Page 11 - DMEA Week 47 2022

DMEA REFINING & FUELS DMEA

“We made efforts to revive Sapref, but it was petroleum in Saldanha and Mossel Bay to ensure
subject to disaster in KwaZulu-Natal. We are the country has sufficient strategic stocks.
now engaging a number of players. One is Saudi Of South Africa’s 10.3mn barrels of crude oil
Aramco’s proposal to build a refinery in the stocks, 6mn barrels are due to be sold to cover
country,” Mantashe told the National Assembly the cost of the ZAR1.50 (about $0.09) price relief
on November 16. to consumers earlier this year, Mantashe told
In response to questions, the minister said MPs. The SFF would mitigate the risk of sell-
that the country’s Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) was ing these stocks by increasing refined product
building additional storage capacity for refined stocks, he was quoted as saying by News24. ™

Circle K rolls out convenience stores at

Puma Energy stations in South Africa

AFRICA THE US-based retail group Circle K has begun in a year.
its rollout of convenience stores in South Africa, In an interview with News24, Hamza Faroo-
using the Swiss-owned global energy company qui, CEO of the Millat Group, said The Wilds
Puma Energy’s forecourt network. was the “first American outpost of this global
THE first of the Circle K stores was launched brand” which has 16,000 stores globally in 28
at Puma Energy’s filling station at The Wilds in countries. He said the plan was to disrupt the
Pretoria on November 24, with the second store convenience retail market in SA by offering con-
to be added shortly in Krugersdorp, News24 sumers something new and fresh.
reports. According to Farooqui, the big oil majors in
Johannesburg-based Millat Group, which South Africa were more concerned about selling
owns the licence for the Circle K convenience gasoline and diesel, with a secondary focus on
store in SA, believes the US brand has the nec- the convenience shopping offering available at
essary ingredients to take on the country’s top their forecourts. This has offered the US chain
players in the forecourt market. an opportunity.
According to Millat Group, 10 forecourt Farooqui said Circle K and Millat were trying
shops will be initially established with plans to build a “very customer-first or guest-driven
to expand more rapidly across Puma Energy’s experience, where the customer is at the fore-
more than 112 service stations in South Africa. front.” This could mean offering products people
The rollout has the potential to create 2,000 jobs aren’t accustomed to in South Africa.

Puma Energy’s opening ceremony for first Circle K forecourt shop on November 24 (Image: Puma Energy)

Week 47 24•November•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11