South Africa is racing against time to secure its future gas supply, with the looming “gas cliff” presenting a significant risk to industrial production, investment, employment and the country’s broader economic competitiveness.

The issue will take centre stage at the Africa Gas Forum, taking place alongside the Africa Energy Indaba 2027 from 2–4 March 2027 at the CTICC in Cape Town, where industry leaders, government, gas producers, infrastructure developers, investors and major energy users will examine the practical steps required to move South Africa from gas supply risk towards long-term energy security.

Among the speakers addressing the critical discussion “South Africa’s Gas Cliff – From Supply Risk to a Secure Gas Future” will be Jaco Human, Executive Officer of the Industrial Gas Users Association of Southern Africa (IGUA-SA).

The clock is ticking 

South Africa has historically relied heavily on natural gas supplied from Mozambique's Pande and Temane fields. As those supplies decline, the country faces the challenge of establishing alternative sources of gas quickly enough to protect major industrial users.  Sasol has announced plans to provide methane-rich gas from its Secunda operations as a temporary bridging solution from July 2028 to June 2030, intended to provide additional time for the transition towards LNG as a longer-term supply solution.

However, IGUA-SA has warned that the bridge does not remove the fundamental challenge facing the country. Long-term security will require coordinated action across government and industry, together with investment in LNG import capacity, pipelines, storage and associated gas infrastructure.

IGUA-SA's updated Gas Roadmap has called for gas supply, LNG terminals, pipelines, storage and gas-to-power infrastructure to be treated as strategic national economic infrastructure, alongside stronger public-private coordination to accelerate implementation.

Gas Security is an Industrial Issue 

The gas cliff is about far more than energy supply.

Natural gas is an important input for major sectors of the South African economy, including manufacturing, mining, steel, glass, chemicals, petrochemicals, food processing and paper.  A failure to secure affordable and reliable replacement gas therefore has implications for industrial production, jobs, investment and South Africa's ability to remain internationally competitive.

The challenge is also one of timing. Major gas infrastructure cannot be developed overnight. LNG import facilities, pipeline infrastructure, storage, financing arrangements, regulatory approvals and long-term offtake agreements all require coordination and investment.

The decisions being taken now will determine whether South Africa moves through the coming transition with secure gas supplies – or simply postpones the cliff.

From Crises to Opportunity 

The Africa Gas Forum discussion will move beyond identifying the problem to focus on the solutions required to establish a secure, competitive and sustainable gas market.

Key questions will include:

• Where will South Africa's gas come from after 2030?
• Can LNG provide the long-term solution, and what infrastructure must be developed now?
• How can industrial demand be aggregated to underpin commercially viable gas imports and infrastructure?
• What role should government play in enabling and de-risking the required investment?
• How should gas-to-power and industrial gas demand be coordinated?
• What financing and guarantee mechanisms will be required to unlock new infrastructure?
• Can regional gas resources and infrastructure create a more integrated Southern African gas market?

And critically:

Can South Africa turn the gas cliff from an industrial threat into an opportunity to build a more competitive and diversified gas market?

Jaco Human brings the Industrial user Perspective 

As Executive Officer of IGUA-SA, Jaco Human represents an organisation focused on the interests of large-scale industrial gas users in Southern Africa and has been one of the most prominent voices warning about the economic consequences of failing to address the country's future gas requirements.

IGUA-SA's Gas Roadmap argues that South Africa requires immediate political sponsorship and coordinated action between government, industry, gas suppliers, infrastructure developers and financiers if the country is to establish a sustainable gas supply beyond the current bridging arrangements.

Human's participation will bring an important industrial consumer perspective to the Africa Gas Forum ensuring that discussions around gas resources and infrastructure remain connected to the manufacturers and industries whose operations ultimately depend on reliable and competitively priced supply.

South Africa does not simply need more Gas – It needs a gas Security Strategy 

The coming years represent a critical window for South Africa.

Temporary solutions can provide additional time, but they cannot substitute for the investment, infrastructure, policy certainty and commercial agreements required to establish a sustainable long-term gas market.

The Africa Gas Forum, alongside the Africa Energy Indaba 2027, will bring together the stakeholders needed to confront these questions and explore how South Africa – and the wider Southern African region – can build a secure gas future.