Ramaphosa Tours Coal-to-Fuel Plant as South Africa Weighs Industrial Future

President Cyril Ramaphosa walked through the Sasol Secunda plant in Mpumalanga on Thursday, watching firsthand as roughly 35 million tonnes of locally mined coal are processed each year into fuels and chemical products at one of South Africa’s largest industrial complexes. The visit gave him direct exposure to integrated operations spanning mining, gasification, refining, logistics and chemical production.

For the approximately 6,000 workers employed directly at Secunda, and the tens of thousands more who depend on it, the presidential attention carried weight. When service providers are included, the site accommodates at least 40,000 people at any given time. Beyond those numbers, Sasol maintains partnerships with numerous small and medium enterprises in the region, creating business opportunities for smaller companies supplying goods and services to the complex.

Ramaphosa did not hold back in his assessment. He called Sasol a “national treasure” and described its role in producing materials essential to everyday infrastructure and construction. Speaking to the Government Communication and Information System, he captured what struck him most about the plant’s work: “It’s so impressive that from a rock of coal, they can make wonderful products. They convert coal that we all look at and kick around into diesel, petrol, gas, sulphuric substances and products as well as plastics.”

The products leaving Secunda reach far beyond Mpumalanga. Ramaphosa noted that Sasol supplies materials used in road building and residential construction, positioning the company as foundational to infrastructure development across the country. He also acknowledged government’s stake in Sasol through various investment structures, describing it as operating in a manner similar to a National Key Point given its strategic importance.

Meanwhile, the visit followed a significant corporate commitment made earlier this year. At the sixth South Africa Investment Conference in Johannesburg in March, Sasol pledged R60 billion in investment across its chemicals and packaging operations, with funds to be distributed across all provinces. That announcement signaled confidence in the country’s economic direction despite broader challenges.

During his time at the facility, Ramaphosa received detailed briefings on Sasol’s operational priorities. Discussions covered efforts to maintain competitive industrial capacity, improve operational efficiency and advance transition initiatives while continuing to supply reliable liquid fuels and chemical products. The briefing also addressed Sasol’s contributions to local manufacturing, supply chain strengthening, innovation development and workforce skills training.

His closing remarks framed Sasol not as a relic of industrial history but as an active force. He described the company as “a real industrial actor in our economy and one of the key players that propels the economic development that we have,” and stressed that South Africa should take pride in sustaining an operation of this scale, particularly given its capacity to generate employment across multiple sectors and regions.

Whether that pride translates into the policy support and investment certainty Sasol needs to navigate its energy transition remains the question hanging over Secunda’s smokestacks. Additional context from the Presidency’s official statement is available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/president-ramaphosa-visits-sasol-secunda-plant.