Electricity generation from coal in South Africa
South Africa: Electricity generation from coal was 197.5 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Electricity generation from coal in South Africa, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for electricity generation from coal in South Africa is 197.5 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 4.5% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from coal in South Africa peaked at 247.58 terawatt-hours in 2007 and was at its lowest, 135.4 terawatt-hours, in 1985.
South Africa ranks 7th of 207 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 141.13 terawatt-hours | 135.4 terawatt-hours | 148.46 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 172.87 terawatt-hours | 155.39 terawatt-hours | 192.87 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 224.73 terawatt-hours | 196.07 terawatt-hours | 247.58 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 233.27 terawatt-hours | 225.26 terawatt-hours | 244.44 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 203.89 terawatt-hours | 192.29 terawatt-hours | 214.08 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 56.3% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from coal in South Africa?
- Electricity generation from coal in South Africa was 197.5 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from coal recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 247.58 terawatt-hours in 2007.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from coal recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 135.4 terawatt-hours in 1985.
- How does South Africa rank for electricity generation from coal?
- South Africa ranks 7th out of 207 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from coal rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.