South Africa faces acute fuel supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure, despite government assurances of no crisis. Local shortages have emerged, while price increases loom for April. Agricultural harvests risk lower yields due to diesel limits.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum (DMPR) director Robert Maake stated on 702 Drive: “There’s no need to [panic over] anything as far as fuel supply is concerned at the moment.” Officials deny petrol station shutdowns or QR-code rationing, countering social media claims. However, the Strait of Hormuz closure has triggered real supply shocks, prompting supply pivots to crude oil from Nigeria, Angola, and Ghana for the Natref refinery, and refined products from India. Six vessels are en route, with March and early April consignments secured beforehand, though costs have risen sharply due to rerouting and higher freight rates. Global Brent crude exceeded $115 per barrel in mid-March, signaling substantial April retail price hikes, as acknowledged by Minister Gwede Mantashe: “substantial fuel price increases are increasingly unavoidable.” Localised shortages affect 50ppm diesel in Western Cape, Gauteng, Free State, North West, and Northern Cape, driven by wholesalers throttling deliveries and banning ad hoc bulk buys to curb hoarding. Liquid Fuels Wholesalers Association CEO Peter Morgan criticised the response pace, saying the industry “should have been talking about this three weeks ago” and lacks “crisis mode.” The Strategic Petroleum Reserve at Saldanha Bay holds 7.7 million barrels of crude (17% of 45 million capacity), but the Astron Energy refinery in Cape Town is offline for maintenance, rendering it unusable for now. Farmers face severe impacts during maize and fruit harvests, with combines needing 30-60 litres of diesel per hour. Cooperatives limit purchases to 80 litres daily, idling machinery within 90 minutes and threatening yields and food prices.