Martin Deffontaines, Country Manager for Angola at energy major TotalEnergies has been confirmed as a speaker at the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference and Exhibition – taking place September 9­­–10 with a pre-conference day on September 8. His participation comes at a pivotal time for the company as it expands its offshore strategy and is expected to provide insight into how one of the industry’s leading operators is positioning itself for Angola’s next phase of offshore growth.

TotalEnergies is driving a multi-faceted exploration and production strategy in Angola, balancing brownfield optimization with frontier exploration and large-scale deepwater developments. As one of the country’s biggest oil producers, the company’s recent investments signal a long-term commitment to the market as well as its broader ambitions to support Angola’s goals of sustaining production above one million barrels per day (bpd).

At the core of this strategy is unlocking additional value from producing assets. Just this month, the company signed a Principles Agreement with the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency (ANPG) to extend its license for Block 32 to 2043. The agreement establishes the general terms for the continuous development of the block, while outlining the possible application of the Incremental Production Decree to bolster production. Block 32 is one of the country’s biggest producing assets, covering six fields and featuring the Kaombo project.

Beyond operational assets, TotalEnergies is pursuing new frontiers in Angola. The company signed an agreement in March 2026 with the ANPG and ExxonMobil for the allocation of four blocks in the Benguela and Namibe Basins – namely 40, 41, 42 and 58. The agreement lays the foundation for the signing of the respective contracts for the blocks. This follows another agreement signed in 2025 between TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil and the ANPG for the study and evaluation of the Free Areas of Blocks 17/06 and 32/21 – two of the country’s longest-producing assets. The agreement aims to identify new leads across the blocks, supporting future production growth.

The company’s ongoing project portfolio further highlights the scale of its ambitions in Angola. Central to this is the Kaminho deepwater project – the first major deepwater development in the Kwanza Basin. Representing a $6 billion investment, the project is expected to produce approximately 70,000 bpd through an FPSO designed with lower-emission technologies. FID was reached in 2024, with production on track for 2028. Kaminho builds on TotalEnergies recent project momentum, which saw two offshore projects start operations in 2025. The Begonia and CLOV Phase 3 developments added 60,000 bpd to the company’s Angolan portfolio, cementing its position as a major operator.

Deffontaines’ participation at AOG 2026 comes as these themes move to the forefront of Angola’s oil and gas agenda. As one of the country’s largest international investors, TotalEnergies continues to shape discussions around production sustainability, exploration strategy and offshore project economics. His presence at the event underscores both the scale of the opportunity and the growing international confidence in Angola’s deepwater market.

Rand Refinery’s participation reflects a broader strategic alignment between the company’s expansion agenda and AMW’s focus on supporting and enabling local beneficiation and promoting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) responsible sourcing frameworks.

In terms of volumes, the latest market information indicates that Africa produces 1000tpa of mined gold (more than any other continent), with large-scale mining (LSM) and ASM being almost evenly balanced (500tpa production each). On its current trajectory, African ASM volumes are expected to eclipse those of LSM.

The focus on ASM as a transformational imperative is valid, and Rand Refinery is an active participant in the precious metals supply chain, working alongside other upstream and downstream actors to ensure that the communities and countries with gold resources benefit in a sustainable manner.

Under the theme Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value Chain, AMW 2026 offers a critical interface between refiners, miners, regulators, and financial institutions, as African countries intensify efforts to capture more value from responsible mineral production.

A key pillar of Rand Refinery’s 2026 strategy is its expansion into high-growth gold markets beyond South Africa. In January 2026, the company partnered with Ghana’s Gold Coast Refinery (GCR) to support the Ghana Gold Board to locally refine artisanal and small-scale (ASM) gold and elevate responsible sourcing standards in West Africa. The partnership also positions Rand Refinery in a rapidly growing and historically fragmented supply segment: ASM operations, enabling the company to enhance traceability and strengthen compliance with global standards for ethical sourcing and anti-money laundering.

The partnership potentially allows the monetization of ASM supply streams in the formal gold ecosystem, complementing Rand Refinery’s established role in refining output from responsible large-scale producers. AMW 2026 represents a timely platform for the company to provide an update on its projects and contribution to Africa’s gold sector.

As demand for regional refining capacity expands, along with central bank buying programs, companies such as Rand Refinery will be crucial.

Central bank gold purchases are projected to average around 585 tons per quarter in 2026, underscoring sustained global demand. In Africa, gold now accounts for approximately 17% of total reserves – up from less than 10% in 2022–2023 – while physical holdings increased from 663 tons in 2022 to an estimated 738 tons in 2025.

This upward trajectory is driving demand for trusted refining and value addition services, positioning Rand Refinery as a key partner in the region. Against this backdrop, AMW provides a strategic platform for central banks and gold buyers to engage directly with one of the world’s largest integrated single-site precious metals refining and smelting complexes and strengthen regional beneficiation and national reserve strategies.

At AMW, Rand Refinery executives will participate in panel discussions and networking sessions, engaging stakeholders on partnership opportunities that support a more integrated, transparent and value-driven African gold ecosystem.