Primary energy use by source in South Africa
South Africa: Primary energy use by source was 1,013 terawatt-hours in 2025. ▲ Rising
Primary energy use by source in South Africa, 1965–2025
Source: Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, primary energy use by source in South Africa stood at 1,013 terawatt-hours.
That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary energy use by source in South Africa peaked at 1,092 terawatt-hours in 2008 and was at its lowest, 283.13 terawatt-hours, in 1966.
That places South Africa 6th out of 78 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 61 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 294.81 terawatt-hours | 283.13 terawatt-hours | 307.93 terawatt-hours | 5 |
| 1970s | 391.9 terawatt-hours | 318.1 terawatt-hours | 459.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1980s | 686.9 terawatt-hours | 496.73 terawatt-hours | 809.93 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 813.89 terawatt-hours | 768.75 terawatt-hours | 872.7 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 949.04 terawatt-hours | 828.6 terawatt-hours | 1,092 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,011 terawatt-hours | 937.46 terawatt-hours | 1,061 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 972.45 terawatt-hours | 908.05 terawatt-hours | 1,033 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 primary energy use by source in South Africa?
- Primary energy use by source in South Africa was 1,013 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary energy use by source recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1,092 terawatt-hours in 2008.
- What is the lowest primary energy use by source recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 283.13 terawatt-hours in 1966.
- How does South Africa rank for primary energy use by source?
- South Africa ranks 6th out of 78 countries with data for 2025.
- Is primary energy use by source rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Smil (2017) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary energy use by source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours of total energy supply.