Egypt generated more electricity than South Africa in 2025. South Africa has held the number one spot on the continent since at least 2015, according to Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2026.

Electricity generated in South Africa in terawatt hours (TWh) has decreased by about 3% since 2015, according to Ember’s data. Egypt’s has increased by 35% in comparison.

Egypt’s growth has been fuelled largely by fossil fuels, mostly gas. Its renewable electricity share has grown from 8% to 12% over the past decade. Hydro power from the Aswan Dam has been the main source of renewable electricity, but last year, wind and solar generated slightly more than hydro.

South Africa is a different story. Renewables grew to 13.6% of the electricity mix in 2025 from 2.6% in 2015. In terawatt-hours, it’s an increase from 6.5TWh in 2015 to 33TWh in 2025. However, coal generation has fallen by 29.8TWh over the decade, which means it looks like renewables have displaced coal rather than meeting new demand.