Cape Town – A new South African short film, “SPOILED”, has premiered at a high-level workshop in Cape Town this week.
This marine-focused event unpacked the findings of the WILDTRUST-driven project, highlighting the “Environmental, Social and Economic Risks and Impacts of Offshore Oil and Gas in South Africa”.
The ‘SPOILED’ film carries an urgent call to protect South Africa’s rich and irreplaceable marine heritage from the growing threat of offshore oil and gas exploration.
It weaves together the stories of coastal communities, activists, scientists, and traditional fishers who are standing up to one of the greatest environmental and social threats facing the country’s oceans today.
Presented by non-profit organisations, WILDTRUST and The Green Connection, and produced by Love Africa Marketing, the film takes viewers along the rugged coastline of the Northern Cape and the culturally rich Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape.
At the heart of the film lies a simple truth: around 90% of South Africa’s oceans are at risk.
The film uncovers the cracks in the system that allow international oil and gas giants to exploit these waters, including flawed Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), a lack of meaningful public consultation, and the leasing of the ocean without community consent.
“There’s not enough effort being made to explain to people what the advantages and disadvantages or the impact that offshore oil and gas will have on coastal community livelihoods and on the ocean,” says Neville van Rooy, Community Outreach Coordinator for The Green Connection.
“All that they usually do is paint a beautiful picture by telling people about jobs, which they know will get people, especially when they hear it from government officials.
“The reality is that there are very few jobs created for our people.”
Featuring deeply personal interviews with local fishers, activists, youth, and community leaders, the film explores themes of justice, environmental degradation, and resistance.
“It’s almost as though my heart has been called to it. That is why I can say with pride that I love the ocean and will do anything in my power to protect it,” says Chanel Jaar, who started the Environmental Traits Youth Organisation in Port Nolloth – a small town along the coastline of the Northern Cape.
Their testimonies paint a picture of what is at stake: biodiversity, food security, coastal heritage, and ultimately the survival of future generations,” says Walter Steenkamp, Chair of the Fishing Co-operative for Aukotowa Fishers in Port Nolloth.
“Look at Mexico, for five years now they’ve been struggling to get that oil spill cleaned.
“That community is suffering. Look at Nigeria; their fishermen are suffering.
“Their boats are lying high and dry, never touching the water because there’s no more water, it’s oil.”
Commenting on the matter, Lauren van Nijkerk, WILDTRUST Campaigns Director, said: “However, this isn’t just a story of destruction”.
“It’s a story of hope. ‘SPOILED’ is a tribute to the everyday heroes who are defending their livelihoods, their heritage, and the sea itself.”
The film goes a step further by encouraging greater public involvement in pushing back on the offshore oil and gas application processes.
As part of its call to action, viewers are directed to an interactive platform available at www.stopthespoil.co.za, where several active offshore oil and gas applications (their status in process, public participation process information etc.) across South Africa’s coastline are listed, enabling the public to stay informed in an industry that relies on the lack of available data, and have their voices heard.
“The interactive platform we have developed in partnership with The Green Connection features detailed information on around 15 applications for oil and gas giants in South Africa’s ocean,” says Van Nijkerk.
“The vision is to one day have information on every single application by oil and gas wanting to lease a block of our ocean space living on this platform, giving the public an opportunity to have a ‘one-stop-shop’ to make informed decisions and get involved in stakeholder consultation that ensures every South African has a say in how our oceans are utilised.”
The launch of SPOILED comes at a critical time for South Africa, as environmental and climate justice organisations wait in anticipation for the release of our country’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP).
The IEP is a national roadmap that aims to shape how South Africa produces, distributes, and consumes energy in the coming decades.
It seeks to balance the country’s energy needs with environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social justice.
“Operation Pakhisa, which means ‘hurry up,’ was South Africa’s idea of pushing for a Blue Economy, but the system is just wrong because it assumes that the ocean is just there to exploit for economic gain,” says Van Rooy.
“It doesn’t take into account the inherent value that an ocean would have in terms of ecosystem services, in terms of heritage, culture, and that such an ocean feeds thousands of families around the coast of South Africa.”
Van Rooy adds that “all alternative energy solutions have their pros and cons, and we need to make sure that people are not worse off when the Integrated Energy Plan is implemented.”
In February 2023, WILDTRUST unveiled a groundbreaking Oil Spill Model for South Africa, a first-of-its-kind aimed at showing the real-world risks of offshore oil operations, using a proposed ultra-deep drill site off Durban, KZN.
Developed with partners from the University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela University, and international experts in ocean modelling, the model reveals that:
- Shoreline contamination could occur in as little as 3 days along the East Coast.
- The fast-flowing Agulhas Current would transport oil large distances, hindering predictions of where oil would reach the shoreline, complicating clean-up efforts.
- The model indicates that a blow-out spill on the east coast could result in the need for beach clean-up operations as far away as the west coast.
- The minimum time for oil to shoreline impact could be as little as three days for the east coast of South Africa, and within about 10 days for the south coast and 30 days for the west coast.
These results highlight what civil society has long feared: the risks of oil and gas exploration in South African waters are not theoretical, but rather, they are imminent and potentially catastrophic.
“If we remain complacent, we risk losing not only our coastline, but our ability to shape a future that values life over profit,” says Jaar.
You can help stop the spoil in South Africa by spreading the word and sharing this film far and wide.
SPOILED is available to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IHo_RPkl2M
