---
title: "In Graphs – Fossil fuels remain SA’s energy mainstay despite leading the charge on renewables within Africa"
description: "South Africa is the biggest wind and solar producer on the continent, but most of its energy still comes from coal."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "THE OUTLIER"
author: "Gemma Ritchie"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/gemma-ritchie/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-09-21-in-graphs-fossil-fuels-remain-sas-energy-mainstay-despite-leading-the-charge-on-renewables-within-africa/"
published: "2022-09-21T12:22:09"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 456
---

# In Graphs – Fossil fuels remain SA’s energy mainstay despite leading the charge on renewables within Africa

> South Africa is the biggest wind and solar producer on the continent, but most of its energy still comes from coal.

By Gemma Ritchie · Published 21 September 2022, 14:22 SAST

## Content

South Africa produces the most solar and wind energy by terawatt-hours (TWh) in Africa, according to Ember, a global energy think tank. But renewable energy is only a tiny proportion of our energy mix. Only 2% comes from solar and 3% from wind in 2021.

![Image](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/energy-mix_1px.png)

#### **Coal domination graphic**

The 147MW Roggeveld Wind Farm, which was officially launched last Saturday, will add enough power to the Eskom grid to supply [49,200 households](https://roggeveldwindfarm.energy/) in the Northern and Western Cape.

[Thirty-three wind farms](https://twitter.com/_sawea/status/1528681602490015744) are either fully operational or under construction, according to data from the South African Wind Energy Association.

Nevertheless, other African countries — with far less solar and wind capacity — have a higher proportion of renewables in their energy mix than South Africa.

#### **Wind power**

Fifteen countries in Africa generate electricity from wind, according to [Ember’s latest global energy report](https://ember-climate.org/about/), and the four countries generating the most wind power by terawatt-hours in 2021 were:

- South Africa (8TWh)
- Morocco (5TWh)
- Egypt (4TWh)
- Kenya (2TWh)

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Kenya has the biggest wind farm in Africa at Lake Turkana with 365 wind turbines, and its wind power generation had increased to 16% of its energy mix by 2021.

![Image](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/wind_1px.png)

But Kenya isn’t the only country where wind power supplies over a tenth of its power. Wind power makes up 12% of Morocco’s energy mix. It’s also 17% of Cabo Verde’s, but the islands only produce 0.08 TWh of wind power for its population of 555,988.

#### **Solar power**

More than double the number of countries that produce wind power in Africa generate solar power (38 countries), with the largest solar power producers in terawatt-hours being South Africa (4.55 TWh) and Egypt (1.64 TWh).

But solar power makes up only 2% of South Africa’s energy mix and 1% of Egypt’s.

The countries with the biggest proportion of solar power in their energy mix are Senegal (6%) and Burundi (3%). They produce 0.36 TWh and 0.01 TWh respectively.

#### **Biggest power producers in Africa**

Of the 54 countries in Africa, only 15 produce more than 10 TWh of electricity per year. The five African countries that produce the most power a year are:

- South Africa (229.72 TWh)
- Egypt (187.84 TWh)
- Algeria (76.63 TWh)
- Morocco (37.01 TWh)
- Libya (31.7 TWh)

But these five countries rely heavily on fossil fuels in their energy mixes.

84% of South Africa’s electricity and 59% of Morocco’s energy mix is dependent on coal. 76% of Egypt’s energy mix, 99% of Algeria’s and 70% of Libya’s power is dependent on gas.

#### **Data**

Research and data from think tank Ember’s 2022 [Global Energy Report](https://ember-climate.org/about/). **DM**

*This story/chart was produced by*[***The Outlier.***](https://theoutlier.co.za/)*For more like this subscribe to the*[*newsletter*](https://newsletter.theoutlier.co.za/)*.*

![Image](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Outlier-logo.png)