By Fleetwood Grobler Sasol’s President and Chief Executive Officer
Future Sasol will comprise two market-focused businesses, Chemicals and Energy.
A key decision as a result of this is the discontinuation of all oil growth activities in West Africa and
resizing our upstream portfolio to focus on gas.
The revision of our strategy aims to have a greater focus on value realization for all stakeholders, business sustainability and enhanced cash generation. It acknowledges the need to streamline what was
previously a complex and wide portfolio.
The Chemicals Business will transform our portfolio towards specialty chemicals in which we enjoy differentiated capabilities and strong market positions that can be expanded over time. We will continue to focus on our commodity chemicals portfolio, however this will diminish over time as we focus more on specialty chemicals.
The Energy Business comprises the Southern African value chain and associated assets and will be positioned for higher cash generation through improved margins, cost efficiency and divesting of assets with low returns. This business will also pursue Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction through a focus on gas as a key complementary feedstock and renewables as a secondary energy source. These will be critical enablers to achieve our 2030 GHG reduction target and our longer-term sustainability aspirations.
These two businesses will be fully accountable for profit and loss, management of resources and capabilities. A lean corporate centre will enable the businesses by fostering synergies and integrating activities, setting strategic boundaries and allocating capital. These developments will support improved financial returns.
In tandem, resetting our strategy necessitated a revised operating model, which will become effective on 1 November 2020. The top leadership structure has already been realigned and optimised to enable this new model.
Our intent with Future Sasol is to deliver a Group that is streamlined, focused and positioned to succeed. It is therefore a matter of much regret that not all our employees will be able to make the journey to the new Sasol. In this, unfortunately, we have no choice. We have to put the sustainability of Sasol first, and the steps we are following are taken with only this in mind.
Future Sasol will not only look different, it will behave differently, requiring a change in culture and ways of working, and will be more open to partnering arrangements. It will remain heavily committed to South Africa and plans to work closely with the government to align with the country’s energy and economic goals.
-Sasolburg, August 21, 2020
Published for the benefit of paying subscribers in the August 2020 edition of Africa Oil+Gas Report
Africa as a continent must be ready to follow the new trend of the renewable energy to boast robust economy a