The Eskom Development Foundation (ESDEF) ended Women’s Month with a...
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Redefining for a better future.
The Eskom Development Foundation (ESDEF) is committed to advancing socio-economic development and tackling the pressing challenges faced by communities across South Africa. As a subsidiary of Eskom, ESDEF empowers communities through targeted programmes that focus on education, economic development, and community upliftment.
Empowering People.
Powering Lives.
With over 1.2 million individuals uplifted in FY25, ESDEF continues to drive meaningful impact at both provincial and national levels.
Please make sure you have all the correct documents ready to be uploaded.
Click here to download the checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between sponsorships and donations?
A donation is a charitable gift given through the ESDEF to a registered non-profit organisation, while a sponsorship is a business transaction where financial support or resources are provided in exchange for commercial benefits like brand exposure or advertising done through the Strategic Marketing & Branding under Corporate Affairs Department. These have their own and separate governance committee processes outside of ESDEF. Sponsorships are not covered or funded through ESDEF as these are outside of the ESDEF mandate.
Are individuals eligible for funding?
No, only registered non-profit organisations
Does ESDEF support private companies (Pty) Ltd?
No, only registered non-profit organisations. Please also note that ESDEF does assist incubation programmes and governance processes are followed regarding such requests.
What is the governance process for approving projects?
ESDEF has multiple governance committees that have a Delegation of Authority to approve projects according to their values. Each committee is also governed by a Terms of Reference as different projects are assessed and approved/rejected at different committees.
How does ESDEF monitor projects that are supported?
Once projects have been approved and executed, the relevant project manager will conduct a site visit to verify the delivery of goods and services and do complete a project closure and then our compliance office will conduct an additional site visit to ensure the validity of the project closure details.
What is the turnaround time from application being received to execution phase?
Once applications have been received and in line with the ESDEF mandate, a site visit is conducted by the relevant Project Manager at the organisations address to determine the validity of the request. Upon that, the requested documentation is obtained and signed off by Programme management and Compliance before being tabled at the relevant governance committee. Depending on the decisions of the committee, if the project is approved, then the execution of the process will commence. In totality, this could take approximately 2-3 months. Please note that this is an estimation as certain projects, depending on their nature, can take more or less time.
I am raising money for a cause, do I qualify?
No. The registered non-profit organisation would need to apply directly to ESDEF and all governance processes will be followed.
Projects
Mpumalanga Maths and Science
The Eskom Development Foundation (ESDEF) demonstrated its commitment to education...
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2025 Eskom Expo International Science Fair
The 2025 Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) ended on...
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Free State Maths and Science
The 2025 Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) ended on...
Read MorePartnerships
Testimonials - TRAC Programme
Team TRAC programme in 2018 at Cofimvaba Senior Secondary
School, and he credits the program for boosting his Mathematics and Science
results; this confidence led him to earn a diploma in building technology from
Walter Sisulu University (2019-2022) and an advanced diploma in construction management from Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Zosuliwe Nzalo
The programme reinforced my interest in Science and exposed me to real-world
applications of Maths and Science, motivating me to pursue further studies. I completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Fort Hare and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Now, I am a Science teacher – bridging the information gap for many rural students.
Sinalo Mfede
Coming from rural areas, where resources and information about higher education are limited, the programme helped me understand which course I was better suited for and which institution to attend. TRAC bridged the gap.
Esethu Themba
