Electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa
South Africa: Electricity generation from fossil fuels was 199.45 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
199.45 terawatt-hours
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
15th
of 214 countries
All-time high
248.84 terawatt-hours
in 2007
All-time low
135.44 terawatt-hours
in 1985
Years of data
41
1985–2025
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa stood at 199.45 terawatt-hours.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa peaked at 248.84 terawatt-hours in 2007 and was at its lowest, 135.44 terawatt-hours, in 1985.
South Africa ranks 15th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 135.44 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1986 | 136.03 terawatt-hours | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 142.81 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 1988 | 143.08 terawatt-hours | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 148.46 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 155.93 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 1991 | 155.39 terawatt-hours | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 156.72 terawatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 165.96 terawatt-hours | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 169.4 terawatt-hours | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 173.55 terawatt-hours | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 184.72 terawatt-hours | +6.4% |
| 1997 | 192.87 terawatt-hours | +4.4% |
| 1998 | 187.53 terawatt-hours | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 186.66 terawatt-hours | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 196.07 terawatt-hours | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 197.23 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 206.03 terawatt-hours | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 220.31 terawatt-hours | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 229.88 terawatt-hours | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 231.85 terawatt-hours | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 240.44 terawatt-hours | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 248.84 terawatt-hours | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 243.53 terawatt-hours | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 234.8 terawatt-hours | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 244.47 terawatt-hours | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 246.05 terawatt-hours | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 243.39 terawatt-hours | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 240.17 terawatt-hours | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 236.67 terawatt-hours | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 231.29 terawatt-hours | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 229.61 terawatt-hours | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 228.82 terawatt-hours | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 232.24 terawatt-hours | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 226.62 terawatt-hours | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 215.57 terawatt-hours | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 214.19 terawatt-hours | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 205.45 terawatt-hours | -4.1% |
| 2023 | 195.97 terawatt-hours | -4.6% |
| 2024 | 208.75 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2025 | 199.45 terawatt-hours | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 141.17 terawatt-hours | 135.44 terawatt-hours | 148.46 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1990s | 172.87 terawatt-hours | 155.39 terawatt-hours | 192.87 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 224.9 terawatt-hours | 196.07 terawatt-hours | 248.84 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 235.93 terawatt-hours | 226.62 terawatt-hours | 246.05 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 206.56 terawatt-hours | 195.97 terawatt-hours | 215.57 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)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fossil fuel production by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gas production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa?
- Electricity generation from fossil fuels in South Africa was 199.45 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 fossil fuels recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 248.84 terawatt-hours in 2007.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from fossil fuels recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 135.44 terawatt-hours in 1985.
- How does South Africa rank for electricity generation from fossil fuels?
- South Africa ranks 15th out of 214 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from fossil fuels rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. 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 fossil fuels. 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
Electricity generation from coal, oil, and gas, measured in terawatt-hours.