Electricity, gas and water supply industry records total income of R330.5bn

The total income for the electricity, gas and water supply industry for a period between 2013 and 2021 was R330.5 billion, an increase of 6.4% per annum over the income reported in the corresponding survey of 2019 (R292.0 billion).

This is according to Stats SA, which published its 2021 report on the electricity, gas and water supply industry, on Thursday.

Compared to 2019, large increases were reported for the ‘generation, transmission and distribution of electricity’ (+R31.7 billion) and ‘collection, purification and distribution of water’ (+R4.5 billion), said Stats SA.

Between 2013 and 2021, ‘collection, purification and distribution of water’ gained the biggest percentage share (1.5 percentage points) in total income (from a percentage contribution of 12.1% in 2013 to 13.6% in 2021).

‘Generation, transmission and distribution of electricity’ lost the biggest percentage share (‑1.2 percentage points) over the same period (from 82.9% in 2013 to 81.7% in 2021).

Average salaries and wages

The average salaries and wages in the electricity, gas and water supply industry in 2021 was R650, 988, said Stats SA, with the type of service with the highest average salaries and wages in 2021 being ‘manufacturing and distribution of gaseous fuels through mains’ (R790,063), followed by ‘generation, transmission and distribution of electricity’ (R720,455).

Total average salaries and wages increased from R378,849 in 2013 to R650,988 in 2021, an annualised growth rate of 7.0%.

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The highest annualised growth rate between surveys in the electricity, gas and water supply industry was 10.2% between 2013 and 2016. The type of service that had the highest annualised growth rate
between 2013 and 2021 was ‘generation, transmission and distribution of electricity’ with 7.5%, followed by ‘manufacturing and distribution of gaseous fuels through mains’ (6.0%).

Employment in electricity, gas and water supply industry

The total number of people employed in the electricity, gas and water supply industry as at end of June 2021 was 54,047.

This represents a growth rate of -2.3% per annum between 2019 and 2021. Over the same period there was a decrease in employment of 2,798 in ‘generation, transmission and distribution of electricity’.

Formal employment in the electricity, gas and water supply industry decreased from 58,485 in 2013 to 54,047 in 2021 (a drop of 4,438 jobs). ‘Generation, transmission and distribution of electricity’ lost the biggest number of persons employed over this period (-5 641).

‘Collection, purification and distribution of water’ is the only type of service that gained in employment between 2013 and 2021 (+1 221).

Electricity generated

According to Stats SA, the total electricity generated in 2021 was 215 377 gigawatt hours (GWh), a decrease of 3.8% per annum over the electricity generated in the corresponding survey of 2019 (232 692 GWh).

The main contributor to total electricity generated was ‘coal’ (86.1% or 185 459 GWh), followed by ‘renewable energy sources’ (6.1% or 13 106 GWh) and ‘nuclear material’ (4.6% or 9 929 GWh).

Between 2013 and 2021, ‘coal’ lost the biggest percentage share (-6.2 percentage points) in electricity generated (from a percentage contribution of 92.3% in 2013 to 86.1% in 2021).

‘Renewable energy sources’ gained the biggest percentage share (+5.6 percentage points) in electricity generated (from a percentage contribution of 0.5% in 2013 to 6.1% in 2021).

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