South Africa Solar Power: Generation, Share and Trend
South Africa generated 19.5 TWh of electricity from solar in 2025, 8.1% of its total, according to Ember. That made it the 19th largest solar power producer in 2025 of the 181 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year. Solar supplied 8.8% 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 19.5 TWh of electricity from solar in 2025.
- Solar supplied 8.1% of South Africa's electricity in 2025.
- South Africa was the 19th largest solar power producer in 2025 among the 181 countries with Ember data, comparing each country's latest year.
- South Africa's solar generation in 2025 was 180% higher than in 2020, when it was 6.98 TWh.
- South Africa's solar generation in 2025 was 714% higher than in 2015, when it was 2.40 TWh.
- 2025 was South Africa's highest year for solar generation in Ember's records, which start in 2000.
- South Africa's solar share in 2025 was below the world share of 8.8%.
- South Africa had 11.3 GW of solar generating capacity in 2025.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Solar generation | 19.5 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Share of South Africa's electricity | 8.1% | 2025 · Ember |
| World share of solar | 8.8% | 2025 · Ember |
| Rank by solar generation (each country's latest year) | 19 of 181 | 2025 · Ember |
| Solar capacity | 11.3 GW | 2025 · Ember |
Solar Generation Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 2000 to 2025| Year | Solar |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 TWh |
| 2001 | 0 TWh |
| 2002 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2003 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2004 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2005 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2006 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2007 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2008 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2009 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2010 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2011 | 20.0 GWh |
| 2012 | 30.0 GWh |
| 2013 | 50.0 GWh |
| 2014 | 1.08 TWh |
| 2015 | 2.40 TWh |
| 2016 | 3.01 TWh |
| 2017 | 3.94 TWh |
| 2018 | 4.54 TWh |
| 2019 | 5.40 TWh |
| 2020 | 6.98 TWh |
| 2021 | 7.84 TWh |
| 2022 | 10.5 TWh |
| 2023 | 14.8 TWh |
| 2024 | 18.3 TWh |
| 2025 | 19.5 TWh |
| Year | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | 1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| 2023 | 6.4% | 5.6% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | 7.0% |
| 2025 | 8.1% | 8.8% |
| Year | Generation | Share | World share | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19.5 TWh | 8.1% | 8.8% | 11.3 GW |
| 2024 | 18.3 TWh | 7.4% | 7.0% | 9.06 GW |
| 2023 | 14.8 TWh | 6.4% | 5.6% | 8.01 GW |
| 2022 | 10.5 TWh | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.71 GW |
| 2021 | 7.84 TWh | 3.2% | 3.7% | 4.21 GW |
| 2020 | 6.98 TWh | 2.9% | 3.2% | 3.71 GW |
| 2019 | 5.40 TWh | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.81 GW |
| 2018 | 4.54 TWh | 1.8% | 2.2% | 2.51 GW |
| 2017 | 3.94 TWh | 1.5% | 1.8% | 2.21 GW |
| 2016 | 3.01 TWh | 1.2% | 1.3% | 1.90 GW |
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.
Solar Generation Month by Month
Ember monthly statistics through August 2026| Month | Solar |
|---|---|
| 2024-09 | 1.46 TWh |
| 2024-10 | 1.79 TWh |
| 2024-11 | 1.82 TWh |
| 2024-12 | 1.90 TWh |
| 2025-01 | 1.92 TWh |
| 2025-02 | 1.46 TWh |
| 2025-03 | 1.38 TWh |
| 2025-04 | 1.16 TWh |
| 2025-05 | 1.29 TWh |
| 2025-06 | 1.18 TWh |
| 2025-07 | 1.23 TWh |
| 2025-08 | 1.48 TWh |
| 2025-09 | 1.51 TWh |
| 2025-10 | 1.96 TWh |
| 2025-11 | 1.84 TWh |
| 2025-12 | 2.22 TWh |
| 2026-01 | 2.36 TWh |
| 2026-02 | 1.72 TWh |
| 2026-03 | 1.58 TWh |
| 2026-04 | 1.18 TWh |
| 2026-05 | 1.09 TWh |
| 2026-06 | 1.11 TWh |
| 2026-07 | 1.27 TWh |
| 2026-08 | 1.37 TWh |
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 Solar Power: Generation, Share and Trend. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/solar/
World Power Monitor. South Africa Solar Power: Generation, Share and Trend. Data as of 2026-08. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/solar/
@misc{wpm_countries_south_africa_solar_2026,
title = {{South Africa Solar 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/solar/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-africa/solar/
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