The year 2025 marks 75 years since the EPPF's establishment. To celebrate this milestone, we look to the voices of experience; those who’ve helped build the institutions that generations of South Africans rely on today. One such voice is Allen Morgan, former GCEO of Eskom, who joined the utility as a young bursar and rose through the ranks during a time of great change in South Africa. Now 78 and a proud EPPF pensioner for more than two decades, he has an important message for young Guardians beginning their EPPF journey.
“The Fund is so important because for most of its members, it is probably going to be their biggest saving they will ever have. It’s probably more valuable than the homes they live in. And you’ve got to be involved. It’s one of the messages I have for younger members coming into the pension fund. “The Fund’s mission is to help members retire with dignity and maintain a good standard of living. So even if you’re just starting out, think long term – 40 or 50 years from now – and ask yourself where your retirement income will come from. Take an active role in shaping that future. “It’s a member’s fund. So, members, please participate, get active, and be part of the journey of the Fund.”
Morgan’s relationship with Eskom spans three generations. “I have a long history with Eskom. Both my grandfather and my father worked for Eskom. My father was also a pensioner of Eskom. I joined Eskom as a bursar, and straight after school I went to University of Stellenbosch. Eskom paid for my studies and I got a BSc Engineering degree from Stellenbosch. I joined Eskom officially in 1971 as an engineer in training, and I started my career off in Oakdale in Bellville.” It was at that time that Morgan also became a member of EPPF – later becoming a Board member of the Fund. One of the early projects he worked on at Eskom involved connecting the Western Cape distribution system to the northern power grid – a milestone that helped unify Eskom’s infrastructure and marked a new era in the utility’s national footprint.
“We became a single Eskom, as it were. Tough times shortly after that,” recalls Morgan, “we also had power shortages. And so, it’s not the first time that Eskom has had power shortages.” From Bellville, Morgan’s journey with Eskom took him through Worcester, Witbank and Bloemfontein, where he established a new region for the utility, before being transferred to head office in 1988. By 1994, he had been appointed Chief Executive, leading Eskom through a transformative period in South Africa’s history. He held this position until his retirement at the end of 2000. It was in December 2001, shortly after Morgan retired, that Eskom was awarded Power Company of the Year Award at the Global Energy Awards held in New York. “2001 I went on pension,” says Morgan. “So, I’ve been on pension for 25 years, and thanks to the pension fund I have been well looked after.”
He sees EPPF’s 75th anniversary milestone as a tribute to sound leadership and committed stewardship over the decades. “Well, 75 years, that’s a long time, and you’ve got to say thank you to the Fund. The 75-year anniversary is a testament to present and past management and leadership - their dedication, their care, and what they have done for their pensioners.”
He highlights the Fund’s consistent performance, solid governance, and human impact as key reasons for its success. “The financial management of the Fund has been very good over 75 years; our Fund is sound, stable.” What stands out to him most though is its human touch – its ability to lead with compassion.
In describing one of his proudest moments as a member of EPPF, Morgan says: “I think back to the COVID period, when there were many families suffering many hardships within our Fund as well, and the Fund decided to pay out a special bonus, almost what you would call a COVID bonus, to just bring some relief to those families. You immediately see the caring part of the Fund, the caring part of the people involved with the Fund, the responsibility of the trustees coming through. It’s an amazing place.” He also applauds EPPF’s evolving approach to transparency and accessibility.
Today, Morgan says, members, and even the public, are able to engage openly with EPPF, a shift he attributes to a culture of listening, transparency and accountability that has been carefully cultivated under the current leadership of Board Chairman Caroline Henry and Chief Executive & Principal Officer Shafeeq Abrahams. But what sets the Fund apart and makes it special, he says, is not only its openness but also its ability to take criticism constructively. “You’ve got to have special people that can be open to criticism and not take it personally but use it as a tool to improve. And they’ve done that tremendously well!”
