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SA is one of the top 9 countries that generate their electricity from coal

16th January 2026

     

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South Africa is one of the top countries in the world for the amount of electricity it generates from coal. It ranked seventh in 2024, generating just over 200 TWh of coal-powered energy. 2024 is the latest year of data available from Ember, an energy think tank.

South Africa’s coal use ticked up in 2024 after a dismal year of loadshedding in 2023. And with no loadshedding in 2025, the International Energy Agency expects South Africa’s coal consumption to remain stable until 2030.

Global coal production reached a record high in 2024 and is expected to remain at a similar level in 2025, according to IEA forecasts. Most of the coal is used to generate power. China and India are the main drivers of this growth.

South Africa is also one of the world’s biggest coal exporters. It exported over 61 megatonnes of bituminous coal in 2025, according to SARS trade data. Although this is the lowest quantity since 2013, with India being the main export market, receiving 29 megatonnes in 2025, it looks like South Africa will have a market for its coal for a while.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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