This partnership comes at a critical time, as Africa’s creative industry is undergoing rapid expansion, with African art, music, fashion, and film gaining increasing international attention

LONDON, United Kingdom, September 9, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The Royal African Society (RAS) of the United Kingdom (www.RoyalAfricanSociety.org), a leading organisation promoting Africa’s global influence and APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading award-winning pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, renowned for its expertise across the continent, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership. This collaboration will enhance RAS’s mission to celebrate African culture and achievements through prominent events, including its key annual events, the Film Africa Festival (www.filmafrica.org), and the prestigious Royal African Society Benefit Gala (https://apo-opa.co/4d4rz3z). APO Group will support RAS’s events and initiatives as the official public relations partner through press release distribution, media monitoring, and strategic communications.

Commenting on the partnership, APO Group’s Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com) said, “This collaboration represents a powerful opportunity to elevate Africa’s cultural and professional presence on a global scale. The creative industry is one of Africa’s most vibrant and rapidly growing sectors, and by partnering with the Royal African Society, we can amplify the voices of talented African creatives shaping the continent’s future. Africa’s vast landscape of stories, whether through film, music, fashion, or art, deserves to be shared with the world, and we believe that our strategic expertise will help the Royal African Society to forge a deeper connection between African culture and the global community.”

“This partnership will help us expand our reach and continue celebrating Africa’s rich culture on the world stage,” said Janet Rogan, CEO of the Royal African Society. “With APO Group’s support, we look forward to engaging a wider audience and showcasing Africa’s incredible talent, creativity, and opportunities.”

This partnership will help us expand our reach and continue celebrating Africa’s rich culture on the world stage

Celebrating Africa’s Creativity

The Royal African Society has long worked to promote understanding, appreciation, and dialogue about Africa’s role in global politics, society, and culture. The Society will expand its reach with this new partnership, ensuring African stories and achievements gain broader international recognition and impact. APO Group’s communications expertise will play a crucial role in this, helping to boost the visibility and impact of RAS’s cultural and professional events, thereby strengthening the connection between Africa and global audiences, particularly in the United Kingdom.

This partnership comes at a critical time, as Africa’s creative industry is undergoing rapid expansion, with African art, music, fashion, and film gaining increasing international attention. Events like the Royal African Society’s Film Africa Festival, scheduled for 25th October – 03rd November 2024, which showcases contemporary and classic African cinema in London, highlight the continent’s artistic talent.

This prestigious festival brings together an impressive array of films that highlight both traditional storytelling and cutting-edge narratives from across the continent. By giving a stage to African filmmakers, Film Africa is instrumental in bringing authentic stories to international audiences, promoting cross-cultural dialogue and enhancing the global perception of Africa’s creative industries.

The 2024 Royal African Society Benefit Gala, scheduled for 22nd November 2024 at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), will be a celebration of this creativity, paying tribute to prominent global artists, creatives, and cultural influencers.

The event will feature a keynote address on the “Power of Narrative”, along with an exclusive Gala dinner, a Sotheby’s-run auction supported by Artsy, and vibrant cultural performances. Preceding the dinner, a networking session will offer attendees the chance to connect with industry leaders, innovators, and professionals, forging new partnerships and professional growth. The Gala will also include an awards ceremony, honouring outstanding achievements across categories, such as Business Excellence, Philanthropy, Activism, and Creative Innovation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Royal African Society.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 September 2024 – The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust convened its fourth Philanthropy for Better Cities (PBC) Forum 2024 at West Kowloon Cultural District today (9 September). It ushered in Hong Kong Philanthropy Week, in keeping with the HKSAR Government’s mission to promote the city as an international philanthropy hub.

The two-day PBC Forum provides a platform for foundations, thought-leaders, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and experts from around the world to convene, engage in dialogue and share transformative ideas on translating philanthropic action into tangible, sustainable impact. Under an overarching theme of “Delivering Impactful Philanthropy in the Real World”, the forum features keynote speeches and panel discussions. It brings together nearly 100 eminent speakers and more than 2,000 delegates from 40 countries and regions including representatives of over 200 local, regional and global foundations.

The Club’s Charities Trust convened the forum in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), a charitable organisation launched by the Club and its Trust at the opening of the third PBC Forum in September 2023.

Through a video address at the forum, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said, “This forum is testament to Hong Kong’s commitment to philanthropy. It is proudly presented by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust, a long-standing leader in championing our philanthropic endeavours.” He added, “The HKSAR Government is committed to Hong Kong’s rise as a global centre for philanthropy. That goal was formalised in our Policy Statement on Developing Family Office Businesses in Hong Kong. Our vision is to provide philanthropists with the tools they need to manage their wealth, while channelling their resources into social initiatives that create tangible impact. We are determined to realise Hong Kong as a go-to destination for global family offices passionate about making a difference.”

Officiating at the opening ceremony of this year’s forum was HKSAR Government Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, the Club’s Chairman Michael Lee and Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges.

In his welcome speech at the opening ceremony, the Club’s Chairman said, “In Asia – home to the most populous nations and fastest-developing economies – we are experiencing rapid growth in philanthropic giving commensurate with the region’s rising prosperity through development. However, Asian philanthropy requires properly contextualised models and solutions to account for varied political, economic and cultural contexts that are different from established, largely Western models. Unlocking its full potential will be crucial in addressing shared social and environmental challenges most effectively.”

