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This was revealed by Energy Minister Dipuo Peters who was speaking at a National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) conference on Monday, which was looking at social ownership of SA's renewable energy sector.

"We want to ensure that the state, through its entities, invests R22 billion in green projects with a commitment of R3 billion towards local manufacturing in the next five years, and at the same time create 50,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector," Peters said.

She also emphasised that foreign companies can invest in SA's energy sector, but they must bring with them their technology so that local companies can adopt it.

"The renewable energy drive in China could succeed because companies relocated; based in China, where intimately they perfected the technology and now they're exporting the technology to SA. So we are also saying as part of our requirement for localisation, let us insist that these companies that want to invest here, they must bring this technology to SA."

Also in her speech Peters explained that coal will not disappear as an energy source any time soon, but will rather be replaced as the main contributor by green methods like solar and wind power. She said that the IRP 2010-2030 plan set up the system where the amount of future renewable energy produced would be more than double what Kusile and Medupi will produce using coal.

She concluded by saying that through these methods the Department of Energy looks forward to the time when an all-South African company will win a tender for construction in the renewable energy sector as it will have the right technology and skills needed.