In South Africa’s current “season of hope,” the government’s main question is whether it can achieve and sustain 6 per cent economic growth. However, that begs a more basic question at the very heart of its growth drive: Can South Africa keep the lights on?

Cheap and abundant energy produced from low-grade coal has long powered South African industry. It has given a competitive edge to energy-intensive businesses such as ferrochrome, and is a big selling point in long-running talks aimed at luring an important foreign aluminium producer to South Africa.