EPTC Association Interim Executive Working Group

EPTC Association Organisational Structure

The Energy Producers & Traders Collective (EPTC) is a professional collective dedicated to transforming the liquid fuels sector by ensuring marginalised traders have equitable access to infrastructure and opportunities. This guide explains how our association functions and how you can participate in our mission of capacity building and collective advocacy.

1. What Kind of Association is the EPTC?

The EPTC is established as a voluntary association of persons, specifically a "universitas personarum" under South African Common Law. This means:

• Independent Identity: 

The Association is a legal entity separate from its individual members; it can own property and enter into contracts in its own name.

• Perpetual Succession: 

The EPTC continues to exist even as members join or leave the organisation.

• Non-Profit Mission: 

We are a member-based organisation focused on common objectives—like fair competition—rather than individual gain for members.

2. Interim Governance: The EPTC Working Group

As the EPTC transitions into a more permanent corporate structure (EPTC Association Pty), it is currently managed by an Interim Working Group.

• Leadership: 

This group is led by the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Treasurer General, supported by technical, operational, strategic and administrative advisors and consultants.

• Sovereign Authority: 

To protect the Association from external political interference and maintain technical credibility with stakeholders the Working Group’s executive decisions are sovereign.

• Decision-Making Powers: 

The Working Group is empowered by the membership to speak in official forums and execute specific tasks, such as securing terminal allocations at Island View.

3. Member Rights and Responsibilities

Being a member means you are both a beneficiary and a guardian of the Association’s mission.

• Your Rights:

Members have the right to participate in meetings (including the Annual General Meeting), access official documents, nominate leadership candidates, and help shape the Association's strategic direction.

Your Responsibilities:

• Ethical Conduct:

All members must sign and adhere to a Code of Conduct that mandates honesty, transparency, professional behaviour, and the protection of confidential internal information.

• Financial Commitment: 

Members fund the Association’s operations through membership fees/subscription fees to cover legal costs, campaigns and operational costs.

• Fiduciary Duty: 

Members are obligated to act in the best interests of the collective at all times.

4. Voting Rights and Collective Voice

The EPTC is a member-led, democratic organisation where every member holds one vote.

• Decision Thresholds: 

Most operational decisions are passed by a simple majority vote. However, significant changes—such as amending the Constitution or dissolving the Association—require a two-thirds (2/3) majority.

• Quorum: 

For a general meeting to be valid, at least fifty percent (50%) of full members must be present.

• Elections: 

Office bearers are elected every two years during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) via a secret ballot

5. Why Pool Resources? The Power of the Collective

Joining a professional collective like the EPTC offers advantages that are impossible to achieve alone:

• Resource Pooling: 

By combining financial resources, skills, and technical expertise, we can undertake large-scale projects and infrastructure bids.

• Shared Risk: 

The financial and operational burdens of the energy sector are distributed across the group, reducing individual risk.

• Stronger Advocacy: 

A unified voice provides more leverage when engaging with the government and regulators on policies and infrastructure access.

• Capacity Building: 

Members benefit from shared knowledge, mentorship, and joint ventures that help smaller firms grow and comply with complex regulations.

The Power of the Collective: Understanding the Association of Persons (AOP)

AOP creates a separate, permanent legal entity for shared goals.

IT IS A SEPERATE LEGAL PERSON

As a Universitas, the association owns property and enters contracts in its own name, distinct from its memebers.

THE ENTITY ENJOYS PERPETUAL SUCCESSION

The organisation continues to exist forever even if members die, resign, or join.

GOVERNED BY A FORMAL CONSTITUTION

A founding document is essential to define operations, decision-making, and collective management by elected boards.

POOLED RESOURCES VS SHARED RISKS

Members combine capital and expertise to tackle large projects while sharing the burden of commercial risks.

STRENGTH THROUGH UNIFIED INDUSTRY ADVOCACY

Collectives, like EPTC, use their joint status to negotiate for massive assets, such as 25% storage allocations in the energy sector.

Connecting black energy producers, traders and  partners for an inclusive South African energy economy