South Africa still generates about three quarters of its electricity by burning coal, in an economy that has to decarbonise while growing, employing people and not abandoning the towns that coal built. That is a harder problem than a power shortage or maintenance, but it is also a far more interesting one. Here is something worth saying, though: we are not badly placed. South Africa is one of the five best regions on Earth for solar. Households and businesses have already installed more than 5GW of rooftop solar, largely out of irritation with the grid. That impatience is an asset. Read full pdf and individual articles
