Pretoria - South Africa’s total income for the electricity, gas and water supply industry in 2013 was at R181.2 billion with coal being the largest source of electricity generation, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Monday.
“The largest contributor to the total income was generation, transmission and distribution of electricity at R150.2 million followed by collection, purification and distribution of water at R22.1 billion and manufacturing and distribution of gaseous fuels through mains at R9.1 billion,” said Statistician General Pali Lehohla.
The Statistician General was releasing the findings of the electricity, gas and water supply industry report for 2013.
According to the report, the total income represents an increase of 19.1% per annum over the income reported in the corresponding 2010 survey.
According to the report, the total electricity generated in this sector in 2013 was 236 760 gigawatt-hours (GWh) with the largest source of electricity generation being coal (at 90.9%) followed by nuclear (at 5%).
“Coal is the main driver of power in South Africa,” he said, adding that the electricity industry has contributed 3.7% to the economy.
When coming to employment, the total number of people employed in the electricity, gas and water supply industry at the end of June 2013 was 57 573 with generation, transmission and distribution of electricity employing the largest number 78.5%.
In addition, employment in electricity, gas and water supply industry increased by 4% per annum with the proportion of females out of the total persons employed being at 30.4%.
“The image that the numbers show is that we are reliant on coal as a source of energy and that revenue for energy has increased fourfold in the space of ten years. Largely households don’t use gas at all and if we were to diversify there would be a need to promote the use of gas because people might be stuck with the use of energy,” Lehohla told SAnews.
The report showed that the quantity of gas distributed in this industry was at 170 188 083 gigajoules (GJ). “Households are not the greatest consumers of gas, we are an electricity consuming country,” said the Statistician General.
The data comes as a strike in the coal mining industry kicked off on Sunday.
“Given that we use coal for energy and given that there is a strike ahead of us obviously we face a difficult time in terms of economic growth going forward,” he said.
Transport and storage industry
Also released on Monday was the transport and storage industry report which showed that total income in 2013 was at R401.9 billion. This represented an increase of 10.7% per annum over the income reported in the 2010 corresponding survey.
A total 299 850 people were employed in this industry in 2013 with more men being employed at 70% compared to only 30% of women being employed.
The total income from services for road freight in 2013 was R74.7 billion.
Post and telecommunication industry
The total income for this industry in 2013 was R276.3 billion, while the total number of people employed in this industry at the end of June 2013 was 107 000.
Employment in this sector increased by 6%.
Meanwhile, the total income from internet services in telecommunications was at R35.1 billion representing an increase of 8.6% per annum over income from internet services reported in the corresponding 2010 survey.
The largest contributors to income from internet services was data revenue-wireless at R19.7 billion and data revenue-fixed at R11 billion. – SAnews.gov.za
