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Renewable electricity in South Africa

South Africa: Renewable electricity was 2.3% in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
2.3%
Change on year
up 74.4%
World rank
164th
of 226 countries
All-time high
2.3%
in 2015
All-time low
0.1%
in 1993
Years of data
26
1990–2015

Renewable electricity in South Africa, 1990–2015

00.511.522.51990200220151990: 0.611 % in total electricity output1991: 1.2 % in total electricity output1992: 0.451 % in total electricity output1993: 0.084 % in total electricity output1994: 0.596 % in total electricity output1995: 0.285 % in total electricity output1996: 0.691 % in total electricity output1997: 1.1 % in total electricity output1998: 0.9 % in total electricity output1999: 0.461 % in total electricity output2000: 0.677 % in total electricity output2001: 1.1 % in total electricity output2002: 1.2 % in total electricity output2003: 0.418 % in total electricity output2004: 0.508 % in total electricity output2005: 0.665 % in total electricity output2006: 1.3 % in total electricity output2007: 0.443 % in total electricity output2008: 0.588 % in total electricity output2009: 0.694 % in total electricity output2010: 0.948 % in total electricity output2011: 0.918 % in total electricity output2012: 0.603 % in total electricity output2013: 0.609 % in total electricity output2014: 1.3 % in total electricity output2015: 2.3 % in total electricity output

Source: World Bank and International Energy Agency (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA, http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp). Measured in % in total electricity output.

Analysis

In 2015, renewable electricity in South Africa stood at 2.3%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

That represents a change of up 74.4% on the previous year and up 239.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, renewable electricity in South Africa peaked at 2.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1993.

That places South Africa 164th out of 226 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.6% 0.1% 1.2% 10
2000s 0.8% 0.4% 1.3% 10
2010s 1.1% 0.6% 2.3% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 161 Syria 2.3% compare
  2. 162 Kosovo 2.3% compare
  3. 163 Solomon Islands 2.3% compare
  4. 165 Korea 1.9% compare
  5. 166 Israel 1.9% compare
  6. 167 Puerto Rico 1.8% compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is renewable electricity in South Africa?
Renewable electricity in South Africa was 2.3% in 2015, according to World Bank and International Energy Agency (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA, http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp).
What is the highest renewable electricity recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 2015.
What is the lowest renewable electricity recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1993.
How does South Africa rank for renewable electricity?
South Africa ranks 164th out of 226 countries with data for 2015.
Is renewable electricity rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 239.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Bank and International Energy Agency (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA, http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp), published as part of Renewable electricity (% in total electricity output). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

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Renewable electricity in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank and International Energy Agency (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA, http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp). Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/renewable-electricity-percent-in-total-electricity-output/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Renewable electricity (% in total electricity output)
Unit
% in total electricity output
Source
World Bank and International Energy Agency (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA, http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
232 places, 6,032 data points, 1990–2015
Last refreshed

Renewable electricity (% in total electricity output): Share of electrity generated by renewable power plants in total electricity generated by all types of plants