WeeklySA_AdminMOBILITY: Building resilience across the country’s liquid fuels system will require stronger infrastructure, disciplined planning and sustained cooperation between government and industry…
By Taelo Mojapelo
Every day, South Africa’s liquid fuels system performs a role that is essential yet often underappreciated.
It supports the taxis carrying millions of commuters, the trucks moving food and goods across provinces, and the farmers, mines, airlines, retailers and small businesses that depend on reliable mobility.
Long before fuel appears as a line item in economic analysis, it is already enabling the daily rhythm of the country.
This is why volatility in the liquid fuels market matters far beyond our sector. It affects the cost of living, the competitiveness of businesses, the reliability of supply chains and the confidence with which the economy functions.
When global energy markets shift, shipping routes come under pressure, geopolitical risks rise or the rand weakens, the effects are quickly felt by households and businesses alike.
Resilience will not be measured by the absence of shocks, but by our ability to keep South Africa moving safely, reliably and responsibly when they arrive…
South Africa’s exposure is heightened by the country’s significant reliance on imported petroleum products to meet demand.
At the same time, liquid fuels remain central to transport, agriculture, mining, aviation, logistics and everyday mobility. This places the industry at a critical intersection: connected to global markets, yet deeply embedded in local economic and social life.
It is important, therefore, that the public conversation reflects the full complexity of the system.
Fuel prices and supply outcomes are shaped by a chain of interdependent factors, including international crude oil and refined-product prices, freight costs, exchange rates, regulated pricing mechanisms, port efficiency, storage capacity, pipeline performance, rail and road logistics, and the reliability of retail networks.
In such an interconnected environment, disruption in one part of the value chain can quickly affect the rest. A delay at a port can place pressure on inland supply. Storage constraints can reduce flexibility, while disruptions to road freight can increase the risk of localised shortages.
Higher fuel costs, in turn, feed into transport expenses, food prices and the operating costs of businesses already navigating a difficult economic environment.
The industry cannot control every external shock. It cannot determine geopolitical outcomes, global refining margins, international freight costs or currency movements. What we can control is how we prepare, operate and respond. That is where leadership, discipline and partnership become essential.
Safety must remain our first commitment.
In a high-consequence industry that moves essential products through complex supply chains every day, safety cannot be treated merely as a compliance exercise. It is a leadership responsibility.
It must be evident in operating standards, contractor management, transport discipline, strategic decisions and the choices we make when pressure increases.
Supply reliability must also be treated as a national priority. South Africa needs stronger planning across imports, ports, pipelines, storage facilities, retail networks and inland distribution.
Better forecasting, coordinated logistics and appropriate stockholding are not simply technical considerations. They are practical buffers that help protect the economy when volatility rises.
Infrastructure must be placed at the centre of this conversation. Ports, storage facilities, pipelines, road networks and retail assets form the physical backbone of energy security. When these systems are constrained, fragmented or underinvested, the consequences are felt through higher costs, reduced flexibility and weaker confidence across the economy.
We must also use data and digital tools with greater purpose. Their value lies not in the technology itself, but in our ability to anticipate demand patterns, manage inventory more effectively, respond faster to disruptions and serve customers more consistently.
In volatile conditions, resilience depends on both foresight and execution.
None of this can be achieved by industry alone. Government, regulators, state-owned logistics providers, fuel companies, retailers, transport operators, customers and communities are all part of the same system.
The engagement required must be practical, sustained and focused on outcomes. It must improve port and logistics performance, create regulatory certainty, support responsible investment, strengthen emergency-response capabilities, advance transformation and enable the infrastructure required for long-term security of supply.
This is especially important as South Africa prepares for a lower-carbon and more diversified energy future.
The energy transition is both necessary and urgent, but it will not remove the country’s need for secure, affordable and reliable liquid fuels overnight. We must therefore build for the future while continuing to strengthen the systems that keep the present economy functioning.
Volatility will remain part of the operating environment. The question is whether we will respond with the discipline, coordination and foresight required of a country that depends on energy to move people, goods and opportunity.
For South Africa’s liquid fuels sector, resilience will not be measured by the absence of shocks. It will be measured by the system’s ability to keep the country moving safely, reliably and responsibly when those shocks arrive.
Taelo Mojapelo is the CEO, bp Southern Africa
