South Africa Electricity

Coal is globally, and certainly for South Africa, the most important source of power. The commodity is required for almost every product and structure that we see around us and use every single day, either directly or indirectly. There is virtually no machine, cement, steel, aluminum, building, car, computer, iPhone, or even a solar panel or windmill that can be created without coal.
South Africa should rather embrace good old King Coal as part of its energy future by supporting investments to improve environmental and economic efficiencies. In a global context, coal has enormous value. The fuel, originating from plants that date back millions of years, retains its position as the most important source of electricity, constituting about 36% in 2023, and the second most crucial source of primary energy, accounting for approximately 25% share in 2023. As the graph below shows, its absolute volumes continue to set new records almost every year, despite a slight reduction in the global share of coal.