đź•’ Last updated on August 20, 2025
Dozens of climate protesters gathered in Rosebank outside the offices of Standard Bank and energy giant TotalEnergies on Tuesday. They were calling for an end to fossil fuel investments in South Africa and across the African continent.
Protesters rally against fossil fuel funding
The protest took place during the Week of Action, which took place across the continent from August 18 to 24. This campaign brings together communities and organizations opposing fossil fuel projects in several African countries. Protesters carried banners, chanted slogans, and held speeches demanding change.
Many of the demonstrators came from mining-affected and coastal communities. They said they were tired of being displaced, losing their livelihoods, and living with the impacts of pollution and climate change. Protesters described the current system as “fossil colonialism” and argued that African communities were paying the highest price for decisions taken by powerful banks and corporations.
The march was peaceful, but the voices of anger and frustration were loud. Protesters stressed that the money being poured into fossil fuels should instead be directed towards renewable energy that benefits ordinary working people.
Standard Bank accused of funding harmful projects
One of the strongest messages of the protest was directed at Standard Bank. In a document presented outside the bank’s Rosebank offices, the protesters charged the bank with being a “chief accomplice” in financing environmental damage and community displacement schemes.
Protesters brought attention to the bank’s $485 million stake in the LNG project in Mozambique. They also mentioned how it has helped finance the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and supports the Coral Floating LNG Facility. According to the activists, these projects worsen the climate crisis, destroy ecosystems, and leave poor communities without livelihoods.
The bank’s swift pullout from fossil fuel projects was demanded in the memorandum. It also asked the bank to publicly commit to stop all future fossil fuel financing. Protesters said the bank must invest in renewable energy instead and pay reparations to communities already harmed.
The protesters made it clear that their demands were not just about ending investment in oil and gas. They also called for reparations, meaning compensation to people and communities who have lost homes, jobs, and land due to fossil fuel projects. Some speakers pointed out that while billions were being spent on fossil fuel infrastructure, many South Africans still live without electricity.
Township protesters from Tembisa and Orange Farm joined the event to draw attention to these disparities. They said money should be invested in cleaner, affordable energy sources to ensure that everyone has access to power.
TotalEnergies urged to stop expansion in Africa
The demonstration was also directed at TotalEnergies, which has operations across Africa. A separate memorandum was submitted to the company’s South African office. The company’s offshore exploration rights along the southwest coast were recently overturned by the Western Cape High Court, a decision that activists applauded. They said the judgment was a victory for coastal communities and small-scale fishers who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods.
The corporation was ordered to halt any further fossil fuel projects in Africa by the protesters. They urged TotalEnergies to invest in clean and equitable alternatives and make amends for the harm caused. The chants outside the office were clear: “Total must leave Africa.”
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Activists stressed that attempts to engage with both Standard Bank and TotalEnergies had been unsuccessful. They said repeated calls for dialogue had been ignored, leaving affected communities with no option but to protest.
Members of coastal and marine communities also shared their struggles. They explained how fishing grounds had been destroyed and how families had lost income because of oil and gas projects. Protesters said that communities should not continue to suffer while corporations make profits.
The protest came to an end when Standard Bank and TotalEnergies accepted the memorandums, notwithstanding the inflammatory language. Representatives of both companies signed the documents. However, neither company has yet given a public response to the demands.
The Rosebank protest was a part of a larger movement that took place during the Week of Action throughout Africa. Protesters are demanding climate justice, reparations, and a stop to investments in fossil fuels that they believe are damaging, from South Africa to Uganda and Mozambique.