State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are commercial entities owned by a government. In South Africa, major SOEs include Eskom (electricity), Transnet (logistics), Denel (defense), and South African Express (airline). SOEs often operate in sectors with natural monopolies like utilities or where the government has strategic interests. The Department of Public Enterprises oversees South Africa's SOEs and works to ensure they execute national policies while pursuing financial sustainability. However, many SOEs are underperforming financially, which strains national investment. The department employs various programs and a three-phased approach to set SOEs on a path to improved operational and financial performance.

1. State Owned Enterprises
(SOEs)

2. Definition of SOEs
A state-owned Enterprise
is a legal entity that undertakes
commercial activities
on behalf of an
owner government.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3. Status of SOEs
The legal status of SOEs varies from being a part of the
government to being stock companies with the state as a
regular stockholder.
The defining characteristics of SOEs are that they have a distinct
legal form and are established to operate in commercial affairs.
Government-owned corporations are common with natural
monopolies and infrastructure, such as railways and
telecommunications, strategic goods and services (mail,
weapons), natural resources and energy, politically sensitive
business, broadcasting, demerit goods (alcohol), and merit
goods (healthcare).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

4. Economic sectors
SOEs often operate in sectors in which there is a natural
monopoly, or the government has a strategic interest.
Nationalization also forcibly converts a private corporation into a
state-owned enterprise.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5. State owned enterprises are also called
state-owned company
state-owned entity
state enterprise
publicly owned corporation
government business enterprise
crown corporation
government-owned corporation
commercial government agency
public sector undertaking
parastatal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

6. State-Owned Enterprises by Country

7. State-Owned Enterprises by Sector

10. State Owned Companies in South Africa
SOCs are created by Government and are companies in which the
State may be a major or majority shareholder e.g. Telkom. They
operate the State’s commercial affairs, often with public policy
objectives, and at their core, are required to deliver on the
objectives of the State.
The purpose of the shareholder is broadly defined as one of
management, monitoring the performance of SOCs and ensuring
that national policy is executed at SOC level.
Department of Public Enterprises Strategic Plan 2015/16 – 2018/19

11. The Department of Public Enterprises in context
The DPE is the State’s Strategic Shareholder and plays a critical role in
driving national policy. The figure below highlights a conceptual process of
how national policy is required to be translated by the DPE, prior to being
executed upon by its SOCs.
Department of Public Enterprises Strategic Plan 2015/16 – 2018/19

12. The Department of Public Enterprises operates a number of programmes to align,
integrate and oversee related activities, and to benefit from synergies between the
State Owned Companies
Transnet
Transnet is a public company wholly-owned by government. It is the largest and most crucial part of the freight logistics
chain that delivers goods to each and every South African.
South African Express
South African Express was founded on the eve of the new democratic South Africa on 24 April 1994.
Eskom
Eskom is the world’s eleventh-largest power utility in terms of generating capacity, ranks ninth in terms of sales, and boasts
the world's largest dry-cooling power station.

13. Denel
Denel (Pty) Limited is the largest manufacturer of defence equipment in South Africa and operates in the military aerospace
and landward defence environment.
SAFCOL
South African Forestry Company (SAFCOL) is the Government's forestry company, conducting timber harvesting, timber
processing and related activities both domestically and internationally.
Alexkor
The core business of Alexkor is the mining of diamonds on land, along rivers, on beaches and in the sea along the north-
west coast of South Africa.

14. On the path to SOC sustainability
By setting SOCs on a path to financial sustainability, the DPE will positively
impact South Africa’s economy by ensuring the delivery of key services (i.e.
Eskom and Transnet), economic growth and subsequently contribute to
stabilising the economy.
Financial sustainability of SOC such as Denel, Alexkor, SAX and SAFCOL remains
crucial as these SOC operate within the productive sectors of the economy.
Their financial and operational performance is critical for certain sectors e.g.
construction for SAFCOL.
The collective Asset Value for the DPE‟s SOCs is over R755bn, with Eskom and
Transnet accounting for R745bn, ~98% of this value.
Department of Public Enterprises Strategic Plan 2015/16 – 2018/19

16. The companies within the DPE portfolio, in particular, are performing far below
expectation and their constrained ability to recover their investment places huge strain
on national investment rates. Furthermore, the sheer size of Eskom and Transnet’s
asset base significantly reduce the average ROE, painting a bleak investment return
picture across the portfolio.
Department of Public Enterprises Strategic Plan 2015/16 – 2018/19

