Part 2/10:
The story of ESKOM dates back to the first electric lights illuminated in South Africa's Kimberley in 1882. Municipal utilities sprang up across various cities, laying the foundation for a nascent electricity industry. However, it was the booming gold mining industry in the Witwatersrand gold fields that led to rapid expansion in electricity usage. The industry's reliance on a fixed price for gold necessitated automation, leading to increased demand for electric power.