The Inaugural Fuels Industry Imbizo took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The event, held under the theme, “Embracing the Future of Energy Mobility,” highlights the industry’s transition toward a diversified energy mix – from conventional fuels to rapidly emerging alternatives.
Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, delivered the Keynote address on Day 1, which was followed by the panel discussion, “What the New Energy Vehicle Revolution Means for the Petroleum Sector”. The Electric Mission participated in strategic discussions with industry representatives from Toyota South Africa Motors, Volvo Car South Africa, Chery South Africa, First National Bank and Accenture South Africa.
“Globally, the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles has already peaked in 2017, and today, more evidently, consumers are voting with their purchasing power under their energy security with the transition to electric vehicles,” says Hiten Parmar, Executive Director of The Electric Mission.
Road transport contributes to 97 percent of transport sector emissions, according to the national Department of Transport, where South Africa has relied on fuel quality standards that largely align with the outdated Euro 2 emission standards introduced globally in 1996. Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, addressed the delegates on Day 2 of the event.
“Our independent data reports South Africa’s battery electric vehicle stock at 7,940 by the end of 2025,” says Parmar. While South African consumers may be accelerating into the early stages of electric vehicles, the statement by Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), on the global energy crisis remains true. “The vase is broken, and trust in fossil fuels will not be fully restored”. Electric vehicle adoption will continue to accelerate.” In its recent report, the IEA highlights that 30 percent of global car sales this year will be electric, rising to 50 percent by 2035 without new policy announcements.
“When it comes to the technology pathway, hybrids are a flawed intermediate choice in the transition, where plug-in hybrids specifically are reported with as much as five times higher emissions than advertised by vehicle manufacturers,” says Parmar. “Under an industry transition, we must evaluate the technologies based on their emission reduction potential, versus the investments required to make them practical.”
According to the IEA, South Africa ranks within the top 25 globally for the average number of electric vehicles per public charging point. Complementary to this, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) reported 12,5 gigawatts of private solar generation capacity registered by the end of 2025.
“South Africa requires national policy coherence”, says Parmar. “With the long awaited Cleaner Fuels 2 policy expected with implementation from mid 2027, this must include the framework of fuel efficiency standards”.
As global and local energy ecosystems evolve, the inaugural 2026 event explored how South Africa can position itself for a sustainable, efficient, and low‑carbon future. Hosted by the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa, it focused on equipping stakeholders with the insights, regulatory clarity, and strategic direction needed to thrive amid technological, environmental, and policy shifts.