Electricity in South Africa in 2023

In 2023, South Africa had a dominant dependency on fossil energy, particularly coal, for electricity. It constituted more than 80% of the country's electricity consumption, out of which coal alone accounted nearly 81%. The remainder was supplied by low-carbon sources, accounting just for a little over 16%. Amongst the low-carbon mix, solar energy contributed nearly 7%, wind energy made up slightly over 5%, and nuclear energy delivered 3.6% of the electricity need.

Suggestions

If South Africa wants to increase its low-carbon electricity generation, there are several successful strategies in other nations that could be utilized. Nuclear power, for example, plays a significant role in France, Slovakia, and Ukraine, contributing to more than half of the electricity generation in these countries. Similarly, wind energy is a predominant energy source in Denmark and Germany, with the former generating close to 60% of their electricity from it and the latter around 30%. Considering geographic and climatic similarities, South Africa, like Australia, Chile, and Yemen, could expand solar energy production, which supplies around 18% of electricity in these countries.

History

Tracing the history of low-carbon electricity in South Africa, the evolution was not always smooth. It started with nuclear power in the mid-1980s where there was a notable increase in production in 1984. Post this, a pattern of fluctuations with both steep gains and losses can be identified in nuclear energy production. This indicates instability in nuclear sector infrastructure and policies over the years. Nevertheless, from the mid-2010s, the country experienced a shift with an introduction and progressive expansion of wind and solar energy. By 2023, solar energy saw a significant surge, adding 9.6 TWh to the power generation capacity, nearly negating the drop in nuclear energy output.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources