Eskom has two major problems. Its operating costs are too high and it can’t pay its debt. It owes over R400 billion and does not generate enough. Given its massive size and government-sponsored status, the utility conglomerate is the backbone of South Africa's energy infrastructure. Unfortunately for the country's economy, Eskom has fallen on hard times. Widespread corruption, rising operational costs and staggering debt loads threaten to upend SA's utility framework.