South Africa Energy Information

South Africa Energy Research

- South Africa's Energy & Climate Policy Framework: South Africa aims for net-zero energy by 2050, transitioning from coal to renewables, green hydrogen, and nuclear. The government is reforming the electricity market, targeting 50-60 GW of renewables by 2030 while extending coal plant lifespans. Key policies include the Just Transition Framework and the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP). Energy efficiency and climate change mitigation are also prioritised.

- South Africa's Energy Companies: Eskom generates 86% of South Africa's electricity, with plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) began operating as an independent TSO in 2024. Key players in oil and gas include PetroSA, Sasol, and foreign firms like Shell and TotalEnergies. Coal production is dominated by Exxaro, Seriti, and Sasol. Green hydrogen production is led by Sasol.

- South Africa's Energy Supply & Demand: Coal dominates South Africa's energy mix, with 85% in 2024, despite recent declines. Total energy supply stabilised at 133 Mtoe post-2020, while per capita consumption fell. Electricity generation rebounded to 236 TWh, with coal's share rising to 85%. Renewables and nuclear contribute modestly. Load-shedding has eased, but CO₂ emissions remain high. Oil and gas sectors are marginal, with coal exports significant. GHG emissions decreased slightly, but remain energy-dominated.

- South Africa's Energy Use & Price by Sector: Since 2018, final energy consumption has declined by 2.3% annually, with oil dominating the mix. Electricity prices have surged by over 42% since 2020. Industry, transport, and households are the primary energy-consuming sectors.

- South Africa's Issues & Prospects: South Africa is expanding its energy mix with significant investments in renewables, gas, and green hydrogen, while phasing out coal. The IRP2024 draft outlines plans for 7.1 GW of wind, 7.8 GW of solar, and 4.2 GW of storage by 2030. The Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP) aims to cut carbon emissions, with international funding supporting the shift. Nuclear and gas projects are also under development, alongside major transmission and storage initiatives.

South Africa Total Energy Production & Consumption

Total energy supply has remained relatively stable since 2020 at around 133 Mtoe. This follows a period of 1.2% per year decline since a peak of 151 Mtoe in 2008. Total primary consumption per capita has decreased by 2.7%/year since 2019, reaching 2.07 toe/cap in 2024.

Graph: Primary Consumption Trends by Energy Source (Mtoe)

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa Total Energy Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

South Africa Oil Production & Consumption

Conventional production of crude oil is marginal (0.03 Mt in 2024). Oil mostly comes from synthetic fuels through the Secunda coal-to-liquid facility (Sasol, 150 kb/d), which produced 3.3 Mt of refined products in FY2023-2024. Another plant, Mossel Bay GTL (PetroSA, 45 kb/d), is off since 2020 due to a lack of gaseous feedstock.

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa Crude Oil Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

Interactive Chart South Africa Refined Oil Products Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

South Africa Natural Gas Production & Consumption

Natural gas production is marginal (less than 1 bcm since 2021). The offshore gas reserves located in Mossel Bay (Bredasdorp Basin) were put into production in 2007 in order to supply the GTL plant of Mossel Bay (plant commissioned in 1992 as the world's first GTL refinery) but are now insufficient for the plant.

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa Gas Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

South Africa Coal and Lignite Production & Consumption

Coal production remained stable in 2024 (230 Mt) and was 9% lower than the 2019 peak.

South Africa is the world's 7th largest exporter (7th largest producer) with 63 Mt of exports in 2024. Almost all the exports take place from the Richard Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), with some minor volumes shipped through Durban or Maputo (Mozambique). Coal mining is mainly carried out at 11 mines accounting for around 70% of the output. More than 80% of the coal produced is mined in the Mpumalanga province.

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa Coal and Lignite Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

South Africa Power Production & Consumption

Electricity was a major concern for some years, as the country was facing frequent blackouts. In 2023, the supply gap (approximately 4-6 GW in FY2022-23) resulted in 332 days (6 838 hours) of load-shedding. The situation is improving, and load shedding has almost disappeared since April 2024. CSIR estimated that these power cuts cost up to ZAR560 bn (US$30 bn) in 2022.

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa Power Production & Consumption

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

South Africa Renewable in % Electricity Production

The IRP2023 targets the addition of 8.2 GW of wind and solar over 2022-2030, made up of 4.5 GW of wind and 3.7 GW of solar. Wind should account for 9% of installed capacity in 2030 and solar for 7%.

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa Share of Renewables in Electricity Production (incl hydro)

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data

South Africa GHG emissions and CO₂ emissions

The Climate Change Act was adopted in 2024, with an objective to set out national climate change response to enable the country to meet its emissions reduction commitments. It includes mitigation and adaptation actions, emissions targets for each high-emitting sector, and allocation of carbon budgets to emitting companies.

Source: South Africa energy report

Interactive Chart South Africa CO₂ emissions

Source: Global Energy & CO₂ data