I only heard this from a south African, so consider this hearsay, but prices of energy from private providers is not only cheaper, but the energy is actually available and not subjected to constant blackouts. Problem is, the governments since Mandela have used the state energy provider as a cash cow and are actively hampering any kind of modernization and/or private alternatives.
Absolutely, the government has been pushed for a few years now to allow for public enterprise to contribute to the grid. Our president recently announced that they are going to go ahead with this. I hope this is true.
Case in point: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2023/01/11/eskom-poisoning...