The G20’s endorsement of a Voluntary Infrastructure Investment Action Plan, which explicitly includes LPG as a clean cooking fuel, aligns directly with the long-standing work of our industry. This commitment reinforces efforts we have made over the years in pricing transparency, import infrastructure, cylinder safety, distribution efficiency, and consumer protection.

South Africa’s LPG ecosystem relies on several structural pillars that determine household access to affordable and safe LPG. The first is the landed cost at Richards Bay and the Western Cape, which anchors the country’s regulated import parity pricing framework. This cost directly influences consumer prices. As an Association, we emphasise the need for a transparent, predictable methodology that reflects global market conditions while supporting domestic affordability, which is critical for expanding clean cooking access to low-income households.

The Maximum Retail Gate Price (MRGP) then sets the ceiling price for consumers. Our advocacy ensures it remains balanced, that is, affordable for households while sustaining safe operations across the value chain. Cylinder maintenance, secure filling, skilled distribution, and the protection of small retailers all depend on a viable pricing structure. With the G20 recognising clean cooking as central to energy security, there is a renewed opportunity to refine the MRGP to improve affordability, enhance last-mile access, and encourage investment in underserved communities.

The third pillar is the standardised cylinder deposit system, which underpins safety, asset protection and consumer trust. The deposit ensures that cylinders remain industry-owned assets, enabling proper inspection, refurbishment and safe return into circulation. As LPG expands into rural and peri-urban markets, clear and consistent deposit frameworks help prevent cylinder loss, illegal filling and unsafe parallel markets, all issues the Association continues to address through industry guidance and regulatory engagement.

These pricing and safety mechanisms form the backbone of South Africa’s LPG ecosystem, and they are essential for enabling the clean cooking transition envisioned by the G20. The Johannesburg declaration also reflects emerging economic opportunities tied to this transition. The clean cooking sector in Africa is projected to require hundreds of thousands of new workers by 2040, many of whom can be trained in a matter of weeks. This aligns with our sector’s capacity to create inclusive jobs in distribution, cylinder handling, appliance maintenance, safety inspections and last-mile delivery.

Environmentally, the shift toward clean cooking offers one of the continent’s largest near-term emissions reductions. Transitioning households from wood, paraffin and charcoal to LPG dramatically reduces indoor smoke exposure, slows deforestation and cuts black-carbon emissions. LPG therefore plays a dual role in that it improves immediate health outcomes while supporting long-term climate resilience.

What makes the G20 declaration significant for South Africa’s fuels industry is the explicit connection between clean cooking and broader energy security. Recognising LPG as a critical enabler of household energy security reinforces the need for robust policy alignment, infrastructure investment, and a collaborative approach between government, industry and development financiers.

The signal from Johannesburg was clear; clean cooking is an essential national infrastructure, not a peripheral development concern. LPG is the only solution capable of achieving rapid, scalable improvements at the pace the continent requires today. As the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa, we remain committed to strengthening every part of the LPG value chain, from import infrastructure and pricing frameworks to safety standards and equitable distribution.

We also remain committed to ensuring that households across all communities can access modern, safe, and reliable cooking fuels. With the G20’s political momentum, the foundation is now in place. The next step is coordinated national action, grounded in regulatory clarity, industry capability, and a shared commitment to better outcomes for South African families.

Clean cooking is no longer an overlooked issue. It is a cornerstone of energy security, and LPG stands ready to deliver the transition that millions of households urgently need.