TotalEnergies Exploration and Production (EP) South Africa (SA) has called on government to streamline regulations and address the appeal-related delays that the company says continue to constrain investment in South Africa’s oil and gas sector.

Speaking during a panel discussion at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 held in Cape Town in October, TotalEnergies EP SA MD Magali Pailhé said regulatory appeals were a major obstacle to offshore exploration in South Africa.

“Today, we have blocks offshore in the Orange basin that TotalEnergies has proven in Namibia, but are blocked in various stages of appeal.

“We need to unblock these so the potential can be realised.

“In Namibia, 25 wells have been drilled since 2022, while in South Africa, only three since 2014. The industry is here, but the appeals need to be addressed to allow investment to flow.”

Pailhé said there were major oil and gas players present in South Africa, willing to invest, and she urged government to expedite the appeals process for strategic projects through special courts.

She added that it was equally necessary to develop a clear and competitive regulatory framework to allow for investments to flow.

“Because, when we talk exploration wells offshore, it is roughly $100-million to $150-million. But when we talk development, if reserves are proven, it is billions that are going to be invested.”

Pailhé noted that the permitting process was especially cumbersome in South Africa.

“In Europe, in other African countries, it takes one to three years to obtain permits with which industry can work. In South Africa, it takes five to seven years.”

TotalEnergies holds exploration interests across the Orange Deepwater basin, Deep Western Orange basin and Block 3B/4B.

Pailhé said that unlocking domestic oil and gas production could stimulate job creation, infrastructure development and industrial growth.

“In the Orange basin alone, there could be 16-gigabarrel of oil. The opportunity is there . . . it is huge . . . the impact on the economy could be significant in terms of job creation, in terms of infrastructure, in terms of exports, of revenue for the State, of skills development, of local development.

“But, again, it is potential, and we need to change the words: potential into reality, opportunity into economic growth.

Today in the Orange basin we are blocked; we are stuck in appeals – in different stages of appeals.

We need to be unlocked, the industry needs to be unlocked for this potential to come true.”