South Africa’s electricity supply remained heavily dependent on coal in the first half of 2025, accounting for 81% of total generation, according to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). Renewable energy contributed just 8% to the country’s grid while nuclear provided 4% and imports and gas each supplied 3%.
The figures were released in NERSA’s Report on Monitoring Performance of Renewable Energy Power Plants (Issue 26), which tracks the performance of licensed renewable energy projects and their contribution to the national energy mix. Total electricity sent out during the period reached 107 TWh – up slightly from 106 TWh in the first half of 2024.
Grid-connected renewable energy plants generated a combined 8 285 GWh – almost unchanged from 8 397 GWh over the same period last year. Of this, wind power delivered 5 153 GWh, representing more than 62% of renewable output, followed by solar PV at 2 407 GWh and concentrated solar power at 618 GWh. Smaller technologies included biomass at 67 GWh, small hydro at 28 GWh and landfill gas at 12 GWh.
NERSA reported a total of 6 618 MW of installed renewable capacity connected to the grid by mid-2025, comprising 94 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme projects and three risk mitigation plants.
