President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) that Sasol, the global chemicals and energy company, remains a great contributor to the country's economy.
"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 told GCIS during a visit to Sasol, in Secunda, Mpumalanga, on Thursday.
Taking a guided tour of the plant, President Ramaphosa described the company as a “national treasure”.
“Sasol is…almost like a National Key Point. 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.
“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,” the President told GCIS.
Earlier this year, Sasol pledged a mammoth R60 billion during the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) held in Johannesburg, indicating the company’s confidence in the South African economy.
At the sixth SAIC held in March, Sasol announced a R60 billion investment across its chemicals and packaging operations, with the investment set to be rolled out across all provinces.
The company has a diverse base of small and medium enterprises who contribute to economic activity in the area. At the Secunda plant alone, Sasol employs some 6 000 people, excluding service providers.
With service providers, at least 40 000 people can be on site at any given time.
“They have many customers. But 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, partnering with a gigantic company.
“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.
“They also make products that go into contributing to our infrastructure, like the building of roads, [and] people buy products that they can build houses with. It is one of, if not the biggest industrial complexes in the world. So, as South Africa, we should be proud of a company like Sasol. It’s a job creator and great contributor to our economy,” President Ramaphosa said.
First-hand view
“The visit provided the President with a first-hand view of one of South Africa's largest industrial complexes, where approximately 35 million tonnes of locally mined coal are beneficiated each year to produce a wide range of fuel and chemical products that support key sectors of the economy,” the Presidency said in a statement.
The President was briefed on Sasol's integrated value chain, spanning mining, gasification, proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technology, refining, logistics and chemical production.
The briefing also highlighted the company's role in supporting local manufacturing, strengthening supply chains, driving innovation, developing critical skills and sustaining employment.
Discussions also focused on the company's ongoing investment in maintaining a competitive industrial base, enhancing operational efficiency and advancing its transition initiatives, while ensuring a reliable supply of liquid fuels and chemical products that underpin economic activity. – SAnews.gov.za
