In the three months to March, electricity exports rose as much as 6.1 percent year-on-year, while electricity distributed to the nine provinces fell by 1.7 percent, Statistics SA said.

T-Sec chief economist Mike Schussler said that last year local residents paid 3.7 times more for electricity than the average selling price to neighbouring countries, Business Report reported on Wednesday.

But, while exports climbed, imports fell as much as 22.4 percent, said Stats SA.

Eskom was not available to comment, the report said.

South Africa imports power from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.