On 29 May 2026, climate activists gathered outside TotalEnergies’ Johannesburg offices to protest the company’s fossil fuel projects in East Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa.

The demonstration was organised by the StopEACOP campaign and joined by various climate justice groups, coinciding with the company’s Annual General Meeting in France and the conclusion of a global week of action across 19 countries.

Activists attributed South Africa’s soaring electricity tariffs to the fossil fuel industry, noting that for many poor families, electricity costs now surpass spending on basic food items such as maize meal or bread.

The campaign demanded that government subsidies for fossil fuels, which reached R118-billion in 2023, be redirected to provide free renewable energy to citizens.

StopEACOP accused TotalEnergies and other major polluters of lobbying against climate policies like the Carbon Tax Act for two decades, undermining a just transition while ordinary South Africans suffer.

Residents from coal-affected areas, such as Sedibeng, reported prolonged electricity outages, highlighting the urgent need for renewable energy solutions like solar power.TotalEnergies did not respond to requests for comment or address the protestors.The gathering forms part of a broader movement to challenge environmental destruction and energy poverty caused by the fossil fuel sector in Africa.