Image: Dimas Rachmadan/PexelsAt the University of the Western Cape’s second annual Geo-Energy Resources Workshop, petroleum industry leaders highlighted the urgency of investing in the country’s oil and gas potential and the role of universities in shaping a responsible energy future.
South Africa’s ability to develop its oil and gas resources could have significant implications for energy security, industrial development and job creation. But realising that potential will require investment, technical expertise, regulatory certainty and a careful balance between economic development and environmental responsibility.
These were among the key messages at the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) second annual Geo-Energy Resources Workshop, held from 7 to 9 October 2026. The workshop was held in collaboration with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Africa Region and AAPG Young Professionals South Africa.
It brought together industry leaders, researchers, policymakers and students to discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping South Africa’s and the continent’s geo-energy future.
Dr Bongani Sayidini, Chief Executive Officer of Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA), highlighted the country’s prospective petroleum resources and the importance of building the skills and research capacity needed to develop them. South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) Executive in the office of the CEO, Nazeem Braaf, reinforced the need for urgency, collaboration and a more integrated approach to the energy value chain.
For both speakers, UWC’s contribution to developing specialist skills and generating relevant research emerged as an important part of the country’s energy future.
Dr Sayidini highlighted the scale of South Africa’s prospective oil and gas resources, including offshore opportunities that could contribute to the country’s future energy supply.
“Our country is quite endowed,” he told delegates, explaining that PASA estimates that South Africa has “at least about 27 billion barrels and 60 trillion cubic feet in prospective oil and gas resources offshore across our coasts”.
He also pointed to the country’s broader onshore gas potential. “We also estimate that this country contains in excess of 200 trillion cubic feet in gas resources, cutting across various provinces.”
These figures, as presented by PASA, indicate the scale of the potential opportunity, although prospective resources are not the same as proven, commercially recoverable reserves. Exploration, investment, infrastructure and regulatory approvals will all influence whether these resources can be developed.
To illustrate the potential value of domestic gas, Dr Sayidini drew a comparison with the Mossel Bay gas-to-liquids refinery, which produced fuels for decades. He explained that the refinery had been built on the back of approximately 1.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, against PASA’s estimate of about 60 trillion cubic feet of prospective offshore gas.
South Africa’s offshore exploration history also offers grounds for further investigation. Discoveries made by TotalEnergies and its partners in 2019 and 2020 off the southern coast identified gas and condensate resources, estimated at approximately 3.4 trillion cubic feet in Dr Sayidini's presentation.
He noted that the discoveries followed the drilling of two of the five identified prospects, leaving the remaining prospects to be investigated. The challenge, he said, is to move from geological potential to viable projects that deliver lasting economic value.
The onshore potential of resources such as gas and helium in the Virginia area, as well as coalbed methane near Lephalale, also featured in his presentation. These projects could support local investment, employment and skills development if they progress to sustainable production.
The discussion comes amid growing concern about the future availability of gas supplies from Mozambique, which have supported South African industries for years. The prospect of declining gas supplies has become known as the “gas cliff”, with implications for manufacturers and other businesses that depend on a reliable gas supply.
Dr Sayidini warned that the issue is not simply about the availability of an energy resource, but also about the future of the industries and livelihoods that rely on it.
He described how gas from Mozambique supplies industries including ceramics and cement manufacturing, as well as Sasol’s operations. He warned that the anticipated decline in supply could put pressure on these users and the jobs associated with them.
In his presentation, he said that gas supplied to these industries supports approximately 73,000 jobs, which he warned are at risk as supplies decline. The figure reflects the scale of the employment concern raised in his address and should be understood in that context.
Developing domestic resources could help diversify supply and support industrial activity, including potential gas-to-power opportunities. However, new discoveries do not automatically resolve a looming supply gap: projects require financing, infrastructure, authorisations and time to reach production.
Dr Sayidini also raised concerns about exploration projects that were delayed by legal challenges related to environmental authorisations. He stressed that uncertainty and delays can affect investment decisions, the pace of exploration and the country’s ability to assess its resource potential.
He warned that delays can leave substantial investment on hold before a resource's commercial potential has been fully established.
Comparing South Africa’s progress with developments in Namibia, he noted that Namibia has advanced exploration and has drilled numerous wells in the Orange Basin while South African projects face legal and regulatory hurdles.
He believes that the country needs an informed debate about how to balance environmental protection with energy security and socioeconomic development. Exploration must be assessed through appropriate legal and environmental processes, but those decisions should also be informed by sound technical research and evidence.
For Dr Sayidini, universities have a responsibility to contribute to that debate rather than leave it solely to regulators, industry or advocacy groups.
“Universities, I think, must enter the fray,” he said.
He continued: “That discourse cannot only be by us as regulators in the sector. We need universities that are impartial to really, really contribute to that discourse.”
He urged academics to ensure that their work responds to the questions facing society. “Your research must be relevant,” he told delegates, challenging universities to help clarify the role that petroleum resources could play in South Africa’s energy future.
The call is particularly relevant as the country weighs the potential economic benefits of developing domestic oil and gas resources against environmental considerations and the transition to lower-carbon energy systems. Independent research can help policymakers, industry and communities better understand the opportunities, risks and trade-offs involved.
Dr Sayidini also emphasised the close relationship between PASA and UWC, noting the number of agency professionals who had studied at the University.
“UWC is home to us,” he said.
The relationship reflects the role universities can play in developing the specialist expertise needed by the petroleum sector. UWC’s Department of Earth Sciences has research interests in petroleum geosciences and geo-energy resources, including onshore and offshore basins in southern Africa. Partnerships between academia and industry can strengthen the pipeline of geoscientists and other specialists while ensuring that research responds to practical challenges facing the country and the wider region.
Dr Sayidini’s comment was welcomed by UWC’s Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Professor David Holgate.
Prof Holgatre emphasised the importance of universities as spaces where complex questions can be examined critically and openly.
“I think it is worth pointing out that a university is a good environment in which to critically examine and discuss these tensions,” said Prof Holgate.
The SANPC contribution outlined the company’s ambition to become a Southern African energy champion, with a role spanning the petroleum value chain. The company was formed through the consolidation of PetroSA, iGas and the Strategic Fuel Fund to build a more integrated national energy business.
“We want to develop and create a fully integrated company. It is about moving the molecule from the well to the customer.”
Braaf also re-emphasised the importance of performance and accountability: “We have to perform.”
His address also highlighted SANPC’s role in managing the state’s 20% interest in certain upstream petroleum projects, as well as its responsibilities relating to strategic fuel stocks. The speaker said the policy direction was to increase the country’s strategic stockholding from about two weeks of supply to 60 days, helping to strengthen resilience against international supply disruptions.
Braaf argued that South Africa’s energy opportunities should be considered within a wider African context. Developments in countries such as Namibia, Mozambique and Angola are changing the regional petroleum landscape and creating opportunities for cooperation, investment and skills development.
South Africa’s existing infrastructure, universities and talent pools could help the country play a greater role in the regional energy sector.
“We have the market, we have the people, and we have the resources to make a difference,” the speaker said.
Read more about the workshop here.
