Renewable Energy Targets — Where Is SA Headed by 2030?

The numbers are ambitious. South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan 2023 targets 29.5 gigawatts of new generation capacity by 2030. Of this, 14.4 gigawatts will come from wind, 6 gigawatts from solar, plus 3 gigawatts of gas and additional coal. When you add distributed generation, the total renewable target exceeds 26 gigawatts under the IPP model alone.Here's the scale we're talking about: the 140-megawatt Nkangala Solar Park represents just one piece. But when you consider that total renewables procured grew from just 0.47 gigawatts in 2013 to over 7.3 gigawatts by 2025, the trajectory is clear. South Africa is now Africa's largest wind market with over 4 gigawatts operational, and solar PV has emerged as the fastest-to-deploy and most cost-competitive source of new electricity generation.The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan approved in April 2025 provides a roadmap focused on local demand, industrial development, and building local capabilities. For 2026 alone, nearly 5,252 megawatts of new renewable capacity are expected to reach financial close. That's a record-breaker.