Map of South African Nuclear Sites
Nuclear power plays a significant role in South Africa’s energy sector. The country operates the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, located near Cape Town, which is the only nuclear power plant on the African continent. Koeberg has two pressurized water reactors that supply about 5% of South Africa’s electricity, contributing to energy security and reducing reliance on coal. The government has expressed interest in expanding nuclear capacity to address growing energy demands and transition to cleaner energy sources. However, this ambition has sparked debates over costs, safety, and public acceptance. Nuclear energy remains a vital part of South Africa’s energy strategy. Find out where the country’s nuclear sites are located, and what goes on at each of them, on our interactive map of South African nuclear sites.
Quick Guide to using the Map of South African Nuclear Sites
MAP – Click and drag to move the map around. Hold Ctrl and use the mouse wheel to zoom in or out. Alternatively use the zoom buttons in the top right corner.
POINTS – Points are coloured based on the purpose of the nuclear site.
COUNTER – The counter in the top left displays the number of nuclear sites under each purpose. Clicking on a specific counter lets you see only sites that fall within that category.
POPUPS – Hovering over a specific point on the map will show you a popup containing additional information about the site.
Data
Below is the full data set used to create the South Africa Nuclear Sites Map. You can use it to look up specific nuclear sites.
| Name | Purpose | Latitude | Longitude | Status | Construction Start | Start of Operations | End of Operations | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koeberg | Power Station | -33.676389 S | 18.431944 E | In Service | 1976 | 1984 | / | 2x Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) |
| Nufcor Processing Facility | Fuel Production | -26.308972 | 27.737051 | In Service | Unknown | Unknown | / | Processing of uranium rich slurries into uranium oxide powder. |
| Pelindaba / Pelile Ndaba | Research Site | -25.800556 | 27.933889 | In Service | Unknown | 1965 | / | Nuclear research centre |
| Pelinduna-0 | Research Reactor | Unknown | Unknown | Permanently Shut Down | Unknown | 1967 | Unknown | Crit Fast |
| SAFARI-1 | Research Reactor | -25.8 | 27.95 | In Service | Unknown | 1965 | / | Tank In Pool |
| Vaalputs National Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility | Waste Management | -30.139803 | 18.573738 | In Service | Unknown | 1986 | / | Low- and intermediate-level waste and interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility |
| Valindaba / Pelindaba East / Y-plant | Fuel Production | -25.797986 | 27.944728 | In Service | Unknown | 1978 | / | Uranium enrichment plant |
