On February 10, President of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, delivered his sixth State of the Nation Address in Cape Town, the country’s legislative capital. Ramaphosa stated that the government would continue to support the development of the country’s upstream oil and gas industry.

He stated that the government is committed to pursuing a significant increase in domestic production as well as a rapid growth of the country’s energy generation capacity to boost job creation, support livelihoods, and provide extra energy generation.

He said: “We will continue to support the development of the upstream gas industry as it holds huge potential for job creation and broader economic development.”

“We will ensure that this is done in strict accordance with the environment, as well as with other laws of our country, and that where there are differences, we work together to resolve those differences in the interest of our country and the interest of our people, particularly with regard to creating jobs.”

President Ramaphosa’s declaration underscores the government’s commitment to working with investors in South Africa’s upstream petroleum domain to ensure that these resources are exploited in a manner that is both environmentally friendly and compatible with the global energy transition.