Electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa
South Africa: Electricity generation from solar and wind was 30.8 terawatt-hours in 2025. β Volatile
Electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa, 1971β2025
Source: Ember (2026); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) β with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
In 2025, electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa stood at 30.8 terawatt-hours. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 463.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa peaked at 30.8 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0 terawatt-hours, in 1971.
That places South Africa 22nd out of 208 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 9 |
| 1980s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.026 terawatt-hours | 0 terawatt-hours | 0.05 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.9 terawatt-hours | 0.05 terawatt-hours | 12.03 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.78 terawatt-hours | 13.39 terawatt-hours | 30.8 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 solar and wind in South Africa?
- Electricity generation from solar and wind in South Africa was 30.8 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) β with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from solar and wind recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.8 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar and wind recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 terawatt-hours in 1971.
- How does South Africa rank for electricity generation from solar and wind?
- South Africa ranks 22nd out of 208 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar and wind rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 463.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from solar and wind. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.