The Empty Promises of Nuclear Energy in South Africa

Power Shift Africa and Recourse have drafted this briefing examining South Africa’s Koeberg Nuclear Power Station—the continent’s only operational nuclear plant—and raising concerns about the risks of treating nuclear energy as a “green” solution.

South Africa approved a 20-year extension costing over R21 billion ($1.12 billion), despite struggling with ageing infrastructure and safety risks, and without public consultation. Communities near Koeberg, especially women and youth, were left in the dark about evacuation plans, radioactive waste, and their safety.

This is an energy issue as well as a justice issue. While MDBs flirt with funding new nuclear projects, Koeberg stands as a warning: nuclear power in Africa repeats old patterns of exclusion, secrecy, and exploitation instead of advancing a just, people-centred transition.