Energy in South Africa is, currently, a hot topic because the state's power supplier is allegedly said to be failing, as well as the constantly increasing price of petrol (gasoline).
Some leaders of our land still feel there's a need for oil so they can get money from petrol tax & companies that want to mine oil in South Africa. I suppose SASOL could also make fuel from coal & that would benefit South Africa. But my argument will always lean towards electric powered vehicles & machinery because, personally, I like electric as opposed to fuel engine because electric vehicles & devices are easier to operate, service & repair. Fossil fuel is good for heavy duty vehicles because the battery on electric vehicles is heavy. In fact, it is said that electric vehicles are on average heavier than the average petrol-powered vehicle of the same class. But what could be done for vehicles over a specific weight category is simply add interchangeable solar panels on top which would allow for some battery weight to be shed. In fact, a lot of battery weight could be shed off a heavy-duty electric vehicle like buses, trucks & trains if simple solar panels were placed on top of them seeing as there are relatively light solar-powered vehicles (around 68 kg) with a range of 35 km. N. B. Solar panels recharge the vehicle as you drive so range is constantly increasing.
When I count the number of vehicles & machinery we use petrol to power, I count; generators, grass cutters, motorcycles, trucks & of, course, cars. And I've seen electric versions of all these vehicles & machinery I've just mentioned. It just a matter of making a phasing out strategy. It is very possible that the state, should it so wish, phase out the VW Polos & Toyota Corollas then replace them with a fleet of BMW i3s & Nissan Leafs in the space of a decade. As demand increases, supply will also increase & the price of the products being sold decreases - simple economics. It's not an unattainable vision. Passenger vehicles fitted with interchangeable solar panels would create a new recycling & EV repairs industry keeping the land's economy stable & perhaps even giving the national economy a welcome boost.