South Africa may pass the UPRD in 2021
Legislative delays plague South Africa’s upstream
Sizeable offshore potential and growing gas demand may not be enough to offset the difficulties
Regulatory uncertainty continues to hinder South Africa’s upstream ambitions, with investors waiting for clarity on new legislation before committing. The sector is subject to the general Mineral & Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), amendments to which have been “stalled since 2014...resulting in a high level of uncertainty”, while the act in its existing form is “ambiguous”, according to consultancy Fitch Solutions. Pretoria has drafted replacement legislation for the oil and gas sector in the form of the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development (UPRD) Bill. Strategic reserves Draft provisions include allowing the state—through NOC PetroSA—the option to acquire up to 20pc in p
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
