- South Africa pushes for rapid oil, gas exploration despite legal challenges
- Shell, TotalEnergies projects delayed by court actions by environmental groups
- Government pushing new rules, state company and offshore drilling plans
According to African Insider, the South African government is pushing ahead with plans to accelerate oil and gas exploration, with Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe confirming this stance.
Speaking at the Southern Africa Oil and Gas Conference in Cape Town on 16-17 March, Mantashe said the country needed to accelerate exploration, adding that legal challenges from environmental groups were slowing development of the sector.
“The main problem today is our environmentalists who take us to court. We have the ability to exploit oil, we have the ability to exploit gas, but for every oil and gas project, we go to court,” He said.
Since 2022, the Ecofin agency has reported that projects involving international companies have suffered setbacks. Shell and TotalEnergies' exploration activities were suspended following court rulings related to environmental challenges.
Opponents of the projects cite risks to the marine ecosystem and local livelihoods. They have also questioned the adequacy of the environmental impact assessment and community consultation processes.
The government points to the country's largely untapped hydrocarbon potential as a driver of economic growth, and highlights prospects in the offshore Orange and Outeniqua basins.
Interest in these areas has increased following discoveries in neighboring Namibia, with geological surveys suggesting that some structures may extend into South African waters.
“It is about finding a balance between ecology and economy, integrating them together. You don't stop development by claiming to protect the ecology. You are not protecting the ecology, you are hindering it by blocking development“ Mantashe said.
A regulatory framework to support exploration
South African officials have repeatedly stated their ambition to support hydrocarbon exploration, particularly offshore, including at the 2025 edition of the conference. Since then, several steps have been taken.
The draft implementing regulations for the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act (UPRDA), issued in April 2025, are currently under consultation and are expected to be enacted in 2026. The framework aims to establish a specific regulatory regime for exploration and production, separate from mining law, to attract investment.
Separately, the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) was launched in May 2025. Formed through the merger of PetroSA, IGAS and the Strategic Fuel Fund, the state entity aims to play a central role in the development of the sector.
Some projects are moving forward. According to Reuters (December 2025), PetroSA approved Shell's entry as a 60% majority partner in offshore Block 2C in the Orange Basin. TotalEnergies plans to drill its first well in the same area from 2026.
Officials are also pursuing efforts on unconventional resources. The government is considering lifting a more than decade-long moratorium on shale gas exploration, following a 2D seismic survey in the Karoo Basin completed in February 2026, according to Business Report (early March).
The Environment Ministry has also said it wants to speed up the processing of appeals related to offshore permits, which are causing delays to many projects.
Abdel-Latif Bouraima