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SA Policy Space

Gas Bill — LNG Import Infrastructure and City Gas

EnergyUnder reviewMedium TermAI draft, partly checkedRaised 3× in committeeMineral Resources and Energy

Theme: Gas sector development

First raisedFeb 2022Last discussedAug 2023No committee discussion in 12+ months3 meetings on the record ↓
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Reform at a glance

What changes
Gas Bill — LNG Import Infrastructure and City Gas
Responsible actor (recorded)
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy / NERSA / Transnet / National Ports Authority
Recorded status
Under review — editorial assessment.
Milestone described by this status
Status scope has not yet been independently documented; it may cover only part of this reform.
Next documented milestone
Next milestone not yet documented
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Description

AI draft, partly checkedThis idea's text was drafted with an AI model in March 2026. Some of its claims have been checked against sources and corrected; the rest has not. Treat its figures as unverified unless a linked source confirms them. How idea text is checked

The Gas Bill [B6-2026], which would repeal and replace the Gas Act, 2001, would license the construction and operation of regasification facilities (including floating units in territorial waters or a port), require registration to import gas, and let licensed distributors lay pipes along streets with municipal approval. South Africa does not yet have an LNG import terminal: the first, the Zululand Energy Terminal at Richards Bay, has deferred its final investment decision to 2028, and the country lacks a permanent LNG import infrastructure framework. The Coega LNG terminal in the Eastern Cape and a Richards Bay permanent facility are in various stages of development. Gas plays a transition role as a dispatchable complement to intermittent renewables, and as feedstock for industrial processes currently dependent on Sasol's gas network. The Bill also covers delivery of gas without pipelines, through compression equipment and mobile storage units. As of August 2026, the Bill was still before the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, which concluded public hearings on 12 August 2026.

Assessment

Growth Impact4/5
Feasibility3/5

Responsible: Department of Mineral Resources and Energy / NERSA / Transnet / National Ports Authority

Feasibility Assessment

Medium: the Gas Bill [B6-2026] is in committee hearings (August 2026), not yet law. Once passed, implementation requires LNG terminal investment decisions and NERSA tariff methodology. GIPPP procurement can proceed. Supply diversification reduces Sasol dependence.

Drafted with an AI model in March 2026; not yet checked against sources.

Where the numbers stand

All indicators →
  • Eskom Energy Availability Factor72%2025

    +7 pp from 65% in 2020. Eskom Integrated Reports (Eskom IR)

  • Load Shedding (Electricity Shed)0 GWh2025

    −1798 GWh from 1798 GWh in 2020. CSIR / Eskom (CSIR Energy)

Next official read on this: Manufacturing: Utilisation of production capacity by large enterprises, August 2026 — due 5 November 2026 (Stats SA schedule).

Series tagged to this idea’s binding constraint. The period beside each value is the latest observation this site holds, which can lag the official release: the series are rebuilt offline from the sources named, not read live.

Stakeholder Landscape

Who backs this reform, who needs convincing, and which interests or red lines shape political feasibility.

Backers

7

1 stakeholder

Negotiation weight

0

0 conditional actors

Opposition weight

0

0 opposing actors

Coalition Read

AI-drafted stances · 0 reviewed

1 of 38 actors mapped — not scored

A coalition score needs at least 3 mapped stances, or actors carrying 25% of the map's influence. The stances below are the evidence; the average over this few of them would not be.

Anchor: NERSA.

Political Tractability

—Needs reviewed signals

No reviewed signals · 0% of mapped influence has been reviewed.

Backers1 stakeholder
NERSAOperational backerInfluence 7/10

LNG import infrastructure falls within NERSA's gas regulatory jurisdiction and expands its mandate.

Interest: Statutory mandate as National Energy Regulator: licensing, tariff regulation for electricity, gas, and petroleum pipelines; consumer price protection…

Concern: Reform proposals that bypass NERSA licensing (e.g. registration-only frameworks for embedded generation) reduce statutory jurisdiction and create regu…

Engagement path: Regulatory reform must strengthen rather than hollow out NERSA's capacity; adequate resources and staff to handle an expanded regulatory workload unde…

OECD

Referenced in OECD Economic Surveys: South Africa

OECD SA Survey (2017, 2020, 2022, 2025). The 2025 survey calls for boosting public investment especially in electricity, water and rail.

Evidence & Research

No linked research evidence yet. Coverage is incomplete.

Policy documents

No linked official-document evidence yet. Coverage is incomplete.

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Status History

tracked since Mar 2026
  1. Recorded as Partially implemented when status tracking began — held since at least Mar 2026.
    Mar 2026
  2. Moved from Partially implemented to Under review on 17 October 2026
    trigger

Data as of 2026-10-18 · latest PMG meeting 2026-10-09