# South Africa’s electricity demand continued to decline in 2024 due to rapid growth in private solar installations. A new report by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research indicates peak demand fell one-percent to 33.5-gigawatts, while overall energy demand dropped three-percent. By September, over six-gigawatts of private solar was installed, easing reliance on Eskom. The report also indicated that load-shedding hours sharply declined, and diesel-fueled power generation fell by 48-percent. Meanwhile, electricity tariffs rose by 190-percent over a decade, exceeding inflation and renewable energy costs.
Electricity demand falls as solar installations surge