JOURNAL OF BUSINESS DIVERSITY


Energy Mix as a Driver of Sustainability in the South African Energy Supply Chain



Author(s): Kenneth Mathu

Citation: Kenneth Mathu, (2018) "Energy Mix as a Driver of Sustainability in the South African Energy Supply Chain," Journal of Business Diversity, Vol.18, Iss. 2, pp.  67-77

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

The fossil fuel dominated South African energy industry is undergoing significant transformation with
introduction of renewable energy and clean coal technologies. Coal is the primary source of energy
producing 88% of the total electricity generation and 40% liquid fuels. The study aimed to establish that the addition of cleaner energy sources would drive sustainability in the energy supply chain.
Sustainability is the underpinning theory and a qualitative methodology was pursued. The energy
industry professionals were interviewed, data transcribed and thematically interpreted via content
analysis. The results established that the addition of cleaner sources of energy increased the consistency
of energy supply, reduced power outages, and reduced carbon emissions drastically, rendering the
energy supply chain more sustainable.