Renewable Energy: Facts and Futures

This report by WWF South Africa examines the potential and progress of renewable energy (RE) in South Africa, focusing on the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REI4P) and the challenges posed by the state utility Eskom's dominance and the country's historical dependence on coal.

• South Africa possesses significant theoretical wind and solar potential. Research from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) indicates that dedicating only 0.6% of the land mass to wind farms with a cumulative capacity of 75 GW could meet the country's annual electrical energy demand of 250 terawatt hours (TWh). The total technical theoretical potential for wind power is estimated at 6,700 GW.
• The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REI4P) has delivered substantial economic and social benefits. It attracted R195 billion in investments, with 25% from foreign investors and R31.6 billion from state-owned enterprises and development finance institutions. The programme created 26,790 jobs over three years and saw R65.5 billion procured from B-BBEE firms and R32.1 billion spent on local content.
• By 2016, the REI4P had procured 6,376 MW of generation capacity, representing 43% of the 14,725 MW ministerial determination. Wind energy is the most procured technology, accounting for half of the taken-up capacity, followed by solar PV.
• Eskom, the state-owned utility, is identified as a major barrier to renewable energy expansion. The report notes that Eskom has refused to sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) with independent power producers (IPPs) from bid windows 3.5, 4, and 4.5, citing oversupply and high tariffs, which the report suggests is an attempt to maintain its monopoly and favour its own investments, including expensive nuclear power.
• The CSIR's 'least-cost electricity mix for South Africa by 2030' suggests that a renewable energy share of over 70% by 2050 would be R80 billion per year cheaper than the current base case scenario and would reduce CO2 emissions by 65% (130 Mt/yr).
• Rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations are increasing, driven by falling costs and load shedding. Estimated installations in South Africa reached 218 MWp by the end of 2016, comprising 110 MWp in the commercial and industrial sector, 24 MWp in the residential sector, and almost 9 MWp in the agricultural sector.
• The transition from coal to renewables faces 'path dependency' due to the Minerals Energy Complex (MEC), where the minerals and energy sectors are intertwined. Coal is deeply linked to the economy through job creation, export earnings, and its role in industrial development, making the transition complex.
• South Africa's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted to the UN in 2015 set a trajectory for greenhouse gas emissions to rise to 34% below business-as-usual levels by 2020, peak at 42% in 2025, plateau until 2030, and then decline to 2050.

APA

Scholtz, L., Muluadzi, K., Kritzinger, K., Mabaso, M., & Forder, S. (2017). Renewable Energy: Facts and Futures. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/WWF_2017_Renewable_Energy_Facts_and_Futures_Final.pdf

Chicago

Scholtz, Louise, Khodani Muluadzi, Karin Kritzinger, Mbali Mabaso, and Stephen Forder. Renewable Energy: Facts and Futures. WWF South Africa, 2017. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/WWF_2017_Renewable_Energy_Facts_and_Futures_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Scholtz |first1=Louise |last2=Muluadzi |first2=Khodani |last3=Kritzinger |first3=Karin |last4=Mabaso |first4=Mbali |last5=Forder |first5=Stephen |title=Renewable Energy: Facts and Futures |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=2017 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/WWF_2017_Renewable_Energy_Facts_and_Futures_Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{scholtz2017renewable, author = {Scholtz, Louise and Muluadzi, Khodani and Kritzinger, Karin and Mabaso, Mbali and Forder, Stephen}, title = {{Renewable Energy: Facts and Futures}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2017}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/WWF_2017_Renewable_Energy_Facts_and_Futures_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }