Where are South Africa's major power stations located?

South Africa’s major power stations, three of which are the biggest in the southern hemisphere, are located in Mpumalanga. The building of the new Kusile power station is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country’s history. Mpumalanga also has fertile soil that supports diverse farming operations.

Is solar PV a focal energy resource for Africa?

Solar PV, which, as reported by our colleagues at PV Tech in their write-up of the AFSIA report, reached 19.2GW in 2024, increasing by 2.5GW on 2023 levels, is becoming the focal energy generation resource for Africa.

How has energy storage changed in 2022?

This has resulted in an increase in energy storage levels in recent years. In 2022, the continent had around 50MWh of energy storage capacity installed. Since then, energy storage capacity tripled in 2023 and then experienced another 10-fold increase in 2024. Image: AFSIA Solar.

What is Energy Capital & Power?

Energy Capital & Power is the African continent’s leading investment platform for the energy sector. Through a series of events, online content and investment reports, we unite the entire energy value chain – from oil and gas exploration to renewable power – and facilitate global and intra-African investment and collaboration.

How can energy storage help fill the short-term supply gap?

The report notes this initiative, which is described as a means to fill the short-term supply gap, alleviate the electricity supply constraints, and reduce the extensive utilisation of diesel-based peaking electrical generators. Several initiatives and drivers for energy storage have also been introduced to African countries.