![[File Image] Electricity pylons are seen in front of the cooling towers at the Lethabo Thermal Power Station, an Eskom coal-burning power station near Sasolburg in the northern Free State province.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Eskom-R.png)
Stats SA released the results of its Electricity, Gas and Water Industry, survey earlier on Thursday. It found that the sector employed fewer people in 2016 than it did in 2019. It further indicates that profits in the industry have declined over the past 10 years.
The survey collects basic quantitative information every three to five years on the nature and structure of South Africa’s electricity, gas, and water industry. It also tracked trends in production, employment, energy mix, and income from 2010 to 2019. It found that the country generates less electricity than it did 16 years ago.
“As of 2020, the country generated less electricity than it did in 2004. So when we look at 2020 where we are sitting at about 239 000 gigawatts and we are comparing that with 2004 where we are sitting at about 244 605 we can see that it’s actually lesser than it was in 2004,” Statistician-General at Stats SA Risenga Maluleke elaborates.
Maluleke says the data indicates a decline in employment in the electricity and water industry between 2013 and 2019.
“In terms of electricity, we can see that it accounted for 80% of the number of employees or the jobs as of 2016. But now we can see that it accounts for 77% sitting at 43 219 employees. Water supply which in 2016 accounted for 19%, now accounts for 22%,” Maluleke adds.
The survey shows that renewable energy has taken up more of the energy mix pie over the last five years as the country shifts away from coal.
“Coming out of 2013 where coal accounted for 88,3, all the way to 2016 at 88,8% which it rose a bit but then went again on a decline sitting at 87,2% whereas renewable energy is increasing. Coming out of 2016 it was sitting at 2,2%, now it’s sitting at 4,9%,” says the Statistician-General.
Stats SA says municipalities have remained the biggest customers of the water and electricity industry from 2010 to 2019.
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