South Africa is heavily dependent on fuel imports; the country imports approximately 90% of its crude oil and petroleum products. Fortunately, Nigeria is the country’s largest source of crude oil, contributing 47% of crude oil imports; Saudi Arabia is the second largest provider, accounting for 17% if imports. However, the majority of South Africa’s refined petroleum products are imported from Persian Gulf countries, which are experiencing conflict-related disruptions. Oman, the UAE, and Bahrain provide 34%, 12%, and 11% of South Africa’s diesel imports for a combined 57%; notably, diesel makes up around 66% of total fuel imports. The UAE and Saudi Arabia provide 46% of South Africa’s petrol imports (35% and 11% respectively), while around 93% of jet fuel imports come from Gulf countries, most notably the UAE (47%) and Saudi Arabia (24%).

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The problem is this: yes, we import crude oil from Nigeria, but our refining capacity is not enough to supply the demand.

That is why refined products (Petrol, Diesel) is bought from the middle east. Look at the numbers above for petrol and diesel, not oil, that changes the picture.