South Africa is preparing its first major expansion of strategic oil reserves since the apartheid era, as the country seeks to strengthen energy security and protect its economy from future global supply disruptions.

The government has proposed a new strategic petroleum stocks policy that would require the country to significantly increase emergency crude oil reserves. The plan aims to ensure that South Africa maintains strategic stocks equivalent to around 60 days of net oil imports.

Under the proposed framework, private fuel companies could also be required to hold additional mandatory reserves equivalent to 21 days of consumption, including crude oil and refined petroleum products such as diesel and aviation fuel.

The move marks the most significant shift in South Africa’s petroleum security strategy since the apartheid government built large crude storage facilities in the 1970s to reduce vulnerability to international sanctions and possible supply restrictions.

South Africa currently holds an estimated 7.7 million to 8 million barrels of strategic crude reserves, a level considered insufficient to protect the country against major global supply shocks. These reserves represent roughly 13 days of demand, according to industry estimates.

The government’s decision comes amid growing concerns over global energy security, including geopolitical tensions, disruptions to shipping routes and volatility in international oil markets.

South Africa remains heavily dependent on imported petroleum products, while the country’s domestic refining capacity has declined in recent years following the closure of several refineries. The government argues that larger strategic reserves are necessary to protect consumers, industries and critical sectors such as transport and aviation.

The proposed policy is part of a broader trend across Africa, where governments are increasingly seeking to strengthen energy independence and build strategic buffers against external shocks.

For Africa’s most industrialized economy, improving fuel security is seen as a key component of economic resilience, particularly as the country works to attract investment, support industrial growth and transition toward a more diversified energy system.

If implemented, the new reserve strategy would represent a major transformation of South Africa’s energy security approach and restore a level of strategic petroleum planning not seen since the apartheid period.