Incentives, Innovation and Inclusive Growth

We do not have sufficient time to have any gap, we are on a critical path and the actions need to be accelerated.

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If we accelerate, I am confident that we will be able to deliver our commitment to South Africans in terms of ensuring that we secure jobs," said Chairperson of the WBS Advisory Board, Priscillah Mabelane. The government has a key role to play in incentivising industrial customers—those who buy, store, and distribute gas—to adopt new models. "This is a huge opportunity for community-driven initiatives, green gas technologies, and small-scale local enterprises," said Yershen Pilllay CEO of The Chemical Industries Education & Training Sector Authority (CHIETA).

Beyond infrastructure, the sector also holds potential for socio-economic development through job creation and skills training. To unlock these opportunities, collaboration must be strengthened, expectations aligned with reality, and regulatory frameworks clarified. With urgency building, the path forward depends on turning this critical juncture into coordinated action.

If implemented correctly, a national gas development project has the potential to become a powerful driver of economic growth and employment in South Africa. With the official unemployment rate standing at 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, and a recorded decline of 54,000 people from the labour force, the urgency to stimulate job creation cannot be overstated. By focusing on local capacity-building, infrastructure development, and industry partnerships, this project could create thousands of direct and indirect jobs—particularly in technical, engineering, environmental, and logistics fields tied to the gas value chain.