Coal in South Africa

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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]