Based on my investigation, the claim that South Africa has lost half of its refining capacity in recent years is accurate.

Reasoning:

• Over the past five years, South Africa's refining capacity has been cut in half due to a combination of accidents and underinvestment¹.
• Recent data shows that South Africa has lost around half of its refining capacity in recent years².
• Roughly 49% of South Africa's refining capacity remains idle¹.
• The Sapref Refinery, which was South Africa's largest refinery with 180,000 barrels per day capacity, suspended operations in 2022, significantly reducing domestic refining capacity²¹.
• Other major facilities have also been affected, including the Engen Durban Refinery (120,000 barrels per day) which has remained offline, and the Natref Refinery which has experienced intermittent disruptions¹².
• Currently, only two refineries remain operational - Sasol's Secunda plant and Glencore's Astron refinery - which combined account for less than half of the country's former refining capacity¹.
• As a result, South Africa now relies on imports to meet over 60% of its fuel demand¹.

Overall validity: 95%

1. Africa's richest country has about half of its oil-refining capacity shut
2. How South Africa's limited oil reserves expose it to global shocks