South Africa’s energy transition has often been measured by the number of wind farms built or the amount of solar capacity installed. But perhaps the clearest indicator of change is simpler: how much of the country’s electricity now comes from renewable sources.
Over the past decade, renewables have moved from being almost invisible on South Africa’s grid to becoming a meaningful contributor to national electricity generation. While coal still dominates the power mix, the renewable share has expanded steadily, reflecting years of investment in wind, solar and supporting infrastructure.
In 2010, renewable energy accounted for roughly 1% of South Africa’s electricity generation. At the time, the country’s electricity system was overwhelmingly dependent on coal-fired power stations, with renewables contributing little beyond existing hydroelectric generation.
For several years, progress was slow. Between 2010 and 2013, renewables remained below 1% of total generation, highlighting just how early the country was in its clean energy transition. The first major turning point came after the launch of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
As the first utility-scale wind and solar projects entered commercial operation between 2013 and 2016, renewable generation began to rise. By 2015, renewables accounted for around 2–3% of South Africa’s electricity generation. Although still modest, this marked the beginning of a structural shift in the country’s power system.
Between 2017 and 2021, renewable generation continued its steady climb. New wind farms and solar plants commissioned through successive REIPPPP bidding rounds gradually increased the contribution of clean energy. During this period, renewables grew from roughly 4% of electricity generation to between 6% and 8%, depending on the methodology used. The transition was gradual, but it was becoming increasingly visible.
The fastest phase of South Africa’s renewable transition has occurred over the past few years. By 2022, renewables supplied roughly 10% of electricity generation. By 2023, the share had increased to around 12–13%. By 2024, detailed energy datasets placed renewable generation in the low teens, reflecting continued growth in utility-scale wind and solar as well as a surge in embedded generation, particularly rooftop solar.
This period coincided with severe load shedding, rising electricity tariffs and regulatory reforms that encouraged businesses to invest in private renewable generation. Renewable electricity statistics do not always match perfectly. That is because organisations use different methodologies.
Some datasets include:
- Large hydroelectric generation.
- Embedded rooftop solar.
- Imported renewable electricity.
Others focus only on electricity generated by licensed utility-scale plants connected directly to the national grid. As a result, official figures can vary by several percentage points without necessarily contradicting one another. The long-term trend, however, is consistent across all major datasets: renewable electricity is becoming a steadily larger part of South Africa’s power mix.
Installed capacity and electricity generation are not the same thing. A solar farm may add hundreds of megawatts of capacity, but its contribution to annual electricity depends on weather, daylight hours and system dispatch. Generation share is therefore one of the best measures of how much renewable energy is actually replacing conventional electricity.
The steady rise in renewable generation shows that South Africa is moving beyond simply building projects—it is increasingly relying on them to supply electricity. As renewable generation continues to grow, the challenge shifts from adding capacity to integrating it.
Future growth will increasingly depend on:
- Battery energy storage.
- Transmission expansion.
- Grid flexibility.
- Market reforms.
- Better integration of distributed generation.
Without these investments, renewable projects risk being constrained by the grid rather than by generation capacity. South Africa’s renewable electricity transition has accelerated dramatically over the past decade. From contributing barely 1% of electricity generation in the early 2010s, renewables have grown into a source supplying around one in every eight units of electricity generated by 2024.
The country’s energy transition is still far from complete, but the numbers show that renewable energy has moved from the margins of the power system to becoming an increasingly important part of South Africa’s electricity supply. South Africa’s energy transition has often been measured by the number of wind farms built or the amount of solar capacity installed. But perhaps the clearest indicator of change is simpler: how much of the country’s electricity now comes from renewable sources.
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Over the past decade, renewables have moved from being almost invisible on South Africa’s grid to becoming a meaningful contributor to national electricity generation. While coal still dominates the power mix, the renewable share has expanded steadily, reflecting years of investment in wind, solar and supporting infrastructure.
South Africa’s renewable electricity transition has accelerated dramatically over the past decade. From contributing barely 1% of electricity generation in the early 2010s, renewables have grown into a source supplying around one in every eight units of electricity generated by 2024.
The country’s energy transition is still far from complete, but the numbers show that renewable energy has moved from the margins of the power system to becoming an increasingly important part of South Africa’s electricity supply.
