In recent years, the renewable energy sector of South Africa has seen significant growth, but the
biogas industry has been lagging behind. In this research, barriers and opportunities for the South
African biogas industry have been studied while taking into account the institutional context that is
created by informal networks. The research methodology consists of literature review, interviews with
stakeholders of the South African biogas industry and three case studies of biogas projects in South
Africa.
In order to identify the barriers and opportunities that exist for the South African biogas industry, both
the internal environment and external environment of the industry were considered. The barriers
internal to the biogas industry were structured and analysed using Strategic Niche Management
theory, whereas the external environment and its impact on the biogas industry was analysed from a
Multi-Level Perspective. The regime that was considered is the fossil fuel based electricity regime of
South Africa.
From the empirical research it follows that the most strongly perceived opportunity for the South
African biogas industry lies in the country’s current energy crisis, which has created a window of
opportunity for renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, opportunities are created for the biogas
industry through the increased environmental awareness and this is for instance seen from green
policies and measures taken by companies and government to reduce carbon emissions.