similar role in another organisation, these are realistic targets.

Understanding Eskom adverts and grades

Eskom adverts tend to follow a standard structure: an introduction, the position title, the grade, the location, the requirements (qualifications, experience and knowledge), and the key duties. Two things confuse many readers.

Salary is usually "market related". Eskom rarely publishes a rand figure. Instead, the grade tells you the level of the post. Grades starting with T are common for technical and professional roles, with higher numbers meaning more senior posts, and management posts use M-grades. You can compare grades across adverts to see how posts relate to each other, even without exact salaries.

Requirements are strictly screened. When an advert asks for a specific qualification and a number of years of experience, treat both as compulsory. Words like "advantageous" or "preferred" mark the items that are not.

Building a strong profile on the careers portal

Eskom recruits through its online careers portal. You create a profile once and then apply for each post separately. Because many applications are first screened against the requirements, your profile is effectively your first interview. These steps make a real difference.

1. Complete every section. Personal details, qualifications, work history, skills and documents. Incomplete profiles are easy to screen out.
2. Upload clear documents. Your ID, highest qualification, academic record and, where relevant, matric certificate and trade or professional certificates. Make sure each scan is readable and in the format the portal accepts.
3. Describe your experience in the advert's language. If the advert asks for "experience in maintenance planning in a power generation environment", and you have that, say so in those words, with dates. Screening systems and people both look for clear matches.
4. Keep it current. Update your profile when you finish a qualification, start a new job or get a new certificate, so it is ready when the right post appears.
5. Apply early. Eskom posts often close within one to two weeks. Check the portal regularly and apply as soon as you see a match.

What to expect after you apply

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete assessments, which can include technical tests, psychometric assessments or practical tasks, followed by an interview. For apprentice and learner posts, there is often a test of mathematics, science and mechanical reasoning. For professional posts, interviews usually focus on your technical knowledge and on examples from your experience. Prepare by reading the duties in the advert closely and thinking of a specific example for each one.

Successful candidates go through checks that can include qualification verification, criminal record checks and medical assessments, especially for operational posts at power stations. Safety is central to Eskom's work, so expect questions about safety procedures and your attitude to safety in interviews for technical posts.

Avoiding Eskom job scams

Because Eskom is so well known, its name is used constantly in fake job adverts, especially on WhatsApp and Facebook. The rules are simple:

• Eskom does not charge for applications, training, uniforms or "processing".
• Eskom does not recruit through WhatsApp groups or ask you to send your CV to a personal number.
• An Eskom job is never guaranteed in exchange for money, airtime or a favour.

If you see an Eskom post anywhere, check that it also appears on the official careers portal before you share any personal information. OnboardingSA lists Eskom posts from the official portal, and every listing links back to it. You can see them all on our Eskom jobs page, and our job scams guide covers the warning signs in more detail.

Making the most of your chances

Getting into Eskom is competitive, but it is not a lottery. People who succeed usually have the exact qualification the post asks for, a complete and honest profile, and a habit of applying early and consistently. If you are still studying, choose subjects and courses that match the skills Eskom needs: mathematics and physical science at school, and engineering, electrical, mechanical or science qualifications after school. If you already work in a related industry, document your experience clearly and keep applying for posts at the right level. Every application is shortlisted separately, so one rejection says little about your next one.

Questions people ask

This guide is written by OnboardingSA to help South African job seekers. Rules and forms change, so always follow the official advert and the employer's own instructions. Browse current jobs →