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    Project update: Oryx gas-to-liquids (GTL) Joint Venture more >>>

    22 May 2007

    Sasol Limited
    (Incorporated in South Africa)
    (Registration number: 1979/003231/06)
    ISIN Code: ZAE000006896
    JSE Code: SOL
    NYSE Code: SSL
    ("Sasol")

    The Oryx gas-to-liquids (GTL) venture in Qatar, in which Sasol has a 49% shareholding, has now been operational for more than three months. During this initial start-up period all systems, process units, including the three main technologies, have been successfully tested and have demonstrated design intent. This bodes well for our strategic ambition to grow our business through GTL projects worldwide. Products that meet specification are being produced and the first consignment was shipped to market during April.

    As to be expected with a facility of this size and complexity, the plant has experienced start-up operational challenges, most of these limited to individual pieces of equipment. The failure of the steam super heater in the utility section, reported on during the second half of 2006, has been the most significant to date. This problem has since been successfully resolved.

    Operating rates are currently also limited to levels lower than planned. The biggest challenge preventing ramp-up to the planned production rate is a higher than the design level of fine material that is produced in the process and which then has to be handled downstream of the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) units. This fine material is constraining the overall throughput of the downstream units. A number of possible causes for this have been identified and plans are in place to eliminate or remediate these over the coming months. The installation of additional downstream equipment as a back-up solution to increase throughput has already been initiated and this will be available for implementation towards the middle of 2008.

    Over the last fifty years Sasol has successfully developed, implemented and operated several generations of large-scale synthetic fuel plants. Based on this experience we are fully confident that the abovementioned challenges will be overcome but in the interim they will unfortunately prolong the ramp-up period. Until the production of fine material is reduced, the Oryx joint venture will only generate a marginal cash contribution.

    An update on Oryx's performance will be provided at an appropriate time, but no later than Sasol's year end results presentation in September 2007.

    "We are very pleased that the Oryx start-up has, despite these challenges, demonstrated the potential of the world's largest gas-to-liquids facility and that the process produces world-class products. The remaining technical challenges will be resolved as speedily as possible so that full production can be achieved," said Lean Strauss, Group General Manager of Sasol International Energy business.

    22 May 2007
    Johannesburg

    Issued by sponsor: Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited

    last updated: 22 May 2007
     
    Sasol may, in this document, make statements that are not historical facts and relate to analyses and other information based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "endeavor" and "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.

    By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. If one or more of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may be very different from those anticipated. The factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements are discussed more fully in our registration statement under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on Form 20-F filed on October 9, 2009 and in other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements apply only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
     

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