South Africa is pursuing one of the most significant upstream overhauls in its history, anchored by a new law that gives oil and gas their own regulatory regime for the first time. The reforms position the host nation as both a destination for exploration capital and a future producer along an Atlantic margin that has drawn the world’s largest oil companies to the region.

At the center of the shift is the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act (UPRDA), which President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law in October 2024. The Act separates petroleum from the mining statute that has long regulated both sectors. It also creates a single petroleum right covering exploration and production along with a 20% carried interest for the state. The UPRDA awaits a presidential proclamation to take effect, and implementing regulations that went through a further round of industry comment in early 2026 are now being finalized.

Mantashe has emerged as the most forceful advocate for accelerating the sector. He has long-argued that South Africa must shift from importing refined products to producing its own, warning that dependence on foreign supply leaves the economy exposed to global price shocks. This shift becomes increasingly more importance in the current global climate, where supply security has become a major challenge – particularly for import-reliance economies such as South Africa. As such, Mantashe has repeatedly pressed for faster licensing and fewer legal delays to exploration. AEW 2026 is a key platform to bring this discussion to a global audience.

“South Africa has the geology for exploration. Now it is building the regulatory certainty it needs to turn discoveries into bankable projects,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “A clear petroleum framework and a credible state partner are what international capital needs to commit to the Orange Basin.”

Offshore, TotalEnergies – operator of Block 3B/4B in the Orange Basin – is preparing to begin drilling in South African waters in 2026 pending final regulatory approvals. The acreage sits on trend with the Venus discovery in neighboring Namibia, where TotalEnergies is developing the basin’s first oil project.

Onshore, momentum is building in Mpumalanga, where gas developer Kinetiko Energy’s Amersfoort project has logged sustained high-flow results and is advancing plans for an LNG pilot plant. Mantashe has also signaled that government is moving to lift the long-standing moratorium on shale gas development, with the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) estimating recoverable Karoo reserves at 209 tcf.

Mantashe is also expected to report on successes of the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), the state entity formed in May 2025 through the merger of PetroSA, iGas and the Strategic Fuel Fund. Positioned as the country’s petroleum champion, SANPC is intended to anchor state participation across the value chain as South Africa works toward 6 GW of gas-fired power by 2030.

As AEW 2026 prepares to convene policymakers, investors and operators at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from October 12-16, Mantashe’s address carries added weight as the host nation’s signal to the market. His message is expected to be direct: South Africa is open for upstream investment and ready to move from potential to production.

While Mining Review Africa remains firmly committed to reporting on the opportunities, challenges and successes shaping Africa’s mining sector, readers will now also benefit from coverage of international projects, investments, technologies, commodity markets and policy developments influencing the global mining industry.

The move reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of the mining sector, where developments in one region can have significant implications for investment decisions, supply chains, commodity markets, and mining operations worldwide.

“As the mining industry continues to evolve on a global scale, our readers are seeking greater context around international developments that impact Africa and the wider resources sector,” said Mining Review Africa Editor-in-Chief, Gerard Peter.

“Expanding our coverage enables us to deliver a more comprehensive view of the mining industry while maintaining our strong focus on Africa.”

Readers can expect enhanced reporting on major mining projects, mergers and acquisitions, sustainability initiatives, technological innovation, critical minerals, energy transition developments and regulatory changes from key mining jurisdictions worldwide.

The expanded editorial scope aligns with Vuka Group’s commitment to delivering timely, relevant and insightful content that supports informed decision-making across the mining value chain.

Mining Review Africa has established itself as a trusted voice within the African mining industry, providing news, analysis and thought leadership for mining professionals, investors, suppliers and policymakers. By broadening its coverage, the publication aims to give readers a deeper understanding of the global forces shaping the future of mining, while continuing to place African mining stories at the centre of its reporting.

For readers, this means access to a wider range of industry intelligence, bringing together African mining news and key international developments on a single trusted platform.

Scale and setting

Size is the reserve’s most distinguishing feature. It holds about 26 kilometres of frontage along the Kei River and a perimeter of roughly 81 kilometres, taking in rolling bushveld, riverine thicket and the open vistas typical of the Wild Coast, a region known for its biodiversity and its remoteness. The varied terrain supports a mix of habitats, from valley grassland to dense thicket, that sustains the reserve’s wildlife through the seasons.

That remoteness is relative. King Phalo Airport in East London, which has direct flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town, is about an hour away by road, placing the reserve within comfortable reach of major centres while preserving the seclusion that defines the Wild Coast.

Wildlife

The reserve carries buffalo, giraffe, leopard, zebra, blue wildebeest, eland and impala, along with a wide range of birdlife. Populations of spiral-horned antelope, such as nyala, kudu and bushbuck, are prolific and well established. Tyityaba has a long record of regulated, quota-based wildlife use carried out within South Africa’s conservation framework, and its established game populations would allow a new owner to continue managed conservation operations without a lengthy restocking period.

Infrastructure

The main lodge has eight en-suite bedrooms and shared entertainment areas. The property also includes an abattoir and workshop, with several other farm dwellings spread across the holding that could house staff or be developed to accommodate guests. An airstrip on site would need upgrading before it could be used, though it raises the possibility of fly-in access alongside the road route from East London. Together, the existing buildings give a buyer a working base from which to operate or further develop the reserve.

How it can be bought

The land is made up of 26 portions across five titles. It can be bought as a single holding or, the agent says, divided among several owners as a development. That structure is part of what they expect will determine who comes forward.

“Tyityaba is a large landholding of a kind that rarely comes to the open market in South Africa,” said Hanlie Bassingthwaighte, a principal of Bass Property Group. “Its main strength is flexibility. It can work as a single-owner reserve or as the basis for a development shared among several owners.”

Price

The reserve is listed at an indicative R145 million (about USD 8.9 million). The agent attributes the figure to the property’s size, biodiversity and the range of ownership options it allows.

“Twenty-six kilometres of river frontage and 13,000 hectares of established habitat take generations to form and cannot be recreated,” said Joshua Bassingthwaighte, also a principal of the firm.