South Africa's electricity mix in May 2026
In May 2026 South Africa's grid generated 17 361.7 GWh, of which coal supplied 81.4%. Demand averaged 22 717 MW and peaked at 29 706 MW on 18 May 2026.
Total generated17 361.7GWh
Peak demand29 706MW
Renewables share6.2%
Carbon intensity853g/kWh
Unplanned outages10 191MW avg
Load shedding0GWh
Where the electricity came from
| Source | GWh | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 14 139.0 | 81.4% |
| Imports | 787.5 | 4.5% |
| Wind | 703.9 | 4.1% |
| Nuclear | 479.8 | 2.8% |
| Hydro | 415.1 | 2.4% |
| Pumped storage | 347.3 | 2.0% |
| Solar PV | 293.1 | 1.7% |
| Diesel peakers | 100.3 | 0.6% |
| Concentrated solar | 77.1 | 0.4% |
| Other renewables | 18.7 | 0.1% |
| Total supply | 17 361.7 | 100% |
Load shedding in May 2026
There was no load shedding in May 2026. Separately, contracted industrial customers on interruptible supply were curtailed by 2.1 GWh. That is demand management, not load shedding.
How this month compared
Carbon intensity averaged 853 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour, against a world average of 458 g/kWh in 2025 and an Africa average of about 530 g/kWh. Renewables (wind, solar PV, CSP and other renewables reporting to Eskom) supplied 6.2% of generation.
Figures are calculated from Eskom's published hourly data. Rooftop solar sits behind the meter and is not included.