The proposal will be submitted to the cabinet for approval which is expected later this year.
Bidding process for the multi-billion projects, slated to provide a total of 9,600MW of power, will begin in 2012.
The projects are expected to start supplying electricity to the nation’s grid by 2024 or 2025.
According to the proposal, private companies would undertake the construction of the plants but the state-run utility Eskom will run and manage the plants on completion.
Currently, coal-fired plants produce 90% of the country’s power, reports Reuters.
The nation operates the continent’s only nuclear power plant on the west coast near Cape Town.
