South Africa Energy Orange Basin Offshore Opportunities

The Orange Basin, shared with Namibia, is emerging as a new frontier for offshore oil and gas. Namibia’s Graff, Jonker, and Venus discoveries have attracted attention, and exploration activity is now edging south into South African waters. In the South African section, operators are pursuing Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to drill up to seven wells across roughly 15,000 km² of the Deep-Water Orange Basin (DWOB). 

In August 2025, the Western Cape High Court of South Africa set aside the environmental authorization for exploration on Block 5/6/7, ruling that additional studies and broader public participation were required. These developments underscore both the potential of the basin and the regulatory and stakeholder challenges shaping its future.

Opportunities for U.S. Companies:

•    Deepwater services: Well engineering, geohazard analysis, seismic imaging, subsea technologies.
•    Environmental monitoring: Marine ecology surveys, spill modeling, (Environmental Social and Governance) consulting.
•    Digital solutions: AI for prospect ranking, seismic reprocessing, real-time well monitoring.
•    Midstream & logistics: (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) concept design, subsea tiebacks, port and aviation logistics.
•    Local partnerships: JV opportunities with South African SMEs in inspection, safety, and ROV operations.

Call to Action: To explore partnerships and entry points in South Africa’s offshore sector, 

Contact Mpilo.Mahlangu@trade.gov