TotalEnergies Targets 2026 for South Africa Drilling as Regulatory Reforms Accelerate

TotalEnergies is setting its sights on launching offshore drilling operations in South Africa by 2026, pending final regulatory clearances. Mike Sangster, Senior Vice President for Africa Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies, made the announcement during the Invest in African Energy Forum in Paris. He highlighted South Africa’s emerging role in the company’s broader multi-energy strategy across the continent.

The news arrives alongside momentum in South Africa’s energy sector reforms. In April, the government released draft regulations for the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act, marking a key step toward modernising the legal framework governing oil and gas exploration. These draft regulations, which are open for public consultation, aim to operationalise the Act passed in November, setting the stage for a more transparent, investor-friendly environment.

South Africa has long struggled with regulatory uncertainty that has hampered sustained exploration and limited offshore investment. The new Act is designed to resolve these issues by establishing clear licensing protocols, outlining Black Economic Empowerment and state participation, and defining production-sharing mechanisms.

Importantly, the legislation is structured to support both investor confidence and national development objectives. It introduces detailed guidelines for exploration and production rights, standardises fiscal terms, and addresses environmental and social governance. By aligning domestic regulations with international norms, South Africa is positioning itself as a competitive destination for global exploration capital, especially as companies reassess projects through a decarbonisation lens.

The Orange Basin, a region that extends into Namibian waters, is gaining strategic importance due to recent discoveries. Within South Africa, the Brulpadda and Luiperd finds in Block 11B/12B stand as the most commercially promising to date, with estimated reserves exceeding 600 million barrels of oil equivalent. Although TotalEnergies exited that block as part of a portfolio reshuffle, its renewed activity elsewhere in South Africa indicates continued confidence in the basin's potential.

In August, the company became the operator of Block 3B/4B, located southeast of prior discoveries and aligned with Namibia’s Venus find. This area is considered one of the final frontiers for large-scale offshore oil and gas development. With clearer regulations now emerging, South Africa is increasingly well-placed to attract the kind of high-stakes investment needed to unlock its offshore resources and strengthen domestic energy infrastructure.

The upcoming African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies in Cape Town will offer a strategic platform to showcase these reforms. The event is expected to bring together regulators, international oil companies, and service providers to explore the commercial opportunities emerging from South Africa’s new upstream framework.

“For companies like TotalEnergies – whose multi-energy strategy includes natural gas, renewables and decarbonised operations – a stable and transparent regulatory framework is key. Sangster’s statement reflects growing confidence in South Africa’s policy direction and signals to the broader investor community that the country is preparing to welcome a new wave of responsible, large-scale investment,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.