CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 14, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa-focused independents are set to play a defining role at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – scheduled for October 12-16 in Cape Town – as companies expand portfolios, redevelop mature assets and pursue frontier exploration opportunities across the continent. From Angola and Namibia to Nigeria, Chad and Kenya, a new generation of independent operators is strengthening Africa’s upstream landscape through targeted acquisitions, high-impact drilling campaigns and infrastructure-led development strategies.

 

Afentra continues to advance exploration across proven shallow water provinces in Angola. Alongside its Block 3/05 and Block 3/05A partners, the company recently carried out a two well program, starting with the spudding of Pacassa SW. The program aligns with a multi-well redevelopment plan aimed at scaling reserves and boosting production from the current 5,856 bpd to upwards of 9,000 bpd. The partners plan to spud the Impala-2 development well, while hydraulic workover program preparations are ongoing with execution planned for late 2026 or early 2027. Onshore, the company is advancing technical studies at Blocks KON 15 and 19, with a planned 2D seismic acquisition program on the cards. Afentra’s CEO Paul McDade joins AEW 2026 to discuss these programs.

Nigeria’s Oando PLC recently made its foray into Angola, securing operatorship of Block KON 13. The move comes as the company expands its portfolio beyond Nigeria’s borders, leveraging its experience in the country to unlock new basins across the region. Oando’s existing portfolio encompasses more than 14 oil and gas assets across Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe. This is supported by a pipeline network of 1,255 km, 14 flow stations and gas processing capacity in excess of 3.6 billion standard cubic feet per day. Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC, joins AEW 2026 to discuss the company’s growing portfolio and how regional lessons can support exploration in new markets.

With a portfolio of high-impact Atlantic-margin oil and gas assets, Sintana Energy continues to drive exploration across key projects in Namibia and Angola. The company has exposure to eight blocks across both countries, covering both deepwater and onshore acreage. In April 2026, Sintana Energy announces plans for a second listing on the Namibia Securities Exchange, signaling a new phase of financial maturity. The move comes as the company prepares for several exploration programs in Africa, including the advancement of the Mopane campaign at Namibia’s PEL 79. Robert Bose, CEO, Sintana Energy, is expected to share further insight during AEW 2026.

Rhino Resources is also advancing Namibian exploration programs, while broadening its footprint into South Africa’s onshore Karoo Basin. The company is engaged in a multi-well drilling campaign in Namibia’s Orange Basin, targeting FIDs between late 2026 and early 2027 across operated and partner-led projects. These include the Volans and Capricornus discoveries at PEL 85. In South Africa, the company is advancing a six-well campaign targeting helium, methane and hydrogen resources. Further insights into these projects will be shared at AEW 2026 as Travis Smithard, CEO, Rhino Resources, confirms his participation.

Meanwhile, as an American publicly-traded company with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa, ERHC Energy Inc has centered its operations around de-risked exploration, cost efficient development and high-margin production. The company has stakes in Kenya’s Block 11A, and while no wells have been drilled to date, the acreage offers promising geology and is supported by extensive 2D seismic coverage. In Chad, ERHC Energy Inc has stakes in three oil blocks in the Doseo and Doba Basins, while in the Joint Development Zones between Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe, has exposure to six of the areas nine blocks. Peter Ntephe, CEO, ERHC Energy Inc, joins AEW 2026, where he is expected to share insights into these projects.

“Independent operators are moving quickly, taking strategic risks and unlocking value in both mature and frontier basins across the continent. AEW 2026 will provide a critical platform for these firms to engage investors, governments and technical partners as they advance the next generation of African energy projects,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 14, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s estimated $8.5 trillion in untapped mineral wealth is increasingly being positioned as a junior miner-led opportunity, with smaller, more agile players playing a key role in unlocking the continent’s mining deposits. As governments and investors recalibrate exploration strategies, junior mining companies are emerging as the primary vehicles for converting underexplored resources into bankable projects.

 

Against this backdrop, the African Mining Week 2026 Conference and Exhibition will convene regulators, financiers and operators to examine how partnerships, capital access and execution models can shift juniors from the margins to the center of the continent’s mineral development strategy.

Taking place from October 14 – 16 in Cape Town, the event will feature a dedicated panel titled Collaboration for Growth: Unlocking Finance and Scale for Junior Miners. The session will highlight how governments are leveraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to address high upfront capital requirements, limited infrastructure access and gaps in technical expertise constraining junior mining development.

