{
  "id": 10532908,
  "title": "PetroSA collapse highlights the urgent need to reform SA’s flawed fuel standards",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/petrosa-collapse-highlights-the-urgent-need-to-reform-sas-flawed-fuel",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T21:10:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-09-28-petrosa-collapse-highlights-the-urgent-need-to-reform-sas-flawed-fuel-standards/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The fuel contamination scandal in South Africa's Garden Route was caused by an illegal fuel additive called N-methylaniline, which is banned worldwide. This additive remains legal in the country due to inadequate testing standards, and Parliament needs to address this issue. Bobby Ramagwede, CEO of the Automobile Association of South Africa, reported that motorists on the Garden Route experienced their cars' paint lifting off after refueling in 2024. They had to pay for respraying, unaware of the reason behind it. An investigation by amaBhungane revealed that the petrol, supplied by junior trader Nako Energy, contained more than 6% of the illegal additive, compared to the recommended 1%. PetroSA and Nako were in debt to each other, with PetroSA owing R605 million for unsold petrol and Nako owing R832 million for unpaid diesel. PetroSA agreed to buy another 11 cargoes of petrol, costing R7.4 billion, only if they were sold. However, they only sold 16 million liters between April and August 2025, falling short of the needed 50 million liters a month. Nako then ceded its claim to a lender, which demanded R620.5 million plus interest. On September 11, Nako applied to place PetroSA under provisional liquidation. The issue at hand is that South Africa's fuel standard does not measure certain substances, making it a document rather than a standard. N-methylaniline is banned in Europe, China, and Russia, but is legal in South Africa due to the lack of testing. This means that petrol containing 6% of this additive passes the South African standard without issue. The refinery closure in 2020 and the live exposure concerns, such as storage capacity and import terminals, contribute to the risk. Fleet operators should be vigilant, as losing a bulk supplier has significant consequences. A special fuel levy on pump prices is not just an abstract concept; it's part of the cost per litre paid by motorists. The author suggests that Parliament should not proceed with the South African National Petroleum Company Bill without disclosing the liabilities, and instead, they should request an audited schedule of PetroSA's debts before voting on the Bill.",
  "summary": "The fuel contamination scandal in the Garden Route was caused by the fuel additive N-methylaniline, which remains legal in South Africa but is banned across the world. This additive is legal because South Africa has inadequate testing standards, and it is something Parliament needs to rectify.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}