South Africa Hydro Power: Generation, Share and Trend
South Africa generated 1.82 TWh of electricity from hydro in 2025, 0.8% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 88th largest hydro power producer in 2025 of the 153 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Hydro supplied 13.9% of the world's electricity in 2025. These are annual statistics for 2025, with monthly figures through August 2026; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- South Africa generated 1.82 TWh of electricity from hydro in 2025.
- Hydro supplied 0.8% of South Africa's electricity in 2025.
- South Africa was the 88th largest hydro power producer in 2025 among the 153 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- South Africa's hydro generation in 2025 was 24% higher than in 2020, when it was 1.47 TWh.
- South Africa's hydro generation in 2025 was 149% higher than in 2015, when it was 730 GWh.
- South Africa's hydro generation peaked at 3.10 TWh in 2022.
- South Africa's hydro share in 2025 was below the world share of 13.9%.
- South Africa had 750 MW of hydro generating capacity in 2025.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro generation | 1.82 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Share of South Africa's electricity | 0.8% | 2025 · Ember |
| World share of hydro | 13.9% | 2025 · Ember |
| Rank by hydro generation (each country's latest year) | 88 of 153 | 2025 · Ember |
| Hydro capacity | 750 MW | 2025 · Ember |
Hydro Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 2000 to 2025| Year | Hydro |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.10 TWh |
| 2001 | 1.72 TWh |
| 2002 | 2.08 TWh |
| 2003 | 830 GWh |
| 2004 | 950 GWh |
| 2005 | 1.33 TWh |
| 2006 | 2.90 TWh |
| 2007 | 2.87 TWh |
| 2008 | 1.26 TWh |
| 2009 | 1.45 TWh |
| 2010 | 1.14 TWh |
| 2011 | 3.06 TWh |
| 2012 | 1.02 TWh |
| 2013 | 1.10 TWh |
| 2014 | 1.80 TWh |
| 2015 | 730 GWh |
| 2016 | 620 GWh |
| 2017 | 780 GWh |
| 2018 | 1.10 TWh |
| 2019 | 740 GWh |
| 2020 | 1.47 TWh |
| 2021 | 2.02 TWh |
| 2022 | 3.10 TWh |
| 2023 | 2.00 TWh |
| 2024 | 1.10 TWh |
| 2025 | 1.82 TWh |
| Year | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.5% | 17.2% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | 16.5% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | 16.3% |
| 2003 | 0.4% | 15.7% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | 16.1% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | 16.1% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | 16.0% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | 15.5% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | 16.1% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | 16.3% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | 16.1% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | 15.9% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | 16.3% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | 16.4% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | 16.3% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | 16.2% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | 16.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | 16.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | 15.8% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | 15.8% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | 16.3% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | 15.2% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | 15.0% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | 14.3% |
| 2024 | 0.4% | 14.4% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | 13.9% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.82 TWh | 0.8% | 13.9% | 750 MW |
| 2024 | 1.10 TWh | 0.4% | 14.4% | 750 MW |
| 2023 | 2.00 TWh | 0.9% | 14.3% | 750 MW |
| 2022 | 3.10 TWh | 1.3% | 15.0% | 750 MW |
| 2021 | 2.02 TWh | 0.8% | 15.2% | 750 MW |
| 2020 | 1.47 TWh | 0.6% | 16.3% | 750 MW |
| 2019 | 740 GWh | 0.3% | 15.8% | 750 MW |
| 2018 | 1.10 TWh | 0.4% | 15.8% | 750 MW |
| 2017 | 780 GWh | 0.3% | 16.0% | 750 MW |
| 2016 | 620 GWh | 0.2% | 16.3% | 750 MW |
Full year by year history for South Africa
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025. World shares are Ember's World totals; ranks compare each country's latest year, which can differ between countries.
Hydro Generation Month by Month
Ember monthly statistics through August 2026| Month | Hydro |
|---|---|
| 2024-09 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2024-10 | 70.0 GWh |
| 2024-11 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2024-12 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2025-01 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2025-02 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2025-03 | 90.0 GWh |
| 2025-04 | 380 GWh |
| 2025-05 | 250 GWh |
| 2025-06 | 170 GWh |
| 2025-07 | 90.0 GWh |
| 2025-08 | 70.0 GWh |
| 2025-09 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2025-10 | 70.0 GWh |
| 2025-11 | 130 GWh |
| 2025-12 | 370 GWh |
| 2026-01 | 150 GWh |
| 2026-02 | 260 GWh |
| 2026-03 | 420 GWh |
| 2026-04 | 340 GWh |
| 2026-05 | 420 GWh |
| 2026-06 | 240 GWh |
| 2026-07 | 60.0 GWh |
| 2026-08 | 70.0 GWh |
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of August 2026. Monthly figures for South Africa can differ slightly from the annual totals.
Related
Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2026). South Africa Hydro Power: Generation, Share and Trend. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/hydro/
World Power Monitor. South Africa Hydro Power: Generation, Share and Trend. Data as of 2026-08. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/hydro/
@misc{wpm_countries_south_africa_hydro_2026,
title = {{South Africa Hydro Power: Generation, Share and Trend}},
author = {{World Power Monitor}},
year = {2026},
note = {Data as of 2026-08. Data from Ember.},
url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/hydro/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/hydro/
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