Energy · Southern Africa
South Africa Electricity Carbon Intensity
699 gCO₂/kWhas of 2025-2.5% vs 2024
Carbon dioxide emitted per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated — a measure of how clean the grid is (Ember via Our World in Data). Source: OWID ENERGY. Updated June 27, 2026.
Trend
History
| Period | Electricity Carbon Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 699 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2024 | 717 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2023 | 714 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2022 | 729 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2021 | 742 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2020 | 763 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2019 | 764 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2018 | 775 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2017 | 769 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2016 | 779 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2015 | 791 gCO₂/kWh |
| 2014 | 792 gCO₂/kWh |
Get this via API
The series above is served by the /v1/data endpoint. With a free key you get JSON for every country and indicator on this site.
curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?country_code=ZA&metric_key=electricity_carbon_intensity_gco2_kwh" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"Electricity Carbon Intensity across Africa
Rank all 54 ->| Country | Electricity Carbon Intensity |
|---|---|
| Nigeria | 456 gCO₂/kWh |
| Kenya | 95 gCO₂/kWh |
| Egypt | 563 gCO₂/kWh |
| Ghana | 469 gCO₂/kWh |
| Ethiopia | 23 gCO₂/kWh |
| Tanzania | 345 gCO₂/kWh |
Frequently asked questions
What is South Africa's carbon intensity of electricity?
South Africa's carbon intensity of electricity is 699 gCO₂/kWh as of 2025, according to OWID ENERGY.
What is the source for this figure?
The figure comes from OWID ENERGY and is republished by the Africa API with the retrieval date shown on this page.
How do I get South Africa Electricity Carbon Intensity data via API?
Call GET /v1/data?country_code=ZA&metric_key=electricity_carbon_intensity_gco2_kwh with a free Africa API key to receive the full time series as JSON.
More South Africa energy data