The need for innovative financing solutions across Africa is increasingly apparent, with the continent’s share of global mineral exploration spending declining from 16% in 2004 to just 10.4% in 2024. In South Africa, exploration expenditure totaled R781 million in 2024, down sharply from a peak of R6.2 billion in 2006, underscoring the importance of stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector. In response, mineral-rich African countries are increasingly partnering with global investors to mobilize capital for exploration while supporting local content and beneficiation strategies.

One of the continent’s most prominent PPP models is the Junior Mining Exploration Fund (JMEF) launched by the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa in partnership with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. In February 2026, the fund expanded to R2 billion, with Anglo American committing R600 million, demonstrating how coordinated public-private initiatives can strengthen financing for early-stage mining projects. Increased support through the fund has contributed to growth in South Africa’s junior and emerging mining sector, which recorded nearly 20% income growth in 2025.

Meanwhile, Zambia has introduced the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Fund following the enactment of the Geological and Minerals Development Act of 2025, aimed at expanding financing access for junior and small-scale miners. In 2026, the government allocated K449.5 million towards the fund, from a total K1.2 billion mining sector budget. The fund is expected to support junior miners as the country pursues its goal of increasing copper production to three million tons annually by 2030.

Similarly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is strengthening partnerships with private sector investors, including Phoenix Capital and Eurasian Resources Group, to finance junior and artisanal mining operations as part of a broader strategy to unlock an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral resources.

Stepping into this picture, the AMW 2026 panel will explore the impact of PPP financing models, providing a platform for governments, investors and mining companies to develop solutions that scale exploration investment and accelerate the discovery of Africa’s next generation of mineral projects.

AMW serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference from October 12-16 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 14, 2026/APO Group/ –Mining is rapidly becoming a driver of power market development in Africa, as energy supply constraints reshape how projects are financed and executed. From renewables and storage to fuel logistics and transmission, operators are increasingly securing integrated energy solutions to sustain output and manage risk.

 

Against this backdrop, the African Mining Week (AMW) Conference and Exhibition – taking place October 14–16, 2026, in Cape Town – will convene global investors, energy developers and mining stakeholders to examine pathways for strengthening power infrastructure to support mining activities across the continent. The event will feature a dedicated panel titled Accelerating Mineral Production: The Energy-Mining Nexus, bringing together policymakers, utilities and mining companies to discuss investment, infrastructure challenges and strategies for scaling production.

The discussion comes at a time when energy availability is becoming the defining constraint – and enabler – of mining growth across Africa. As a result, many companies are partnering with energy providers to secure power deals.

One of the clearest examples of this is EDF power solutions – a joint venture (JV) between mining company Anglo American and energy company EDF. The JV is advancing a portfolio of renewable energy projects to power mining operations across South Africa. In mid-April, the company commissioned the 140 MW Umsobomvu facility as part of the broader 520 MW Koruson 2 cluster, following the earlier delivery of approximately 480 MW under the Koruson 1 cluster in early April. These projects are contributing to the decarbonization of mining operations by displacing coal-based grid electricity for miners such as Valterra Platinum, Kumba Iron Ore and De Beers.

Sibanye-Stillwater is also turning to renewable energy to optimize its operations. The company is advancing a 725 MW renewable energy portfolio secured via long-term power purchase agreements with developers including NOA Group, Red Rocket and Sola Group. These developments align with South Africa’s strategy to generate 40% of its electricity using renewables by 2030, a move aimed at lowering electricity costs and improving energy security for energy-intensive sectors such as mining.

Similar case studies are being seen across other mineral-rich provinces in Africa. In Zambia, First Quantum Minerals is advancing a 430 MW renewable energy project alongside Total Eren and Chariot Limited. The project will strengthen energy supply to the company’s mines, enabling First Quantum to contribute to a national target to increase copper output to three million tons by 2031.

Meanwhile, Eurasian Resources Group is investing in transmission infrastructure and cross-border power solutions between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to stabilize energy supply for cobalt operations.

While renewables are scaling rapidly, mining companies are also reinforcing energy security through fuel agreements. In February 2026, Valterra Platinum signed a three-year fuel supply deal with TotalEnergies for its South African operations. Puma Energy and BHL Group have also launched a five-year fuel transport agreement moving supply between Namibia’s Walvis Bay and Zambian mining hubs.

As such, AMW 2026 comes at a pivotal time when energy and mining are no longer parallel sectors, but deeply interconnected growth engines. From renewables and transmission to fuel logistics and financing, the continent is witnessing a structural shift toward integrated energy–mining ecosystems. The AMW 2026 panel will spotlight how innovative partnerships, blended financing models and private-sector participation are accelerating both energy deployment and mineral production – positioning Africa to meet rising global demand while advancing its own industrialization agenda.