This study focuses on the role of the South African state in environmental governance, with particular reference to transformations in political authority and processes of capital accumulation. Our approach underscores the importance of analyzing state environmental efforts both empirically and normatively, in order to understand the underlying drivers of state policies that perpetuate or ameliorate environmental degradation. The tension between economic and ecological values lies at the heart of South Africa's approach to mitigation. We evaluate South Africa's performance on climate change mitigation policies and programs and show that while, empirically, South Africa may appear to be a partial or emerging green state, its performance is weak when assessed against normative frameworks. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e473. doi: 10.1002/wcc.473 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. We assess South Africa's policy performance using the following criteria: institutionalization of ecological values; state capacity for environmentally beneficial outcomes; ecological modernization; and democratic participation. We argue that South Africa has tentatively moved towards becoming a green state. However initiatives suffer from weak implementation and enforcement, and well‐entrenched patterns of energy‐intensive accumulation persist.