Shell SA agrees to sale with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
An agreement has been reached for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to purchase SDSA, as confirmed early on 7 July 2026.
Black News 
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) officially confirmed early on 7 July 2026 that it has agreed to buy Shell Downstream South Africa (SDSA).
In the end, SDSA agreed to a figure of roughly $1 billion (over R16 billion). The agreement includes their roughly 580 company and dealer owned fuel stations and their fuel, marine, aviation, and lubricants operations.
It comes roughly two years after SDSA announced it would be exiting the downstream fuels business in South Africa. We first reported on the rumours of this sale last week.
The sale of Shell in South Africa
The sale is expected to be completed after regulatory approvals, likely in 2027.
In their own media on the matter, Shell states that it “will remain in South Africa through brand licensing agreements, and customers will continue to have access to Shell’s premium fuels and lubricants.”
Additionally, they say that SDSA staff will retain their current employment.
South Africa is not the only country where Shell has been selling or exiting downstream assets. It has also sold assets in other African countries like Namibia, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Burkina Faso.
The UAE purchasers of SDSA
ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is reportedly the largest oil company in the UAE.
Eng. Bader Saeed Al Lamki, CEO of ADNOC Distribution, also spoke of how this sale represents the company’s confidence in South Africa and its “high-potential, well-regulated fuel retail sector.”
“By bringing it into the ADNOC Distribution family,” he then states, “we plan to accelerate our international expansion, diversify our platform and create sustainable long-term value for our shareholders, our partners and the customers and communities that this business has proudly served for decades.”
A 28% stake is expected to be sold to a local empowerment partner and an Employee Stock Option Plan.
Why they chose South Africa
ADNOC highlights South Africa’s “attractive fundamentals” as a rationale behind the transaction.
They highlight our country’s critical transport infrastructure investments and the growth in our driving-age population as potential drivers of fuel consumption growth.
“The country benefits from a strong and transparent regulatory framework for fuel retail,” they say, “with pricing structures designed to insulate margins against inflation and currency volatility.”
