South Africa's Fuel Crisis and Recovery | Johannesburg News

South Africa’s economy just lost 5,400 jobs—and it’s all tied to fuel imports. By capping refined petroleum imports at just 25%, the country could’ve saved nearly 76 billion rand between 2021 and 2024. The real problem? A crumbling domestic refining sector, with outdated plants, high costs, and regulatory confusion forcing reliance on expensive imports. When global oil prices surge, that hits consumers hard at the pump—and weakens the rand, making everything else more costly. Even worse, South Africa’s bitumen supply has dried up, dropping from a top global producer to 20th in imports. But there’s hope: plans are underway to triple local refining capacity, including reviving the flood-damaged Sapref refinery. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Sources:https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-09-14-refinery-closures-cost-south-africa-r76bn-as-fuel-imports-hit-consumers/ More coverage & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/4f2edf8036a826a5 Report issues to [email protected].