Renewable energy electricity output in South Africa

South Africa: Renewable energy electricity output was 5,564 GWh in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
5,564 GWh
Change on year
up 72.5%
World rank
77th
of 233 countries
All-time high
5,564 GWh
in 2015
All-time low
146 GWh
in 1993
Years of data
26
1990–2015

Renewable energy electricity output in South Africa, 1990–2015

02.0k4.0k6.0k1990200220151990: 1.0k GWh1991: 2.0k GWh1992: 752 GWh1993: 146 GWh1994: 1.1k GWh1995: 529 GWh1996: 1.4k GWh1997: 2.2k GWh1998: 1.8k GWh1999: 923 GWh2000: 1.4k GWh2001: 2.3k GWh2002: 2.6k GWh2003: 966 GWh2004: 1.2k GWh2005: 1.6k GWh2006: 3.2k GWh2007: 1.2k GWh2008: 1.5k GWh2009: 1.7k GWh2010: 2.4k GWh2011: 2.4k GWh2012: 1.5k GWh2013: 1.5k GWh2014: 3.2k GWh2015: 5.6k GWh

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

Analysis

In 2015, renewable energy electricity output in South Africa stood at 5,564 GWh. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is up 72.5% on the previous year and up 245.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, renewable energy electricity output in South Africa peaked at 5,564 GWh in 2015 and was at its lowest, 146 GWh, in 1993.

That places South Africa 77th out of 233 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.

Renewable energy electricity output in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Renewable energy electricity output (GWh) in South Africa, 1990 to 2015.
Year GWh Change
1990 1,010 GWh —
1991 1,980 GWh +96.0%
1992 752 GWh -62.0%
1993 146 GWh -80.6%
1994 1,074 GWh +635.6%
1995 529 GWh -50.7%
1996 1,379 GWh +160.7%
1997 2,238 GWh +62.3%
1998 1,826 GWh -18.4%
1999 923 GWh -49.5%
2000 1,408 GWh +52.5%
2001 2,292 GWh +62.8%
2002 2,642 GWh +15.3%
2003 966 GWh -63.4%
2004 1,224 GWh +26.7%
2005 1,610 GWh +31.5%
2006 3,180 GWh +97.5%
2007 1,154 GWh -63.7%
2008 1,502 GWh +30.2%
2009 1,712 GWh +14.0%
2010 2,434 GWh +42.2%
2011 2,384 GWh -2.1%
2012 1,537 GWh -35.5%
2013 1,542 GWh +0.3%
2014 3,226 GWh +109.2%
2015 5,564 GWh +72.5%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 5,564 GWh is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,738 GWh, 3.2× the median. (59 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 5,564 GWh is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 537.6 GWh, 10.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Renewable energy electricity output in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1994 +635.6% 146 GWh 1,074 GWh

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,186 GWh 146 GWh 2,238 GWh 10
2000s 1,769 GWh 966 GWh 3,180 GWh 10
2010s 2,781 GWh 1,537 GWh 5,564 GWh 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 74 Albania 5,895 GWh compare
  2. 75 Ghana 5,848 GWh compare
  3. 76 Nigeria 5,718 GWh compare
  4. 78 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5,551 GWh compare
  5. 79 Angola 5,192 GWh compare
  6. 80 Cameroon 5,144 GWh compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is renewable energy electricity output in South Africa?
Renewable energy electricity output in South Africa was 5,564 GWh 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 energy electricity output recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5,564 GWh in 2015.
What is the lowest renewable energy electricity output recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 146 GWh in 1993.
How does South Africa rank for renewable energy electricity output?
South Africa ranks 77th out of 233 countries with data for 2015.
Is renewable energy electricity output rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 245.6%. 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 energy electricity output (GWh). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Renewable energy electricity output in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank and International Energy Agency (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA, http://www.iea.org/stats/index.asp). Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/renewable-energy-electricity-output-gwh/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Renewable energy electricity output (GWh)
Unit
GWh
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
234 places, 6,084 data points, 1990–2015
Last refreshed

Renewable energy electricity output (GWh): Total number of GWh generated by renewable power plants, including wind, solar PV, solar thermal, hydro, marine, geothermal, biomass, renewable municipal waste, liquid biofuels and biogas. Electricity production for hydro pumpted storage is excluded.