The story
Engen was founded in Durban in 1881, as The Natal Oil Company. Initially, the company focused on producing kerosene and other petroleum products, and its founding was in response to the growing demand for oil and fuel products, driven by industrialization and urbanization in South Africa.
Engen began establishing its gas station network across South Africa during the 1960s, as the demand for fuel increased, along with an increase in vehicle ownership in South Africa, and the expansion of its national road network.
The company branched out into the production of diesel and aviation fuel in the 1970s, and was producing fuel for the South African and export markets. The Engen Refinery was established in Durban in 1971.
The company began trading under the Engen name in 1990. Engen Limited, was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 1992.
In 1995, Engen launched its Customer Service Excellence program, aimed at enhancing the customer experience at its gas stations.
Between 1996 and 2000, Engen expanded considerably, establishing affiliates in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Burundi, Uganda, and Mozambique.
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) corporation PHEMBANI acquired a 20% stake in Engen in 1999.
In 2000, Engen partnered with major South African retail company Woolworths to pilot a new Woolworths Foodstop convenience store format at Engen gas stations. In 2003, the partnership officially launched to the public.
Read the full text
In the early 2000s, Engen began investing in renewable energy projects and exploring alternative fuels to diversify its energy portfolio.
In 2007, Engen bought a facility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and did the same in 2008 in Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Burundi, and Rwanda.
In 2019, Engen reported around 150 million customer visits at its South African gas stations for the year.
In May 2024, Engen announced that privately-owned British petroleum company Vivo Energy was purchasing the 74% shareholding in Engen that had previously (for 25 years) been held by Malaysian SOE Petronas. The Phembani Group retained its 21% shareholding in Engen. The deal followed the parties working, since the transaction was announced in February 2023, to secure regulatory approvals across all of Engen's seven markets of operation. These were secured with conditions.
In September 2024 at the SIBA restaurant in Cape Town, Engen launched Brazmata, its own coffee brand. Using arabica beans sourced from regions including Tanzania, Brazil, and Guatemala, Brazmata was rolled out at Engen's Café 365 outlets across South Africa. Customers are able to purchase the coffee in-store, or buy beans to take home. Engen is headquartered in Cape Town, where there is a thriving local coffee culture.
In September 2026, it was announced that the 101st Woolworths Foodstop convenience store had opened, in collaboration with Engen.
From Wikipedia’s article on Engen Petroleum, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5