South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, announced that the government is fast-tracking domestic gas development and LNG import projects to address supply shortfalls from Mozambique. Speaking at the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum in Johannesburg on November 21, 2025, Mantashe emphasized the importance of accessing South Africa’s own gas deposits, stating, “The biggest solution is us having access to our own gas deposits.” Currently, the country imports 90% of its natural gas via the 865 km ROMPCO pipeline from Mozambique’s Pande and Temane fields, but with Sasol planning to prioritise internal volumes from mid-2026, the government is accelerating infrastructure development and domestic exploration to secure new supplies and strengthen energy resilience.
Key initiatives include fast-tracking the Matola Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Mozambique, expected to come online by mid-2026, and the Richards Bay LNG terminal in South Africa, scheduled for 2027, as well as new pipelines to connect offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin to the national grid.
Mantashe highlighted the potential of the Orange Basin, home to major discoveries such as Brulpadda and Luiperd, to reduce imports, boost GDP, and create jobs, while urging regulatory reforms to unlock offshore exploration and lift moratoria in the Karoo and Orange Basins. He stressed the transformative potential of oil and gas development, declaring, “Drill, baby, drill… If we make a breakthrough on oil and gas, our GDP will grow exponentially. Our people will never breathe fresh air in darkness.” South Africa’s push reflects a decisive strategy toward energy self-sufficiency amid rising domestic gas demand and volatility in global LNG markets.
