Coal has traditionally dominated the energy supply sector in South Africa, from as early as 1880 when coal from the Vereeniging area was supplied to the Kimberly diamond fields. The later gold discoveries in the Witwatersrand and the growing rail infrastructure placed increasing demands on coal.
As of 2011, South Africa produces in excess of 255 million tonnes of coal[1] and consumes almost three-quarters of that domestically.[2] As of 2018, South Africa was the seventh largest producer and consumer of coal in the world.[3] The industry, as of 2015, employs about 80,000 workers, or .5% of total employment, down from a peak in 1981 of 135,000 workers.[3] The coal industry is South Africa's largest contribution to the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.[4][3]
Around 77% of South Africa's energy needs are directly derived from coal.[5] South Africa is the 5th largest exporter of coal in the world, with 30% consumed overseas.[3] 92% of coal consumed on the African continent is produced in South Africa.[6] 80% of South Africa's CO2 emissions come from the energy supply which is dependent on coal, which produced the vast majority of the country's energy, or 42GWs.[3] In negotiations leading up to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, South Africa and its partner countries reached a $8.5 billion Climate finance package to end its reliance on coal.[7][8] The use of coal in South Africa dates back to the Iron Age (300–1880 AD), when charcoal (note: not coal, but charred wood) was used to melt iron and copper, but large-scale exploitation of coal did not occur until the mid-19th century.[9]