Environment & Energy

South Africa

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Electricity generation mix
  • Coal81.3%
  • Solar8.0%
  • Wind4.7%
  • Nuclear4.2%
  • Other fossil0.8%
  • Hydro0.8%
  • Bioenergy0.2%
Source: Ember
CO₂ emissions19702024
18426033641248819702024
Source: World Bank WDI
Renewable energy share19902021
7.610.413.115.918.619902021
Source: World Bank WDI
Renewable energy share19902015
15.616.517.318.219.119902015
Source: WB SE4ALL
IndicatorValue
CO₂ emissions440 Mt CO₂World Bank WDI [2024]
CO₂ per capita6.88 t CO₂World Bank WDI [2024]
Renewable energy share9.7 %World Bank WDI [2021]
Energy use per capita1,940 kg oil-eqWorld Bank WDI [2023]
Freshwater withdrawal47.1 %World Bank WDI [2022]
Renewable electricity share13.6 %Ember [2025]
UNESCO World Heritage sites12 sitesUNESCO World Heritage [2025]
Mean annual temperature18.6 °CWorld Bank CCKP [2014]
Forest area (>10% canopy)22,400,000 haGlobal Forest Watch [2010]
Intangible cultural heritage elementsNo authoritative open source found
Operating power capacity64,200 MWGlobal Energy Monitor [2025]
Renewable water resources per capita51.4 m³FAO AQUASTAT [2022]
Water withdrawal — agriculture11.8 bcmFAO AQUASTAT [2022]
Water withdrawal — industry19.9 bcmFAO AQUASTAT [2022]
Water withdrawal — domestic2.14 bcmFAO AQUASTAT [2022]
CO2 emissions, total440–440,000 MtJRC EDGAR [2024] 440,200 Mt·Global Carbon Budget [2024] 440.2 Mt
CO2 emissions by sector
  • Main Activity Electricity and Heat Production
  • Petroleum Refining - Manufacture of Solid Fuels and Other Energy Industries
  • Manufacturing Industries and Construction
  • Road Transportation no resuspension
  • Residential and other sectors
JRC EDGAR [2024]
CO2 emissions, territorial440 MtGlobal Carbon Budget [2024]
CO2 emissions, consumption-based326 MtGlobal Carbon Budget [2023]
Significant earthquakes (recent)No authoritative open source found
Largest recent earthquakeNo authoritative open source found
Active natural events25NASA EONET [2026]
Natural events by categoryWildfires: 17 / Floods: 8NASA EONET [2026]
Renewable energy share17.2 %WB SE4ALL [2015]
Oil production95.2 kbdEIA International Energy [2025]
Natural gas production0.058 bcmEIA International Energy [2024]
Coal production237 MtEIA International Energy [2024]
Environmental issueslimited freshwater resources due to lack of major rivers or lakes; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban waste; air pollution resulting in acid rain; deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; desertification; solid waste pollution; significant floral extinctionsCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive

Section metadata

Data year2026
EditionDatabook 2026
Coverage25/28
LicenseCC-BY
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Datasets on this page
  • World Bank WDI
    world_bank_wdi
    Edition: 2024
  • Ember
    ember_electricity
    Edition: 2025
  • UNESCO World Heritage
    unesco_world_heritage
    Edition: 2025
  • World Bank CCKP
    cckp_climate
    Edition: 2024
  • Global Forest Watch
    gfw_forest_cover
    Edition: 2024
  • Global Energy Monitor
    global_energy_monitor
    Edition: 2025
  • FAO AQUASTAT
    aquastat_water
    Edition: 2026
  • JRC EDGAR
    edgar
    Edition: 2025
  • Global Carbon Budget
    global_carbon_budget
    Edition: 2025
  • NASA EONET
    nasa_eonet
    Edition: 2026
  • WB SE4ALL
    world_bank_se4all
    Edition: 2018
  • EIA International Energy
    eia_energy_international
    Edition: 2026
  • CIA World Factbook
    cia_factbook
    Edition: 2025
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About this data

South Africa's environment & energy on Databook compiles 25 indicators from 13 open datasets including World Bank WDI, Ember, UNESCO World Heritage. Key figures include co₂ emissions (440 Mt CO₂), co₂ per capita (6.88 t CO₂). Data is referenced to 2026. Every value carries its source and publication year, published under open licenses.