I think it would be better if South Africa left the coal in the ground. I expect small nuclear SMRs to arrive with a rush in a few years but there will be delays in installing them.

The world human population expanded enormously after giving up wood gathering for fossil fuels. Now some say we have to go back to what is essentially wood gathering. Coal aside there are signs that oil and gas may be peaking so we have to find alternatives soon. We're not treating it as an urgent problem so expect undesirable measures such as rationing.

Oil is concentrated organic biological energy. Organic Biological Energy through aerobic respiration drives many processes on Earth, but it also produces CO2. There are too many people on the Earth.