Leading foundations participating in this year’s PBC Forum include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Nippon Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Tanoto Foundation, Temasek Foundation, Tencent Charity Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

Julia Gillard – Chair of the Wellcome Trust, Chair of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and former Prime Minister of Australia – delivered today’s opening keynote entitled: “East is East and West is West: how does philanthropy differ and how can we best work together?”

Professor Michael Spence – 2001 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Philip H. Knight Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Stanford Business School and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution of Stanford University – delivered the second keynote entitled: “The economics of giving: what makes us give? What stops us from giving more?”

Additionally at the forum, representatives from the Department of Health of the HKSAR Government, the Club and IoP witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Collaboration between the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and three local universities to strengthen capacity for monitoring and responding to epidemics in the Greater Bay Area. The local institutes are the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute at the University of Hong Kong, the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Science at the City University of Hong Kong. The memorandum follows the “One Health” approach which the Club has long supported including through the establishment of these university institutes.

This year the forum programme spans five days. It began with a welcome luncheon at the opening of Hong Kong’s 2024/25 horseracing season on 8 September, followed by the two- day forum. The Foundations Circle and additional side-events will be convened by IoP on 11 and 12 September. In addition, the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy will also host a three-day summit from 12-14 September, rounding out Hong Kong Philanthropy Week.

The Club’s support for the PBC Forum, like all of its charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.
 



 

The African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy conference will gather industry leaders to explore oil and gas financing tools and strategies in the age of the energy transition

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 9, 2024/APO Group/ — 

As the global energy landscape shifts towards cleaner and more sustainable sources, Africa’s oil and gas sector faces challenges in securing financing for upstream projects. Nearly $3 billion was mobilized toward African energy projects in 2023 – with a significant portion directed towards natural gas – according to the African Development Bank (AfDB). As global markets evolve, African financing strategies must adapt to support both economic growth and long-term sustainability.

The Financing Upstream Oil & Gas in the Age of Transition session at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy will explore how African oil and gas projects are securing financing in a rapidly changing landscape. The session will unpack evolving regulatory frameworks, innovative financing models and the balance between traditional fossil fuel and renewable energy investments. Moderated by Laura Sima, Director of S&P Global Commodity Insights, the panel will feature Trafigura Group Head of Upstream Finance Matthieu Milandri; Africa Finance Corporation Vice President Taiwo Okwor; and Project & Export Finance Africa Managing Director & Regional Head Fathima Hussain.

AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

To address shifting investment priorities, a dedicated Africa Energy Bank (AEB) has been launched by the African Petroleum Producers Organization and African Export-Import Bank. To be based in Abuja, the AEB aims to bridge Africa’s infrastructure funding gap and accelerate the development of energy projects across the continent. As a supranational institution, the AEB will provide critical funds for emerging oil and gas projects across Africa, supporting the sector amid the global energy transition, and is currently open for signature by prospective member states.

African natural gas projects have been a leading destination for foreign investment, as gas is considered a cleaner alternative and even labeled as “green energy” in the EU. Projects like Senegal and Mauritania’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG – led by bp and Kosmos Energy – have secured $4.8 billion in investment from a mix of equity from the IOCs and debt financing supported by multilateral banks. Blended finance – combining both public and private sector capital – has emerged as a critical solution to mobilizing large-scale financing in Africa’s energy sector. The TotalEnergies-led Mozambique LNG project represents a total post-FID investment of $20 billion, of which $14.9 billion comes from senior debt financing including a blend of loans from export credit agencies, multilateral finance agencies like the International Finance Corporation and the AfDB, and commercial banks.

Significant capital is also flowing to high-potential hydrocarbon basins with strong exploration prospects. In Namibia, multinationals TotalEnergies and Shell are continuing to explore the deepwater Orange Basin, with TotalEnergies allocating 30% of its one-billion-dollar exploration budget to the country in 2024 alone. Namibia’s government has been active in courting global financiers, emphasizing the need for sustainable energy development alongside oil and gas exploration and production. In Angola, TotalEnergies, Petronas and state-owned Sonangol secured a $6-billion FID for the Kaminho deepwater project in Block 20 that will develop the Cameia and Golfinho ultra-deepwater fields. The project will employ an all-electric FPSO unit, designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate routine flaring. Independent upstream company Invictus Energy also recently secured $10 million from local institutional investors for its Cabora Bassa project in Zimbabwe to develop the country’s first major oil and gas field.

The upcoming finance session will also position public-private partnerships as a mechanism for financing large-scale energy infrastructure projects, as well as de-risking investments. The Republic of Congo has advanced the development of its Banga Kayo block through an amended PSC with China’s Wing Wah Oil Company, enabling the commercialization of the block’s gas resources. In Nigeria, the $2.6-billion Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline is being financed through both public and private funds, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company as the main financier and international lenders including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Bank of China involved. Nigeria’s Federal Government has provided a sovereign guarantee covering 85% of the project’s costs, securing crucial financing and building investor confidence.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.