Johannesburg – Energy experts at the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum in Johannesburg say the continent will not achieve universal access to clean cooking unless governments and investors commit to major reforms in carbon credits, financing systems and transport infrastructure.
The panel, held on Friday, brought together senior executives from the public and private sectors who argued that Africa’s transition to clean cooking is being slowed by outdated regulatory frameworks and high logistics costs. They said the continent has growing political support, particularly following the G20’s recent classification of clean cooking as a priority, but warned that this momentum will not translate into results without fixing bottlenecks affecting the supply of liquefied petroleum gas.
PetroSA Acting CEO Sesakho Magadla said South Africa’s demand for LPG is approaching 500000 metric tons, yet supply remains tight due to offline refineries and an inefficient transport system. She said reviving key refineries, including the gas to liquids plant in Mossel Bay, is a priority the company hopes to advance by 2026 to stabilise the market.
Magadla said the problem extends to transport networks, adding that PetroSA is assessing the potential of improved rail connections, including a possible link from Saldanha Bay to Mozambique, to move LPG more efficiently. She said coordinated planning across sectors is necessary to connect fragmented transport corridors and support large scale gas movement.
Private sector operator Petredec also raised concerns about transport related costs. The company’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Tamsin Rankin Donaldson, said limited terminal capacity and weak logistics systems add between 10 and 20 percent to LPG costs because importers are forced to use smaller vessels and ports. She said Africa needs terminals capable of receiving very large gas carriers and must simplify permitting processes to speed up new projects. Petredec is building the Tanga LPG terminal in Tanzania and exploring a rail link from Richards Bay to inland markets.
Speakers said clean cooking progress will also depend on access to green finance. South African National Energy Development Institute CEO Titus Mathe said investors often lack reliable data to measure emissions reductions and energy savings from clean cooking interventions. He called for a continental data platform and proposed an LPG financing facility backed by African and international partners to support last mile delivery.
Another challenge raised was the structure of carbon credits. African Refiners and Distributors Association Executive Secretary Anibor Kragha said the current system favours clean cookstoves while excluding LPG, even though LPG remains the most scalable clean cooking option for many regions. He said this gap limits Africa’s ability to attract climate finance and forces some countries to rely on subsidies to increase LPG adoption.
Rankin Donaldson said achieving universal clean cooking by 2040 requires 80 million new connections annually, far above the current rate. Panelists warned that without urgent investment in transport infrastructure, simpler permitting rules and a carbon credit system that accommodates LPG, Africa could lose a critical opportunity to expand access to affordable and cleaner household energy.
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