A social justice campaigner has urged the South African government to reconsider its approach to energy expansion.
Lazola Kati, campaign manager at Fossil Free South Africa, pushed for the adoption of more renewable energy instead of doubling down on fossil fuels.
“South Africa has a moral, political and economic position to take, which is to position itself away from fossil fuel expansion,” said Kati in an interview with Salaamedia on Wednesday. However, she said, the country was doing the exact “opposite”.
The US-Iran War has exposed South Africa’s vulnerability to global shocks. In March, the price of oil shot past 120 USD per barrel, spelling trouble for a country that relies on imports for at least 75% of its petroleum needs.
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Although reforms have been in place to speed up the adoption of renewable energy, there are indications that the government is looking at fossil fuels to maintain energy security.
Last week, Gwede Mantashe, minister of mineral and petroleum resources, told attendees of the fifth Southern Africa Oil and Gas Conference in Cape Town (SAOGC 2026) that “rigorous exploration and responsible exploitation” were the surest ways to address energy challenges.
Pointing to Orange and Outeniqua Basins, which are estimated to have a combined 31 billion barrels of untapped oil and 3.4 trillion cubic feet of gas, Mantashe said South Africa was “endowed with significant offshore petroleum potential”.
He slammed environmental activists for standing in the way: “As you are aware, one of the biggest challenges facing the development of our petroleum sector remains the persistent opposition from environmental lobby groups who continue to block every oil and gas development initiative in our country”.
To opponents of fossil fuel exploration, renewable energy is the best bet.
“South Africa has got a myriad of options,” said Kati. “We don’t have to completely cut the cord, but we can stop giving out permits for fossil fuel or other coal [and] gas projects. We could start by cutting the cord right there, and then actually furthering into renewable energy market.”
Although senior government figures like Mantashe have insisted on exploiting fossil fuels to secure South Africa’s energy supply, there have been efforts to promote renewable energy adoption.
The Energy Action Plan of 2022, for example, seeks to ease regulations to give private producers more space. It has led to a 5,000 MW increase in private rooftop solar. For advocates of renewable energy, it demonstrates what can be achieved with sufficient political will.
Image via Tara Energy.
