South Africa - International Franchise Association

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Chapter 4: Leading Sectors for U.S. Export and Investment
Commercial Sectors
• Green Technologies
• Electrical Power Systems
• Information Technology (IT)
• Telecommunications
• Mining Equipment
• Pollution Control Equipment
• Aerospace
• Green Building Technologies
• Automotive Aftermarket: Specialty Equipment
• Transportation Infrastructure
• Agricultural Equipment
Agricultural Sectors
• Grains
• Vegetable oils
• Oilseed meals
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Poultry
Green Technologies Return to top
South Africa is severely over-reliant on coal as a primary energy source (87% in 2008
according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), accounting for 38% of CO2
emissions from fuel combustion in Africa in 2008. Various Long-Term Mitigation
Scenarios (LTMS) estimate that emissions will quadruple between 2003 and 2050 in the
absence of radical energy-choice changes. This increase will mostly come from energyrelated
emissions, notably from the electricity, industrial and transport sectors.
South Africa is expanding renewable energy, weighing up nuclear energy, exploring
carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and leveraging Demand Side
Management (DSM) initiatives. South Africa’s public electricity utility, Eskom, also has a
target to reduce dependence on conventional coal to 70% by 2025, and to provide at
least 1 600 megawatts in renewable capacity by 2025 (mostly large-scale solar and
wind).
The early stages of a formal Green Technology policy are evidenced by voluntary
energy efficiency programs that are being driven by industry; these will presumably be
adapted by the South African Government as a mandatory standard in due course. A
case in point is the South African industry standard SANS 204 that sets guidelines for
energy efficiency in buildings with and without artificial ventilation or air-conditioning.
Please see:
https://www.sabs.co.za/content/uploads/files/Standards_21stCentury_Energy_Efficiency