Africa · country explainer · estimated data
South Africa's power sector in numbers
Ember monthly data 2018-01 → 2026-03 · generation-weighted · CC-BY-4.0
Carbon intensity · 2026-03
650gCO₂e/kWh
#74 cleanest of 80 tracked (2025)
Renewables share
16%
clean incl. nuclear: 23.7%
Records
Cleanest: 606 (2025-12)
Dirtiest: 797 (2018-05)
The trend, year by year
| Year | gCO₂e/kWh | Δ | Renewables % | Generation TWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 694 | -20 | 13.8 | 231.1 |
| 2024 | 714 | +2 | 12.6 | 235.8 |
| 2023 | 712 | -18 | 12.3 | 224.6 |
| 2022 | 730 | -18 | 9.6 | 234.9 |
| 2021 | 748 | -15 | 6.9 | 244.4 |
| 2020 | 763 | -2 | 5.5 | 239.6 |
| 2019 | 765 | -15 | 4.9 | 252.6 |
| 2018 | 780 | — | 4.7 | 256.4 |
See South Africa on the globe. The terminal paints every tracked country's carbon intensity and renewables share worldwide — and the carbon story animates the whole decade.
Open the globe →Source: "Monthly electricity data, Ember" (CC-BY-4.0). Yearly figures are generation-weighted (Σ emissions ÷ Σ generation, complete years only). Monthly statistical data — estimated, not live measurement. Cite as "Voltcast Research, voltcast.com/research/countries/za".