The head of South Africa’s troubled Eskom power monopoly has travelled to China, which has offered to provide support to Africa’s most industrialised economy as it battles intense rolling blackouts that are predicted to worsen as demand for electricity increases during the winter.

Calib Cassim, Eskom’s acting chief executive, is in China with Pravin Gordhan, the minister who oversees South African state companies, Eskom’s chair Mpho Makwana revealed to South African lawmakers on Wednesday.

Gordhan is there to resolve a dispute between a Chinese state company and South Africa’s state logistics group, Transnet, but “there’s Eskom matters as well,” Makwana said, without providing further detail. Eskom did not immediately respond to requests for comment.