Patents filed for renewables in South Africa

South Africa: Patents filed for renewables was 14 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
14
Change on year
down 66.7%
World rank
14th
of 64 countries
All-time high
94
in 2012
All-time low
2
in 2002
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Patents filed for renewables in South Africa, 2000–2023

0204060801002000201120232000: 62001: 42002: 22003: 62004: 112005: 82006: 72007: 132008: 212009: 222010: 452011: 622012: 942013: 622014: 672015: 512016: 392017: 252018: 502019: 392020: 282021: 302022: 422023: 14

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 14 for patents filed for renewables in 2023.

That represents a change of down 66.7% on the previous year and down 77.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, patents filed for renewables in South Africa peaked at 94 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 14th of 64 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Patents filed for renewables in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Patents filed for renewables in South Africa, 2000 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2000 6
2001 4 -33.3%
2002 2 -50.0%
2003 6 +200.0%
2004 11 +83.3%
2005 8 -27.3%
2006 7 -12.5%
2007 13 +85.7%
2008 21 +61.5%
2009 22 +4.8%
2010 45 +104.5%
2011 62 +37.8%
2012 94 +51.6%
2013 62 -34.0%
2014 67 +8.1%
2015 51 -23.9%
2016 39 -23.5%
2017 25 -35.9%
2018 50 +100.0%
2019 39 -22.0%
2020 28 -28.2%
2021 30 +7.1%
2022 42 +40.0%
2023 14 -66.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 10 2 22 10
2010s 53.4 25 94 10
2020s 28.5 14 42 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 11 Chile 19 compare
  2. 12 Israel 18 compare
  3. 13 France 17 compare
  4. 15 Türkiye 9 compare
  5. 16 Philippines 7 compare
  6. 17 Estonia 6 compare
  7. 17 Italy 6 compare
  8. 17 Poland 6 compare
  9. 17 Romania 6 compare
  10. 17 Sweden 6 compare

See the full ranking of 64 places →

More energy & mining data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is patents filed for renewables in South Africa?
Patents filed for renewables in South Africa was 14 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest patents filed for renewables recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 94 in 2012.
What is the lowest patents filed for renewables recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2 in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for patents filed for renewables?
South Africa ranks 14th out of 64 countries with data for 2023.
Is patents filed for renewables rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 77.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Patents filed for renewables. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Patents filed for renewables in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://energy.statizoid.com/stat/patents-filed-for-renewables/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Patents filed for renewables
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
64 places, 1,191 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed