At the AOW Investing in African Energy conference, Transnet Pipelines chief executive Sibongiseni Khathi said the state-owned enterprise was moving apace to ensure South Africa's energy security.

Listen to this article 3 min Listen to this article 3 min South Africa is slowly edging back from the edge of the gas cliff that could tip the economy into free fall.

One key link in this chain is Transnet Pipelines. Most South Africans are aware of the state-owned enterprise's (SOE's) rail and ports role, but its pipelines are also crucial for the transport of the fuel that keeps the economy moving.

The Pande-Temane gas fields in Mozambique are nearing the end of their life and Sasol announced last year that from June 2026, it would, as a result, no longer be able to supply gas to industrial users and traders in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

One of the measures to address this potential crisis is the Zululand Energy Terminal project in Richards Bay which will be developed by the Dutch-based Vopak Terminal Durban and Transnet Pipelines consortium.

This terminal will be used to handle liquified natural gas (LNG) imports and is being built in the nick of time.

In a presentation to the AOW Investing in African Energy conference, Transnet Pipelines' chief executive, Sibongiseni Khathi, said the final investment decision was expected in the first quarter of 2026,...