South Africa developed the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) as an indigenous small modular nuclear reactor design, based on high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology. The PBMR uses tennis ball-sized graphite-coated uranium fuel pebbles cooled by helium gas, making it inherently safer than conventional water-cooled reactors — the fuel can't melt down even if all cooling is lost. South Africa invested over $1.5 billion in PBMR development before the project was placed in care and maintenance in 2010 due to funding constraints.
In October 2025, South Africa announced it would reactivate the PBMR project, with the electricity minister stating the care and maintenance status would be lifted by early 2026. The country retains the intellectual property, fuel fabrication capabilities (at Pelindaba), and test infrastructure (including helium test rigs and heat transfer labs at North-West University). South Africa's Koeberg Nuclear Power Station — the only nuclear power plant on the African continent — has had its operational life extended to 2044.
The revival is strategically significant in the context of the global SMR race. South Africa's PBMR is one of the most mature SMR designs outside China, Russia, and the US. With growing global interest in nuclear power for decarbonization, South Africa could become an SMR technology exporter — a remarkable position for an African nation. The PBMR also has desalination applications, addressing water scarcity across the continent.