Eurabelt Fuels opens zero-fee fuel verification across Africa and BRICS markets

Eurabelt Fuels (Pty) Ltd has launched a no-upfront-fee verification and custodial program from Johannesburg aimed at refining and trade counterparties across Africa, BRICS and Asia. The company says the system is designed to cut fraud, speed due diligence and screen deals before they reach a refinery desk.

Why it matters: - Eurabelt Fuels is targeting fraud and weak screening in fuel and trade finance transactions, where forged documents and unauthorized mandates can block deals before they start. - The company is offering verification without a retainer, screening fee or upfront charge, with commission earned only after a transaction closes. - The launch comes as South Africa regains regulatory credibility after exiting the Financial Action Task Force grey list in October 2025.

What happened: - Eurabelt Fuels (Pty) Ltd activated its Pan-African, BRICS and Asian custodial programme from Johannesburg. - The program is aimed at refineries, institutional buyers and sellers. - Verified documentation is the only requirement for onboarding. - Eurabelt says no buyer or seller is approved by discretion and no standing relationship can replace validated documents. - The Johannesburg office does not issue financial instruments and does not act as a bank.

The details: - Eurabelt says the activation addresses a trade-fraud problem in a market where trade finance underpins about 80% of global commerce and roughly $25 trillion a year. - The company cites industry estimates that up to 1% of deals, worth more than $50 billion, may be fraudulent, with annual losses near $5 billion. - In refined fuels, Eurabelt says the main risks are forged allocations, unauthorized mandates and fabricated MT760 and MT700 instruments. - The company says counterparties that cannot evidence screening are now declined at the banking layer before a cargo is discussed. - Eurabelt says its banking portal validates SWIFT and BIC codes across 112,886 banks in 232 countries, IBANs across 76 countries under ISO 13616, ABA routing numbers and MT760 and MT700 instruments. - Eurabelt says its passport portal authenticates travel documents against ICAO Doc 9303 machine-readable zone standards across South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. - The Global Sanctions Portal screens 47,224 records across US OFAC SDN, EU CFSP, UK OFSI, Canadian SEMA, UN Security Council and Australian ASO lists, plus 2,451 vessel records, and is updated daily. - Eurabelt says the public interface shows what is run against the market and is not open for external use. - The company says it operates three sovereign systems built for refined fuels rather than adapted from generic compliance software. - Eurabelt says four group entities hold active NCAGE codes: STDZ3 in South Africa, U2E57 in the United Kingdom, L11R0 in Canada and STDY6 in Trinidad and Tobago. - Eurabelt says those codes are searchable in the NATO Support and Procurement Agency public registry. - The company says its footprint includes South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. - Under the Eurabelt Custodial Order, Jael Africa and Chelyn Peacock were appointed principal custodians for African and BRICS-aligned markets. - Dr. Elizabeth Ngalim is the West African Representative, and Dr. Ruth Gordon is the Central African Representative. - Eurabelt’s public website is the company’s announcement. - Jael Africa is identified in the release as Regional Custodian, Senior Facilitator and International Partner. - Chelyn Peacock is identified as International Custodian and African Facilitator. - Dr. Elizabeth Ngalim is identified as West African Representative.

Between the lines: - Eurabelt is positioning Johannesburg as a hub for higher-friction fuel trade because South Africa has lost more than 260,000 barrels per day of refining capacity since 2020. - South Africa’s remaining capacity covers about 30% to 40% of daily demand, with the balance arriving by sea on 21- to 42-day lead times. - Africa imports more than 70% of the refined product it consumes, and the continent faces a projected shortfall near 2.23 million barrels per day by 2040. - The company is also leaning on South Africa’s improved compliance standing after the country completed 22 FATF action items and exited the grey list. - The emphasis on documentary checks, sanctions screening and title verification suggests Eurabelt is trying to become a gatekeeper before deals reach banks or refineries. - The quotes from company custodians frame the platform as a trust and integrity layer rather than just a commercial service.

What's next: - Eurabelt says it will continue counterparty verification, refinery onboarding and engagement with ministries and sovereign funds from Johannesburg. - The company also plans coordination across trade corridors linking Africa to China, the Gulf and Southeast Asia. - Eurabelt says it maintains Mandarin-speaking representatives for Chinese counterparties and a separate custodial office for India. - Verified buyers and sellers will be matched for direct execution, with the stated goal of long-term supply relationships. - The company says onboarding will remain contingent on validated documents alone.