The objective of this article is to make a preliminary assessment of the potential impact of the green economy on job growth in South Africa. We examine the green job estimates contained in two important reports: the IDC's Green Jobs: An Estimate of the Direct employment Potential of a Greening South African Economy and a report prepared by the Institute for Sustainable Futures entitled South African Energy Sector Jobs to 2030: How the Energy [R]evolution will Create Sustainable Green Jobs. These are the most comprehensive assessments of green jobs in South Africa currently available in the public domain. In order to evaluate these estimates, it is necessary to situate them within a conceptual framework that considers the wider implications of a greener economic trajectory.