Share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa
South Africa: Share of electricity generation from solar and wind was 12.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa, 1985–2025
Source: Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa is 12.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 480.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa peaked at 12.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1985.
That places South Africa 67th out of 211 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | — |
| 1987 | 0.0% | — |
| 1988 | 0.0% | — |
| 1989 | 0.0% | — |
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1991 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 0.0% | — |
| 1993 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 0.0% | — |
| 1996 | 0.0% | — |
| 1997 | 0.0% | — |
| 1998 | 0.0% | — |
| 1999 | 0.0% | — |
| 2000 | 0.0% | — |
| 2001 | 0.0% | — |
| 2002 | 0.0% | — |
| 2003 | 0.0% | +41.3% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | +36.0% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | +29.4% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | +18.7% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | +18.8% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | +29.5% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | +2300.0% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +159.2% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | +30.6% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | +50.4% |
| 2018 | 4.3% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 4.8% | +11.3% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | +17.0% |
| 2021 | 6.7% | +20.8% |
| 2022 | 8.4% | +25.5% |
| 2023 | 11.3% | +34.5% |
| 2024 | 11.9% | +4.8% |
| 2025 | 12.7% | +6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 0.0% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 5.6% | 12.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 64 Mexico 13.4% compare
- 65 Nicaragua 13.1% compare
- 66 Costa Rica 12.8% compare
- 68 Guadeloupe 12.6% compare
- 69 Mauritania 12.6% compare
- 70 Vanuatu 12.5% compare
More energy & mining data for South Africa
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.3095 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 17.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa?
- Share of electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa was 12.7% in 2025, according to Ember (2026) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of electricity generation from solar and wind recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of electricity generation from solar and wind recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1985.
- How does South Africa rank for share of electricity generation from solar and wind?
- South Africa ranks 67th out of 211 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of electricity generation from solar and wind rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 480.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Share of electricity generation from solar and wind. 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 as a percentage of total electricity produced in the country or region.