Investigating the Employment Impacts of Renewable Energy in South Africa

In the context of the “just energy transition”, whereby justice and equity are incorporated into the decarbonisation of the global energy supply, it is important to consider the employment effects of renewable energy policies. South Africa is in the process of trans-forming its electricity mix. The majority of electricity is currently sourced from coal-fired power plants. The transformation will be towards one that includes more renewable sources of electricity generation, particularly from wind and solar technologies. The introduction of renewable energy will undoubtedly disrupt the current coal-fired energy system that directly employs approximately 147 000 people. The extent of this impact in terms of the number of jobs created and displaced is presently unclear. Furthermore, the extent of whether these new jobs will be demanded locally or abroad is uncertain. This thesis explores the net employment effects in a country that has huge potential for solar and wind resources but also has a coal industry that supports many livelihoods.