Shell’s fight with South African activists moves into last round

South Africa’s top court will start hearing arguments on Tuesday in a legal battle that has pitted environmental activists against one of the world’s biggest energy companies — and which may determine the trajectory of the country’s fledgling offshore oil industry.

The four-year saga began with an activist outcry in 2021 over a seismic survey planned by Shell Plc and a local partner off the nation’s rugged “Wild Coast” along the Indian Ocean, where whales are frequently spotted.

Environmental groups won a interdict that halted the exploration activity over concerns that communities were not properly consulted and about the impact the survey would have on local residents and marine life.

The high court the following year set aside the decision to grant the exploration right, as well as two subsequent renewals.

Shell’s appeal was dismissed, though the Supreme Court of Appeal handed the London-based company a reprieve by ruling that