“'Is renewable energy an economically viable option for South Africa?'' For me it is, but many other factors should be considered, for example will it pay off for our nation in the long run, and in my opinion yes! Many nations in the world rely only on coal (South Africa is one of them) which is harmful to the environment because it is a fossil fuel and is also limited, which means that in the future we will need to resort to a alternative source to generate energy. There are also many types of renewable energy sources such as: solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy and hydroelectric energy. The sun is a great source of energy because it is the most powerful energy source and you can install many solar panels. It will cost you a lot, but in my opinion it will save a lot of money in the future and save time, rather than mining fossil fuels like coal. Burning fossil fuels also produces a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. (West, Top 7 Renewable Energy Sources, 2014) Geothermal energy is a great way to power generators thanks to the hot steam brought by the warm air into the earth. It will obviously cost a lot to put many wind turbines, solar panels, and hydroelectric and geothermal generators online, but these small changes could take South Africa closer to a much brighter future. We must think now about the road ahead and put in place systems that will guarantee us a dignified standard of living in the near future. (West, 2014) South Africa is planning to get most of its energy generated from solar energy, which I think is a very wise idea. South Africa has a forecast of 10,000 GWh of renewable energy. South Africa plans to produce 1,850 MW with onshore wind, 1,450 MW (MW means millions of watts... half paper... green! This is a step in the right direction and will open many doors for South Africa, such as large companies from all over the world looking to expand into South Africa, which will bring even more money for the country to benefit the people (keeping in mind that the government makes good use of it and plans to improve the infrastructure, roads etc. These small changes will move us forward and show other nations that South Africa is going green and that it is willing to do what is right for the people and more importantly the environment and also move away from dependence on a pollutant such as a fuel fossil like coal and we will be able to use renewable resources that can be reused over and over again without the hassle of digging and digging into the earth to find these resources South Africa forward.