28/07/2026
South Africa’s biggest petrol company is preparing to shut down a major refinery

Features / 27 July 2026 / Warren Hawkins
South Africa’s biggest petrol company is preparing to shut down a major refinery


Sasol’s National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (Natref) facility in Sasolburg has ramped up production by 76% as it prepares for a scheduled maintenance shutdown in early 2027.
The facility – a joint venture between Sasol and TotalEnergies – reached an output of 25.8 million barrels during the financial year ending 30 June 2026, compared to 14.7 million barrels in the year before.
Sasol achieved this by resolving crude oil supply chain constraints and utilising the capacity of its partner, Prax South Africa (Prax SA), which is currently undergoing business rescue.
The production boom is also a major win for domestic fuel security, especially with maintenance scheduled at the Natref facility during the first quarter of the 2027 financial year.
To prevent potential future fuel shortages or heavy reliance on sudden imports, Sasol aggressively built up its local fuel inventories towards the end of the 2026 financial year, buffering supply during the shutdown.
Reporting its financial year-end results, the company noted that it did this by focusing on the factors it could control, including safety, operational performance, cost and capital discipline.
“We leveraged our integrated value chains across regions, ensuring reliable energy and chemical product supply amidst the Middle East conflict,” it said.
“Supported by stronger production performance and a more supportive macroeconomic backdrop during the last quarter of the financial year, the business delivered within or above our market guidance across all our production and sales metrics.”
Sasol’s Secunda Operations achieved its highest annual production in the past five years, while Natref maintained strong performance in the final quarter, playing a critical role in South Africa’s fuel supply.
The company also managed to decrease its financial-year external purchases by 51%, thanks to the two refineries’ stronger production performance.
“Looking ahead, the operating environment is expected to remain volatile, driven by ongoing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and evolving market dynamics,” warned Sasol.
“We remain focused on maintaining operational continuity, supporting our customers and proactively responding to changing market conditions.
