Total South Africa

Total South Africa
FormerlyTotal Oil Products (Pty) Ltd[1]
Company typePrivate
IndustryOil and Gas
FoundedDecember 11, 1954 (1954-12-11) in Pretoria, South Africa[1]
HeadquartersRosebank,
Johannesburg
,
South Africa
Number of locations
547 (2021[2])
Area served
South Africa
Key people
ProductsFuels, lubricants, bitumen, agrochemicals, aviation fuel, marine fuel
ParentTotalEnergies
Websitewww.totalenergies.co.za

TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (Pty) Ltd is a leading energy and chemical company operating across South Africa’s fuel, lubricants, and renewable energy markets. Headquartered in Rosebank, Johannesburg, it is the South African affiliate of the French multinational TotalEnergies SE, one of the world’s largest integrated energy companies. The company manages a network of over 540 petrol stations nationwide,[2] supplies fuel and aviation products to commercial sectors, and holds a 36.4% stake in the Natref refinery.[3][4][5][6] In addition to petroleum operations, it is actively expanding into solar and wind energy projects,[7] and plays a growing role in South Africa’s transition toward low-carbon power solutions.[8] In December 2023, the company commenced construction of a 140 MW wind farm and a 120 MW solar plant in the Northern Cape province, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2026.[9]

History

TotalEnergies made its South African debut on 11 December 1954, when Total Oil Products (Pty) Ltd was registered in Pretoria, hosting its inaugural board meeting three days later. By 1955, the company had already set up its first fuel terminals and service stations across Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Roodepoort, and Benoni.[1][8] In 1967, the company rebranded as Total South Africa (Pty) Ltd, acquiring a 30% stake in the Natref refinery and forming Total Exploration South Africa (TESA), marking its shift from distribution to a fully integrated energy player.[2] Today the company is known as TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd, with 50.1% ownership by TotalEnergies SE (France) and 49.9% by South African stakeholders (TOSACO),[10] at Level 1 B-BBEE status.[2]

Operations

Serving over 547 service stations nationwide, TotalEnergies in South Africa caters to retail, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and aviation sectors, offering jet fuel, LPG, kerosene, lubricants, and bitumen, while also operating wholly owned subsidiaries in Namibia and Eswatini.[11] Total is a member of the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa (FIASA), and was one of its founding members when the organisation launched in 1994.[12][13]

Products and services

Renewable Energy Initiatives

TotalEnergies led development of the 86 MW Prieska Solar Power Station, which came online in 2016 and powers approximately 75,000 South African homes via a long-term PPA with Eskom.[14][15][16] In November 2023, the company signed Corporate PPAs totaling 260 MW of renewable capacity, including a 120 MW solar and 140 MW wind project, for Sasol and Air Liquide, with annual output of roughly 850 GWh.[17][18] The company has also began constructing a 216 MW solar plant with 500 MWh battery storage, expected online in 2025, that will dispatch 75 MW of reliable power daily from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. under South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.[19]

Controversies & Criticisms

TotalEnergies encountered official scrutiny when South Africa’s Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) ruled that its SANParks campaign, which touted sustainable development, was misleading, deeming it greenwashing given the company’s continued fossil fuel projects. The company is appealing the decision, emphasising its expected shift toward low-carbon energy.[20][21] Meanwhile, their decision to withdraw from the Brulpadda and Luiperd offshore gas projects,[22] despite holding a 45% stake and investing around $400 million, sparked criticism from policymakers concerned about national gas shortages.[23]

Activists and small-scale fisherman have voiced concerns over a 2022 production license application to develop gas fields off Port Nolloth–Hondeklip Bay, arguing that it threatens marine ecosystems and benefits extraction over community needs.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Our history | TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd". totalenergies.co.za. TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "About Us | TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd". totalenergies.co.za. TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  3. ^ "South Africa: TotalEnergies signs an agreement to divest its minority stake in Natref refinery to the Prax Group". TotalEnergies.com. TotalEnergies. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  4. ^ Hedvat, Keyvan (8 May 2024). "Sasol halts Natref refinery bitumen supply until August | Latest Market News". www.argusmedia.com. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  5. ^ Nhede, Nicholas (6 December 2023). "TotalEnergies Divests Stake in Refinery to Prax Group". www.energycapitalpower.com. Energy Capital & Power. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  6. ^ Brelsford, Robert (1 December 2023). "TotalEnergies to shed interest in Natref refinery". Oil & Gas Journal. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  7. ^ Moore, Malcolm; Rose, Rob (12 November 2024). "TotalEnergies commits to exiting fossil fuels in South Africa greenwashing case". www.ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b "TotalEnergies TotalEnergies in South Africa". TotalEnergies.com. TotalEnergies. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  9. ^ "TotalEnergies commences construction of a 140 MW wind farm and 120 MW solar plant for Sasol and Air Liquide | TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd". totalenergies.co.za. TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  10. ^ "PIC" (PDF). www.pic.gov.za. Public Investment Corporation. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  11. ^ "TotalEnergies Southern Africa | TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa (PTY) Ltd". totalenergies.co.za. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Our Members – Fuels Industry Association of South Africa". www.fuelsindustry.org.za. Fuels Industry Association of South Africa. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  13. ^ "Competition Act: Application for exemption: South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA)" (PDF). www.gov.za. National Government of South Africa. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Prieska-Total Solar PV Park, South Africa". www.power-technology.com. Power Technology. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  15. ^ "TotalEnergies Hybrid Solar Project | Nedbank CIB". private-clients.nedbank.co.za. Nedbank. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  16. ^ "TotalEnergies Hybrid Solar Project | Nedbank CIB". cib.nedbank.co.za. Nedbank. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  17. ^ "South Africa: TotalEnergies signs Renewable Power Purchase Agreements with Sasol and Air Liquide". TotalEnergies.com. TotalEnergies. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  18. ^ "TotalEnergies expands exploration in Orange Basin | Energize". www.energize.co.za. Energize. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  19. ^ "South Africa: TotalEnergies Launches Construction of a 216 MW Solar Plant with Battery Storage". TotalEnergies.com. Total Energies. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  20. ^ Patel, Ozayr (22 August 2024). "TotalEnergies advertising found to be misleading and greenwashing". www.mg.co.za. The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  21. ^ Smyth, Jamie; Rose, Rob (24 September 2024). "Client Challenge". www.ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  22. ^ Stoddard, Ed (10 September 2024). "TotalEnergies pulled out of Brulpadda-Luiperd gas projects over pricing, parliamentary portfolio committee told". www.dailymaverick.co.za. Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  23. ^ "South Africa: TotalEnergies exits from offshore Blocks 11B/12B and 5/6/7" (PDF) (Press release). Paris: TotalEnergies. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  24. ^ Bond, Patrick (15 December 2022). "French fossil imperialism, South African subimperialism and anti-imperial resistance". www.cadtm.org. CADTM. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
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