South Africa Key Figures
- Population:
- 60.8 million
- GDP growth rate:
- 0.60 %/year
- Energy independence:
- 100%
Data of the last year available: 2023
- Total consumption/GDP:*
- 75.8 (2005=100)
- CO2 Emissions:
- 6.92 tCO2/capita
- Rate of T&D power losses:
- 11.2%
* at purchasing power parity
View all macro and energy indicators in the South Africa energy report
South Africa Related News
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South Africa Related Research
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Total Energy Consumption
Total energy consumption per capita peaked in 2008 at 3 toe per capita and then progressively decreased to 2.1 toe per capita in 2023 (over 4 times the average energy consumption per capita in the other Southern African countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia). Electricity consumption per capita peaked at 4 500 kWh in 2007 before decreasing to 3 200 kWh in 2023 (around 9 times the value of other Southern African countries).
Total energy consumption has been decreasing since 2019 (by 2.2%/year).
Interactive Chart South Africa Total Energy Consumption
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View the detailed fondamentals of the market at country level (graphs, tables, analysis) in the South Africa energy report
Crude Oil Production
Total oil production has decreased by 7% per year since 2015, reaching 3 Mt in 2023. It mostly comes from synthetic fuels of the Secunda coal-to-liquid facility (Sasol, 150 kb/d), as conventional production of crude oil is marginal. Another plant, Mossel Bay GTL (PetroSA, 45 kb/d), is off since 2020 due to a lack of gaseous feedstock.
Interactive Chart South Africa Crude Oil Production
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Oil Products Consumption
Oil consumption increased by 3% in 2023, after a reduction by 6%/year since2019; before that it remained roughly stable at around 27 Mt between 2011 and 2019.
Transport accounts for 66% of that consumption, followed by industry (including non-energy uses) with 24%, residential-services-agriculture (10%), and the hydrocarbon sector (less than 1%).
Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION (Mt)
Graph: OIL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2023, %)
Interactive Chart South Africa Refined Oil Products Production
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Additionally, for more detailed information on refineries, you can request a sample of our EMEA Refineries Dataset
Natural Gas Consumption
Gas consumption increased by 5% in 2023 to 4.6 bcm, following a decrease of 3% in 2022 and a significant drop of 13% in 2021; before that, it was quite stable between 2015 and 2020. Previously, it rose with strong fluctuations, at an average pace of 8%/year between 2000 and 2015.
Gas is mainly used in industry (51%) and to produce fuels in the gas-to-liquids plant (48%).
Graph: NATURAL GAS CONSUMPTION (bcm)
Interactive Chart South Africa Natural Gas Domestic Consumption
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Additionally, for more detailed information on the LNG trade, you can request a sample of our EMEA LNG Trade Dataset
Coal Consumption
Coal consumption has dropped by 3%/year since 2019, reaching 166 Mt in 2023. This represents the lowest consumption since 2001. Between 2008 and 2019, coal consumption fluctuated around 190 Mt.
Power generation absorbed 60% of the coal consumed in 2023, followed by coal transformation (26%), industry (10%), and the residential and services sectors (4%).
Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION (Mt)
Graph: COAL CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2023, %)
Interactive Chart South Africa Coal and Lignite Domestic Consumption
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View the detailed consumption trends at country level (graphs, tables, analysis) in the South Africa energy report
Power Consumption
Electricity consumption decreased by 4% to 195 TWh in 2023, which is in line with the downward trend observed since 2018 (-2.5%/year). It remained stable between 2005 and 2018, fluctuating between 204 and 221 TWh.
Industry is the main electricity consumer (47%), followed by the residential sector (22%) and services (18%).
Graph: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION (TWh)
Graph: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION BREAKDOWN BY SECTOR (2023, %)
Renewable in % Electricity Production
The IRP2023 targets the addition of 8.2 GW of wind and solar by 2030 in relation to 2022, 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%.
The 2023 and 2024 governmental budgets include a ZAR 9bn (US$491m) tax incentive programme to support private investments (business and households) in wind, concentrated solar, hydro under 30 MW, biomass, and solar PV projects over 1 MW.
Interactive Chart South Africa Share of Renewables in Electricity Production (incl hydro)
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CO2 Fuel Combustion/CO2 Emissions
In its updated NDC (2021), South Africa aims to limit GHG emissions to 398-510 MtCO2eq in 2025 and to 350-420 MtCO2eq in 2030 (aligned with 1.5 and 2 degrees of global warming, respectively). The upper end of the 2030 target has been reduced by 32% compared to the first NDC (2015). According to the 8th national inventory, GHG emissions reached 469 MtCO2eq in 2020 excluding LULUCF, of which 80% was CO2 (60% from the energy industries and 16% from transport). They have decreased by 12.5% since a peak at 536 Mt in 2012.