President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed Sasol as a “national treasure” after a first-hand tour of the company’s giant Secunda Operations in Mpumalanga on Thursday, describing the chemicals and energy group as one of the key players propelling South Africa’s economic development.
“Sasol is a great contributor to our economy, and I’ve been very pleased to come and see the real industrial actor in our economy and one of the key players that propels the economic development that we have,” the President said during the visit, according to SAnews.
From a rock of coal to world-class products
The Secunda complex is one of the largest industrial sites in the world. Approximately 35 million tonnes of locally mined coal are beneficiated there each year, feeding an integrated value chain that spans mining, gasification, Sasol’s proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology, refining, logistics and chemical production.
“It’s so impressive that from a rock of coal, they can make wonderful products. They convert coal that we all look at and kick around into diesel, petrol, gas, sulphuric substances and products as well as plastics,” President Ramaphosa said.
The Presidency said the briefing highlighted Sasol’s role in supporting local manufacturing, strengthening supply chains, driving innovation, developing critical skills and sustaining employment, while ensuring a reliable supply of the liquid fuels and chemical products that underpin economic activity.
Jobs, small business and big investment
The numbers behind the plant tell their own story. At Secunda alone, Sasol employs some 6 000 people, and once service providers are counted, as many as 40 000 people can be on site at any given time. The company also works with a diverse base of small and medium enterprises, opening doors for local businesses to partner with one of the world’s industrial giants.
“What’s also impressive is that they work with many other companies, small and medium enterprises, and they give opportunities to small businesses that do a lot of work here with Sasol,” the President noted.
Confidence is being backed with capital. At the sixth South Africa Investment Conference held in March, Sasol pledged a massive R60 billion investment across its chemicals and packaging operations, to be rolled out across all nine provinces.
Proudly South African industry
President Ramaphosa was accompanied by Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu and hosted by Sasol President and Chief Executive Officer Simon Baloyi and Board Chairperson Muriel Dube, together with members of the Sasol Group Executive Committee.
“Government owns quite a good portion of Sasol through our various structures of investment. We are very proud of what Sasol is; the standing that it has in our economy; the contribution it makes and the number of people that it employs,” the President said.
“So, as South Africa, we should be proud of a company like Sasol. It’s a job creator and great contributor to our economy.”
From roads to housing materials, the products flowing out of Secunda find their way into the everyday infrastructure that South Africans rely on — a reminder that homegrown industry remains one of the country’s greatest assets.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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