South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe has announced an aggressive push to fast-track domestic gas development and LNG import projects in response to a looming supply shortfall from Mozambique. The announcement came during the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum in Johannesburg on November 21.
Minister Mantashe declared that the country will continue developing infrastructure to integrate new gas deposits and make them available to South Africa, emphasizing that “the biggest solution is us—having access to our own gas deposits.” The urgency stems from South African energy company Sasol’s plan to prioritize its internal volumes from mid-2026, which could significantly impact the country’s gas supply.
South Africa currently imports 90 percent of its natural gas via the 865-kilometer ROMPCO pipeline from Mozambique’s Pande and Temane fields. To address the anticipated gap, the government is accelerating two major projects: the Matola Floating Storage and Regasification Unit in Mozambique, expected online by mid-2026, and the Richards Bay LNG terminal in South Africa, scheduled for 2027. Plans are also underway for new pipelines to connect offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin to the national grid.
The Minister emphasized the need for regulatory reforms to unlock offshore exploration and lift moratoria in the Karoo and Orange Basins. The Orange Basin, home to major discoveries including Brulpadda and Luiperd, has the potential to drastically reduce imports, boost GDP, and create jobs. Mantashe stated that successful development could unleash billions in investments across petrochemicals and energy sectors. Invoking a bold stance on energy development, Minister Mantashe stated, “Drill, baby, drill,” adding that the country has no legal restrictions on oil and gas exploration and exploitation. He noted that a breakthrough in oil and gas could lead to exponential GDP growth, declaring, “Our people will never breathe fresh air in darkness.”
Source: energycapitalpower.com