South Africa faces an escalating gas supply crisis, exacerbated by political turmoil in Mozambique. The unrest, sparked by disputed October elections confirming the Frelimo party’s victory, has disrupted operations at Mozambique’s Pande-Temane gas fields, which are nearing the end of their productive lifespan.
Petrochemical giant Sasol recently reduced natural gas production at its Central Processing Facility (CPF) in Temane due to the volatile conditions. Although the pipeline remains operational, Sasol’s senior manager for media relations, Alex Anderson, noted that gas supply is being closely monitored to maintain infrastructure stability. Anderson assured that safety measures at the CPF are intact, and no security breaches have occurred.
Sasol informed industrial gas users, including its internal operations, of temporary supply reductions during the festive season. However, the Industrial Gas Users Association of South Africa (IGUA-SA) confirmed that production had stabilized by late December, with gas supply returning to normal levels.
Despite this recovery, IGUA-SA CEO Jaco Human emphasized the urgency of addressing South Africa’s gas shortage, warning that disruptions pose severe risks to industries contributing R700 billion annually to GDP and supporting 100,000 jobs. These sectors include mining, petrochemicals, steel, and food processing.
Sasol has committed to maintaining gas supplies only until June 2028. Without a long-term government-backed framework to secure future supplies, Human cautioned that South Africa could face devastating economic consequences.
South Africa heavily relies on Mozambique’s gas via the Rompco pipeline, which supplies Sasol’s Secunda complex and distributes gas to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. However, declining output from the Pande-Temane fields and Mozambique’s political instability underscore the need for alternative solutions.
One promising initiative is the Zululand Energy Terminal project in Richards Bay, a joint venture between Vopak Terminal Durban and Transnet Pipelines, which aims to mitigate the looming “gas cliff.” Additionally, Sasol and Eskom signed a memorandum of understanding in September, marking a significant step toward developing sustainable energy solutions.
With the gas supply under threat, stakeholders in South Africa are calling for immediate action to prevent a crisis that could destabilize the nation’s energy-dependent economy.