Foreign Trade News: Major Strike in South Africa! Chinese Embassy Issues Urgent Alert! A Comprehensive Guide to South Africa’s Energy Crisis!

I. Heighten vigilance against security risks and closely monitor the security situation in your area. Memorize emergency contact numbers—including those of local police, the Chinese Embassy/Consulates, and community-police cooperation centers—to facilitate prompt assistance in emergencies. Overseas Chinese communities should promptly share safety information with one another and strengthen collective prevention and mutual protection. II. Enhance personal security precautions; avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. If travel is unavoidable, check road conditions in advance, inform family and friends of your itinerary, and avoid passing through or visiting protest or demonstration sites. III. Suspend business operations at premises located within protest or demonstration zones, avoid prolonged stays there, and strive to bolster security measures with the assistance of local security personnel. IV. If caught in a difficult situation, do not confront protesters; instead, seek to leave the area as quickly as possible, prioritizing your personal safety. In case of emergency, immediately contact local police and the Chinese Embassy/Consulates in South Africa or the local community-police cooperation center. Understanding South Africa’s Energy Crisis According to an article published by the African Energy Chamber on March 22, frequent and prolonged power outages have severely hampered business operations across South Africa. The manufacturing sector is suffering greatly, and the national economy is bearing heavy losses. Extended blackouts embolden criminals and drive up crime rates. Since the mid-20th century, South Africa has been not only the most industrialized country on the African continent—but possibly the entire Southern Hemisphere—with industry once accounting for over 36% of the country’s GDP. As reported by South Africa’s Daily Business Report website on March 21, amid the imminent conclusion of a R1.2-trillion investment plan, South Africa’s Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, acknowledged that persistent blackouts are undermining investor confidence. To resolve its energy challenges, Eskom—the state-owned utility—has poured increasing funds into various initiatives, all of which have failed. Its soaring operational costs are being passed on to consumers and businesses in the form of higher electricity tariffs, imposing additional burdens. Previously, to cope with blackouts, South Africans endured six to ten hours of darkness daily. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster. “We are facing a profound energy crisis,” Ramaphosa stated. “This crisis has gradually permeated every facet of society. We must act decisively to mitigate its impact on farmers, small businesses, our water infrastructure, and transportation networks.” A Bleak Outlook The root cause of South Africa’s energy crisis lies in its coal-fired power plants, which supply approximately 95% of the country’s electricity. Yet these facilities are aging, overused, and prone to frequent breakdowns. To prevent the country’s struggling power plants from collapsing entirely—and triggering a total grid failure—Eskom implements scheduled load-shedding (also known as rolling blackouts or controlled power cuts). Such daily blackouts have become commonplace. According to South Africa’s BusinessTech website on March 21, due to a slight improvement in available generation capacity and lower-than-expected electricity demand, Eskom decided to suspend load-shedding on March 21—the first full day without load-shedding since October 30, 2022. Eskom announced that load-shedding would remain suspended until 5:00 a.m. on March 22, after which Stage 2 and Stage 3 load-shedding would resume. Over the past three years, South Africa has recorded the highest number of blackouts in its history.

South Africa is negotiating to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.

South Africa is negotiating to procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, as supplies from neighboring Mozambique are expected to decline over the coming years. South Africa’s Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, told legislators in Cape Town on Wednesday that authorities are considering a commercial agreement led by fuel producer Sasol and the state-owned power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. Africa’s most industrialized nation is racing against time to secure alternative natural gas supplies, as the Mozambican oil fields operated by Sasol are projected to begin scaling back production in 2027. Sasol currently transports fuel via pipeline to South African enterprises that support hundreds of thousands of jobs. Ramokgopa stated: “We could face a ‘gas cliff’ within 30 months, placing 5% of the country’s GDP at significant risk,” adding that he had held discussions on this issue in Qatar over the weekend.

South Africa Is Sleepwalking Toward a Gas Crisis, Businesses Warn

6 days ago

Business leaders warn South Africa faces a critical gas shortage as Sasol’s Mozambique supplies dwindle by 2030. Industries including food processing and glass manufacturing face investment delays and potential job losses without urgent government intervention.

bloomberg

2026-09-16

South Africa Is Sleepwalking Toward a Gas Crisis, Businesses Warn

South Africa Is Sleepwalking Toward a Gas Crisis, Businesses Warn

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