Coal reserves in South Africa
South Africa: Coal reserves was 9.89 billion tonnes in 2023. βΌ Falling
Coal reserves in South Africa, 2008β2023
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, coal reserves in South Africa stood at 9.89 billion tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is down 68.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, coal reserves in South Africa peaked at 33.10 billion tonnes in 2009 and was at its lowest, 9.89 billion tonnes, in 2018.
South Africa ranks 14th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32.45 billion tonnes | 31.80 billion tonnes | 33.10 billion tonnes | 2 |
| 2010s | 27.48 billion tonnes | 9.89 billion tonnes | 32.80 billion tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.89 billion tonnes | 9.89 billion tonnes | 9.89 billion tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 11 Kazakhstan 25.61 billion tonnes compare
- 12 TΓΌrkiye 10.97 billion tonnes compare
- 13 North Korea 10.60 billion tonnes compare
- 15 Serbia 7.11 billion tonnes compare
- 16 New Zealand 6.75 billion tonnes compare
- 17 Brazil 6.60 billion tonnes compare
More energy & mining data for South Africa
- Fuel imports 17.7% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 2.5% (2025)
- Ores and metals exports 30.3% (2025)
- Gas production 0.6284 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Fossil fuel production per person, by fuel 9.82 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel 0.6284 terawatt-hours (2024)
- Gas production per person 9.82 kilowatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel exports 8.2% (2025)
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses 10.2% (2023)
- Share of dietary energy supply from carbohydrates vs gdp per capita 56.31 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is coal reserves in South Africa?
- Coal reserves in South Africa was 9.89 billion tonnes in 2023, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest coal reserves recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 33.10 billion tonnes in 2009.
- What is the lowest coal reserves recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.89 billion tonnes in 2018.
- How does South Africa rank for coal reserves?
- South Africa ranks 14th out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
- Is coal reserves rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from U.S. Energy Information Administration (2026) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Coal reserves. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proved reserves, measured in tonnes, are generally those quantities that can be recovered in the future from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, according to geological and engineering information.