South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe will participate as a speaker at the G20 African Energy Investment Forum in Johannesburg, hosted by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) on November 21. His participation comes as South Africa advances a broad portfolio of mining, oil, gas and infrastructure developments aimed at strengthening energy security and mobilizing global capital.
In November 2025, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will officiate the opening of the Platreef Mine in Limpopo – a major foreign direct investment milestone featuring first concentrate deliveries of platinum group metals, nickel, copper and gold. The project marks a significant boost for local supply chains and community partnerships, including the commissioning of the Masodi Wastewater Treatment Works.
In the coal sector, Liberty Coal has begun a new phase at the Optimum Colliery with mining operations transitioning to Liberty Mine Services, backed by major capital investments and a stabilized workforce. Meanwhile, Sibanye Stillwater has delivered one of the year’s strongest mining equity performances, climbing 250% on the back of asset optimization, debt reduction and renewed investor confidence.
In parallel, South Africa is scaling its downstream capacity. The country’s state-owned Central Energy Fund aims to expand the SAPREF refinery to between 400,000 and 600,000 barrels per day under a strategy that balances hydrocarbons with solar facilities and gas-to-power deployment totaling roughly 4 GW. This integrated approach is central to South Africa’s just energy transition, positioning oil, gas and renewables as mutually reinforcing drivers of supply security and industrial growth.
Upstream, exploration in the Orange Basin continues to accelerate. Energy major Shell is preparing a multi-well deepwater drilling campaign following recent approvals while French major TotalEnergies is planning a two-well wildcat program from 2026. New investment activity has reshaped the country’s acreage landscape, with exploration company Eco (Atlantic) securing a 75% interest in Block 1 and international majors acquiring stakes across Blocks 3B/4B and 11B/12B.
These developments are underpinned by strengthened regulatory frameworks, including the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act and the Gas Master Plan, which together aim to provide clarity, reduce risk and incentivize long-term project development across the value chain.
“Through targeted regulation, South Africa is significantly improving the business climate for international companies,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC. “With progress across mining, hydrocarbons and gas-to-power, the country is creating a robust platform for investment and high-value project delivery.”
Minister Mantashe’s participation at the G20 African Energy Investment Forum is set to connect national developments to broader continental investment flows. Bringing together global financiers, operators, policymakers and service providers, the Forum is designed to catalyze partnerships and accelerate energy and resource projects that align with Africa’s industrial and economic development ambitions.
Africa Fact: Yoruba metal art of the mediaeval period was of world class. One scholar wrote that Yoruba art “would stand comparison with
anything which Ancient Egypt, Classical Greece and Rome, or Renaissance Europe had to offer.”
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Fun South African Fact: The world’s largest themed resort hotel in the world – The Palace of the Lost City – is found in South Africa. Surrounding the Palace is a 25 hectare manmade botanical jungle with almost 2 million plants, trees and shrubs.
Disco Potato
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