Retaining refining capacity could pose long-term risks for South Africa

South Africa’s oil refining capacity has always been rather small when considered on a global scale, but there was some sense of national pride and of security in knowing that the country could deliver – even if most of the crude input had to be imported. While local refineries were never able to fulfil South Africa’s demand for fuel in recent times – at 25-billion litres a year – local refining capacity helped to supplement imported supplies.