Energy Subsidies in South Africa

This policy brief analyzes the coal-to-liquid fuel sector in South Africa, exploring the role of subsidies in driving the consumption of coal-derived fuels.

On June 10, 2020, IISD hosted a webinar on what lessons Eskom South Africa could take from other economies experiences with electricity sector reform.

More than 300 representatives from governments, NGOs and social organizations of 44 countries participated in the event, which aimed to quicken the pace of reforms and investment in renewable energy in order to keep the rise in global temperatures below 2°C.

Workers at the Hendrina coal power station in Mpumalanga, South Africa, are unsure if they will soon be joining the former workers at the nearby Optimum coal plant, protesting outside a shuttered plant.

Jointly prepared by IISD, OCI and ODI, this country study and accompanying data sheet compiles publicly available information on fossil fuel production subsidies in South Africa in 2013 and 2014. It is a background paper to the report Empty promises: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal production and provides a baseline to track progress on the phase-out of such subsidies as part of a wider global energy transition.