18. The SOCs reporting to the DPE and DPE Programmes
Department of Public Enterprises Strategic Plan 2015/16 – 2018/19

19. DPE Strategy: three-phased approach
Department of Public Enterprises Strategic Plan 2015/16 – 2018/19

22. SOEs: Company Reports

25. Other South African SOEs

26. Journal articles on SOEs
Africa first!: South African state owned enterprises in Africa
Corporate Authors: South Africa. Dept. of Public Enterprises
Source: [Pretoria: Dept. of Public Enterprises, 2004]- ; v.: col. ill., col maps 21 cm.
An Analysis of Board Attributes That Contribute to Decision Quality in State-Owned Companies in South Africa
Author: Msweli, Pumela; Singh, Shamila
Source: Problems and Perspectives in Management, 2014, v. 12, iss. 2, pp. 86-93
Assessing the Impact of Transnet's and Eskom's Infrastructure Investment Programmes on the Capital Goods Sector
Author: Lydall, Marian
Source: Development Southern Africa, September 2009, v. 26, iss. 3, pp. 429-46
Banking on development: SOEs - case study; SOEs in the spotlight: SOEs - research survey overview
Contributors:Aldridge, M. and Watkins, D.
Source: Professional Management ReviewVol. 16, Iss 6, , Jun, Winter, 2004
Boldly, towards a new era: government; Man of the moment: SOE
Contributors: Periera, V.
Source: Professional Management ReviewVol. 26, Iss 90042, , Oct, 2, 2000
Building blocks of innovation within a state-owned enterprise. Part 1
Contributors: Van Zyl, B.; Roodt, G. and Coetsee, J.
Source: SA journal of human resource managementVol. 3, Iss 2, , Dec, 4th Quarter, 2005

27. Committed to quality service: government; Becoming world class: GEPF; Denel dynamics drive it forward: state-owned enterprises
Contributors: Butcher, C., and Pereira, V.
Source: Professional Management ReviewVol. 26, Iss 3, , Jan, Autumn, 2001
Denel SOC Ltd.
Source: Denel SOC Ltd MarketLine Company Profile. 12/8/2014, p1-24. 24p.
Dereliction of duty: editor's note; Time to stand up and be counted; SAA should be allowed to fly free: editorials
Contributors: Mthombothi, B.
Source: Financial MailVol. 203, Iss 3, , Oct 2, Spring, 2009
Erwin lines up his team - state-owned enterprises; DTI policy review aims to give authorities sharper teeth - competition law: business
Contributors: Singh, S. and Paton, C.
Source: Financial MailVol. 181, Iss 3, , Apr 22, Autumn, 2005
Eskom Holdings SOC Limited SWOT Analysis.
Source: Eskom Holdings SOC Limited SWOT Analysis. 02/01/2015, p1-7. 7p.
Eskom Holdings SOC Limited.
Source: Eskom Holdings SOC Limited MarketLine Company Profile. 2/14/2014, p1-30. 30p.
Eskom Holdings SOC Limited.
Source: Eskom Holdings SOC Limited MarketLine Company Profile. 2/29/2016, p1-30. 31p.
Forecasting electricity demand in South Africa: a critique of eskom's projections.
Authors: Inglesi, Roula1 roula.inglesi@up.ac.za and Pouris, Anastassios2
Source: South African Journal of Science. Jan/Feb2010, Vol. 106 Issue 1/2, p50-53. 4p. 2 Charts, 3 Graphs.
Governing state-owned enterprises: company law
Contributors: Bouwman, N.
Source: Without prejudice: South Africa's corporate legal magazineVol. 10, Iss 11, , Dec, Spring, 2010

