Company: Sasol
Country: South Africa
Sector: Chemicals: Major Diversified
CEO: Simon Baloyi
Website: https://www.sasol.com
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
Founded: 1950
Valuation/Revenue: $17,387.9m revenue; $2,692.1m market value (African Business Top 250, 2025 ranking); FY2025 audited results (year ended 30 June 2025) reported separately by Sasol
Sasol is a South African integrated chemicals and energy company best known for pioneering coal-to-liquids and gas-to-liquids fuel technology, which it still operates at large scale at Secunda, alongside a global chemicals manufacturing business. It is listed on both the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange and remains one of South Africa’s largest industrial employers and carbon emitters.
Is Sasol Legit?
Yes, Sasol is a genuine, long-established, publicly traded company, not a scam. It trades under the ticker SOL on the JSE and SSL on the NYSE, publishes audited financial statements twice a year, and is one of the most closely tracked large-cap stocks in South Africa. Its scale and century-adjacent history mean it is well documented by analysts, credit rating agencies and financial media, so anyone researching “is Sasol legit” will find extensive independent coverage confirming it is a real operating company rather than a shell or investment scheme.
How Big Is Sasol?
Sasol generated revenue of roughly $17.4 billion and had a market capitalisation of around $2.7 billion according to African Business magazine’s 2025 Top 250 companies in Africa ranking, placing it among the continent’s largest industrial groups by revenue. The gap between its large revenue base and comparatively modest market value reflects the heavy debt load, environmental liabilities and carbon-transition risk markets have priced into the stock in recent years, as well as volatile chemical and fuel prices. Sasol’s Secunda coal-to-liquids plant is one of the largest single-site sources of carbon emissions in the world, and the company has faced sustained pressure from environmental groups and the South African government’s carbon tax regime.
Who Is the CEO of Sasol?
Simon Baloyi became President and CEO of Sasol effective 1 April 2024, promoted from his role as Executive Vice President after more than two decades at the company. He succeeded Fleetwood Grobler. Baloyi’s appointment came at a difficult time for Sasol, which has been navigating declining coal quality at its own mines, weaker chemical margins, and the need to plan a costly transition away from coal-based synthetic fuels toward lower-carbon feedstocks under South Africa’s emissions targets.
Who Owns Sasol?
Sasol is widely held and has no single controlling shareholder; its shares are owned by a mix of South African and international institutional investors, index funds and retail shareholders, traded on both the JSE and NYSE. The Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which manages South African government employee pension funds, has historically been among its largest shareholders, as is typical for major JSE-listed blue chips.
What Does Sasol Do?
Sasol’s business is split broadly into two segments: Sasol Energy, which converts coal and natural gas into synthetic liquid fuels at its flagship Secunda facility (one of the world’s largest coal-to-liquids operations) and produces mining feedstocks, and Sasol Chemicals, a global chemicals business manufacturing polymers, solvents, waxes, surfactants and other specialty and commodity chemicals sold into markets across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The company also has a significant gas business built around Mozambican natural gas piped to South Africa. Sasol employs tens of thousands of people directly and indirectly and is a major supplier of liquid fuels to the South African domestic market.
How Does Sasol Compare to Its Competitors?
In liquid fuels and chemicals, Sasol competes domestically with players like Engen, Shell and TotalEnergies’ South African fuel operations, and globally with diversified chemicals majors such as BASF, Dow and LyondellBasell in specific product lines like polymers and solvents. Sasol’s coal-to-liquids and gas-to-liquids technology remains largely unique at commercial scale, giving it a distinct competitive position, but also exposes it more than most chemicals peers to carbon-transition and regulatory risk as global and South African policy pushes toward decarbonisation.
How Old Is Sasol?
Sasol was founded in 1950 by the South African government specifically to develop synthetic fuel production from the country’s abundant coal reserves, reducing dependence on imported oil — a strategic priority reinforced during the apartheid-era oil embargoes. It was privatised in 1979 and listed on the JSE, later adding a NYSE listing, and has grown over more than seven decades into a global chemicals producer while retaining its Secunda synfuels complex as its industrial core.
What Has Sasol Been in the News For Recently?
Sasol reported its audited financial results for the year ended 30 June 2025 in August 2025, and has continued through 2026 to discuss its “Sasol 2.0” transformation plan aimed at reducing debt, improving free cash flow and cutting emissions intensity at Secunda. The company has also faced continued scrutiny over air quality and emissions compliance at its Mpumalanga operations, and has been navigating volatile global chemical margins that have weighed on profitability across the sector.
Links
Website: https://www.sasol.com
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is Sasol a government-owned company?
No, Sasol was privatised in 1979 and is publicly traded on the JSE and NYSE with no controlling state stake.
Who is the CEO of Sasol?
Simon Baloyi, President and CEO since 1 April 2024.
Is Sasol publicly traded?
Yes, on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (SOL) and New York Stock Exchange (SSL).
Where is Sasol headquartered?
Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.
What does Sasol actually make?
Synthetic liquid fuels from coal and gas, plus a broad range of industrial and specialty chemicals.
When was Sasol founded?
1950.