Nigeria is no longer Africa’s biggest fuel importer as the Dangote mega-refinery boosts production. The title is now held by South Africa, where operational fuel-making capacity has shrunk, according to a consultancy.
Billionaire Aliko Dangote’s 650,000-barrel-a-day plant started ramping up in 2024, part of Africa’s leading crude producer’s aim to stop sending oil to Europe to be processed and shipped back.
“Nigeria imports are dropping as a result of the continued operation of Dangote,” Elitsa Georgieva, executive director at energy consultancy CITAC, said.
“Since the beginning of this year, South African imports have been consistently highest in sub-Saharan Africa.”
South Africa imported 4.2 million tons of refined products in the first quarter of 2025, while Nigeria landed 3.1 million tons, according to CITAC. It estimates South Africa will import around 15.5 million tons this year, almost twice as much as Kenya with 8.9 million tons and Nigeria with 6.4 million.
Over the last five years, South Africa’s refining capacity has been halved due to accidents and a lack of investment, with imports meeting more than 60% of demand, according to state-owned logistics firm Transnet SOC Ltd.
The government last year bought the shuttered Sapref refinery from Shell Plc and BP Plc to try and grow domestic production again.
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