28. Lean versus developmental - state-owned enterprises: openers
Contributors: Lund, T.
Source: Finweek [English]Vol. 196, Iss 9, , May 29, Part 2, 2008
Macroeconomic Impact of Eskom's Six-Year Capital Investment Programme
Author: Seymore, Reyno; Akanbi, Olusegun A.; Abedian, Iraj
Source: South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, N.S., 2012, v. 15, iss. 2, pp. 142-70
Management and leadership development for women in public sector and state owned enterprises: gender equity
Source: Government DigestVol. 23, Iss 10, , May, Summer, 2004
Managing state-owned companies: a French perspective (Mentions new visions of the South African Department of Public
Enterprises (DPE) regarding productivity and transformation in local SOCs)
Contributors: Sutherland, C.
Source: Accountancy S A30-31, Sep, 2012
Rearranging the deck chairs: state-owned enterprises; Rocking the boat: profile: Tom Dale: openers
Contributors: Lund, T. and Schumacher, I.
Source: Finweek [English]Apr 2, 2009
Reflections on South Africa's restructuring of state-owned enterprises
Contributors: Mostert, Cheslyn
Source: South Africa, Johannesburg: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2002 (March) ; 68 p.. 13p.
Reforming state-owned enterprises in South Africa
Contributors: Kamdar, Mahomed
Source: New agenda Vol. 33, Iss 6, , Dec, Summer, 2002
Varieties in state capitalism: Outward FDI strategies of central and local state-owned enterprises from emerging economy
countries
Author: Li, Ming Hua; Cui, Lin; Lu, Jiangyong
Source: Journal of International Business Studies Vol 45, Iss 8, Oct/Nov 2014, pp 980-1004.

29. Overcoming distrust: How state-owned enterprises adapt their foreign entries to institutional pressures abroad
Author: Meyer, Klaus E; Ding, Yuan; Li, Jing; Zhang, Hua
Source: Journal of International Business Studies Vol 45, Iss 8, Oct/Nov 2014, pp 1005-1028
The potential of corporate environmental responsibility of Chinese state-owned enterprises in Africa
Author: Tan-mullins, May; Mohan, Giles
Source: Environment, Development and Sustainability Vol 15, Iss2, Apr 2013, pp 265-284
Governance at South African state-owned enterprises: what do annual reports and the print media tell us?
Author: Thomas, Adèle
Source: Social Responsibility Journal Vol 8, Iss 4, 2012, pp 448-470.
Clarity needed on the treatment of state-owned entities in the Companies Bill : company law
Authors: Johnson, V & Helman, L.
Source: Without prejudice: South Africa's corporate legal magazine Vol 7 Issu 5, 2007 pp 11-12.
Debate needed - establishment of a state-owned construction company : government perspective
Source: IMIESA Vol 37 Iss 10, pp 12-13, 2012
Title: The regulation of preferential procurement in state-owned enterprises
Author: Bolton Phoebe
Source: Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg Iss 1, 2010, pp 101-118.
Business process management in government and state owned enterprises
Source: Management Today Vol b29, Iss 6, 2011, p 54
Internal audit in state-owned enterprises : perceptions, expectations and challenges
Authors: Radasi P, Barac, K
Source: Southern African Journal of Accountability and Auditing Research Vol 17 Iss 2, 2015, pp 95-106.
State-owned enterprises on the global business stage : whither the South African owner-publics?
Authors: Tsheola, Johannes; Ledwaba, Matshidiso; Nembambula, Phophi
Source: Politeia Vol 32, Iss 2, 2013, pp 20-36.

30. Information on the Internet
Corporate Governance in Africa’s State-owned Enterprises:
Perspectives on an Evolving System
Terence Corrigan
by Lynne Brown, Minister of Public Enterprises
Acting Director-General, Ms Matsietsi Mokholo on plans to improve the face of State
Owned Companies

33. Corporate Governance of State-
Owned Enterprises in Southern Africa

34. Pinterest Board: State owned enterprises in South Africa
created by the Unisa Library CEMS Team

35. Articles found in the Credo Reference database
state enterprise
in Routledge Dictionary of Economics
state-owned and individual enterprises with profits distributed as dividends....
Public sector
in Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences
State-owned Enterprises, Melrose, Massachusetts: Ballinger, 1986. ... W., “The Comparative Efficiency of State-
Owned Enterprise” in Multi-National Corporations and State-Owned Enterprises: A New...
1853 words from Routledge
Public ownership
in Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences
State-Owned Enterprises” in Privatizations and State-Owned Enterprises: Lessons from the United States, Great Britain
and Canada, edited by MacAvoy, Paul W. et al., Boston...
1293 words from Routledge
Click here for more

36. Research: Unisa Institutionary Repository

37. Video’s and Presentations on SOEs

38. Presentation compiled by the
Unisa Library CEMS Team
25 April 2016