Industry related headlines to keep you in the know.
South Africa's fuel industry has secured additional Jet A-1 imports and arranged pipeline, rail and coastal movements to protect jet fuel supply to OR Tambo International Airport during a Natref refinery outage expected to affect availability from around 6 September to 4 October.
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
6 September 2026 • 4 min read
One refinery supplies 70% to 80% of the jet fuel at Africa's busiest airport. When it goes down for a month, the replacement has to arrive by ship into Durban, then move inland by pipeline and rail — and the whole plan runs on a five-day cover target.
Airports Company South Africa says Natref normally supplies between 70% and 80% of OR Tambo's jet fuel requirement. The airport consumes an average of about 3 850 cubic metres a day and currently holds approximately five to six days of cover. The industry is targeting a minimum of five days' cover at the airport throughout the outage.
Phila Mzamo, head of communications at the Fuel Industry Association of South Africa, confirmed that additional Jet A-1 imports have been secured to supplement the anticipated shortfall, with the precise volume still being refined as supply plans and demand forecasts are updated. His most important statement for anyone planning around this is the simplest: "There are currently no fuel shortages in the market."
OR Tambo jet fuel position: ~3 850 cubic metres consumed per day, approximately five to six days of cover on hand, and a five-day minimum cover target for the full 6 September to 4 October outage window. (Source: ACSA and FIASA via Freight News, 2026)
ACSA's contingency plan rests on three moves: increasing coastal imports through Durban, optimising Transnet's logistics capacity, and arranging dedicated rail deliveries. FIASA says sufficient import and terminal infrastructure is available to receive the additional volumes already secured, and that the recent commissioning of two additional storage tanks at OR Tambo has improved the operational flexibility of the airport's fuel supply system.
Pipeline capacity and scheduling remain the pinch point, and stakeholders are working with Transnet Pipelines to optimise available transport capacity. Transnet Pipelines told Freight News it could not disclose customer volumes, capacity allocations, operational requirements or commercial arrangements because of confidentiality agreements with the oil companies using its network, and clarified that it does not own the fuel it transports. It is participating in a joint task team involving industry, government, oil companies and ACSA.
Mzamo said mitigation includes sourcing replacement imports, coordinating pipeline and rail movements, and monitoring stock throughout the supply chain, adding that "industry participants are also working closely with government entities to facilitate the timely movement of imported products where required." FIASA has said contingency measures will remain available should Natref's return to normal production be delayed beyond 4 October.
Freight News sought confirmation from FIASA and Sasol on the submission of the industry's formal mitigation proposal to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy on 31 August, as reported by the South African Government News Agency. Sasol said it would provide updates on Natref in due course. No shortfall volume has been published, which is worth noting plainly: the disclosed figures describe cover and consumption, not the size of the gap being filled.
Air freight forwarders routing through OR Tambo should treat the next four weeks as a period of elevated schedule risk rather than expected disruption — the plan is credible and the cover target is being managed, but a five-day buffer leaves little room if a vessel or a rail path slips. Where you have time-critical airfreight in the window, confirm uplift with the carrier rather than assuming it, and know which alternative gateway you would use. Road operators should watch a second-order effect: dedicated jet fuel rail paths and pipeline slots are drawn from the same constrained system that moves diesel inland, so competition for capacity in September is worth factoring into fuel procurement timing. The wider lesson applies across the region — Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe all depend on single import or refining routes, and a one-month outage at a single facility is a realistic scenario to plan against, not an exceptional one.
Stay connected with Southern Africa's freight and transport community.
Join 6,400+ logistics professionals across the SADC region.
Visit Laaimylorrie.com| About the Author | |
|
Andre Klynsmith Entrepreneur & Technology Enthusiast Andre's expertise spans technology, blockchain, transport, and logistics -- with a passion for innovation and driving positive change across industries. |
| Source: Freight News View source › | 1 September 2026 |
Subscribe to our Newsletter and stay in the know with all the latest Industry News, Products and Trends covering the whole of the SADC region.
KS Blockchain T/A Laaimylorrie.com . All Rights Reserved.
