CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 2, 2026/APO Group/ –The awards will be a centrepiece of the 17th annual API Summit (www.APISummit.co.za), taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on 17 and 18 September under the theme Bold Capital. Real Momentum. The summit draws more than 600 real estate, hospitality and capital leaders from across the continent and beyond.

 

“Over the past decade, the API Awards have become the definitive mark of peer recognition in African real estate and hospitality, judged not by sponsors or popularity, but by the industry leaders who understand these sectors best,” says API Events Commercial Director Murray Anderson.

“In this, our 10th edition, new categories let us recognise a wider field, from the boldest new capital commitments to the assets proving their performance over the long term. Ours is an industry moving decisively from ambition to delivery, and these awards exist to honour both,” he adds.

A distinguished panel of industry luminaries will adjudicate each category, honouring the projects, professionals and institutions that set the standard for innovation, sustainability and lasting impact.

This year’s event introduces a new Performance & Legacy category – celebrating enduring impact – alongside new awards spanning the Development, Personnel, and Service, Tech & Innovation.

Recognition that lifts profiles – and attracts investment

The awards have significantly lifted winners’ profiles with the heavyweight investors, developers and financers who convene at the summit, and the broader real estate and hospitality industries.

Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) was named 2025’s Best African Real Estate Bank of the Year, recognised for its deep property finance expertise and ability to structure and execute complex transactions across South Africa and the wider continent.

“Winning the 2025 API Awards, alongside EDGE recognition from the IFC, reflects the collective expertise, commitment and execution capability of our Property Finance team,” says Gerhard Zeelie, Divisional Executive: Property Finance Africa. “The awards reinforce the importance of pairing strong commercial delivery with long-term sustainability and client-focused outcomes.”

Octodec’s Yethu City was deservedly named 2025’s Best New Affordable Housing Development due to its pairing of genuine affordability with considered design, PropTech integration and a community-focused co-living model.

“The most compelling developments blend meaningful social impact with commercial viability. Yethu City succeeded by deeply understanding its target market and executing with discipline – authentic purpose, proven by delivery, is what makes a project stand out,” says Jeffrey Wapnick, CEO of Octodec Investments Limited.

Entries and nominations are welcomed from across Africa, with a closing date of 31 July. Click here to enter (https://apo-opa.co/4eVnuSi).

The 2026 categories

Development

• Best New Affordable Housing
• Best New Residential (Mid-Market) *New
• Best New Upmarket Residence *New
• Best New Mixed-Use / Precinct Development
• Best New Office Development (Building)
• Best New Office Fit-Out (Occupier)
• Best New Hotel / Hospitality Development
• Industrial, Logistics & Alternative Assets
• Best New Redevelopment / Refurbishment
• Best New Safari / Lodge Development *New

Personnel

• Advisory Consultant of the Year *New
• Asset Manager of the Year *New
• Sales Team of the Year
• Architectural Team of the Year *New
• Newsmaker of the Year *New
• Public Sector Real Estate Leader of the Year
• African Real Estate Leader of the Year (formerly CEO)
• Outstanding Woman in Real Estate

Service, Tech & Innovation

• Best African Real Estate Bank of the Year
• Best Transaction/Deal of the Year
• Hospitality Consulting & Advisory Partner of the Year *New
• Facilities Management Team of the Year
• Most Innovative PropTech Company of the Year

Performance & Legacy *New

• Best Performing Retail Asset
• Best Performing Office Asset
• Best Performing Mixed-Use Asset

LUANDA, Angola, July 1, 2026/APO Group/ –As Angola advances a new phase of oil and gas growth, demand is increasing for the infrastructure and equipment that keep large-scale hydrocarbon projects operating safely and efficiently. From upstream production and gas processing to refining and storage, flow control systems play a central role in maintaining operational integrity, minimizing downtime and supporting long-term asset performance. In this environment, specialized engineering companies such as Cornerstone Valve are becoming increasingly important partners in Angola’s expanding oil and gas market.

Cornerstone Valve has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference & Exhibition 2026 as an Associate Sponsor, reinforcing its commitment to supporting Angola’s fast-growing oil and gas sector. The event takes place on September 9–10 in Luanda, with a pre-conference day scheduled for September 8, bringing together regulators, operators, service providers and investors to drive partnerships and investment across the industry.

Cornerstone Valve specializes in valve automation, actuation and flow control solutions, providing products and services that support complex industrial operations across the oil and gas value chain. The company’s portfolio includes automated valve packages, control systems and engineered solutions designed to enhance safety, improve system efficiency and optimize asset reliability in demanding operating environments.

The company’s participation at AOG 2026 comes at a pivotal time for Angola’s oil and gas sector. The country is pursuing an ambitious strategy to sustain crude production above one million barrels per day while expanding natural gas monetization and downstream capacity. Major upstream developments, including deepwater projects, brownfield optimization campaigns and frontier exploration, are creating new opportunities for technology providers capable of supporting high-performance operations.

As Angola’s premier oil and gas event, AOG 2026 serves as a strategic platform for companies to engage with decision-makers, showcase solutions and strengthen commercial partnerships. Cornerstone Valve’s sponsorship underscores the growing role of engineering and technology providers in supporting Angola’s next phase of oil and gas development.

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) (www.ICIEC.IsDB.org), a Shariah-based multilateral credit and political risk insurer and member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, convened a high-level panel discussion titled “De-Risking Trade & Investment for Regional Prosperity” on the sidelines of the IsDB Group Private Sector Forum 2026 in Baku.

 

Held at the Baku Convention Center, the session brought together senior representatives from Azerbaijani public and private sector stakeholders, export credit agencies, multilateral development banks, commercial banks, insurers, investors, government entities, State-Owned Enterprises, and business leaders.

The discussion focused on how risk mitigation can unlock private capital, strengthen investor confidence, and support regional integration across Azerbaijan, ICIEC Member States, and the broader OIC region, in alignment with the Annual Meetings theme, “Regional Integration for Sustainable Prosperity”. Convened in Baku, the session explored how political risk insurance, trade credit insurance, and credit enhancement solutions can help transform opportunities in infrastructure, energy, logistics, ICT, manufacturing, and trade into bankable projects, while supporting Azerbaijan’s expanding role as a regional gateway for investment, connectivity, export-oriented growth, and wider OIC market integration.

The event featured keynote remarks by Mr. Yusif Abdullayev, Executive Director of the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO), who highlighted Azerbaijan’s growing role as a regional hub for trade, investment, and connectivity.

The panel featured Dr. Khalid Khalafalla, Chief Executive Officer of ICIEC; Mr. Yuichiro Akita, President of the Berne Union; Mr. Sujithav Sarangi, Executive Director, Development and Agency Finance Team, Standard Chartered; and Mr. John Lentaigne, Global Head of Structured Credit and Political Risks, Specialist Risk Group. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Elnur Aliyev, Advisor to the Chairman, KOBIA Azerbaijan.

Speaking during the session, Dr. Khalid Khalafalla said: “Regional prosperity can only deliver its full development impact when trade and investment opportunities are supported by confidence, bankability, and effective risk mitigants. ICIEC’s Shariah-compliant solutions help governments, financial institutions, and investors move from ambition to implementation and execution. Through strong partnerships with public and private sector institutions, ICIEC is helping mobilise capital for strategic sectors, reduce perceived and actual risks, and support sustainable growth across Member States and beyond.”

The discussion underscored that Regional Prosperity requires more than connectivity and project pipelines. It requires a coordinated ecosystem in which governments, financial institutions, insurers, investors, and development partners work together to manage risk, mobilise finance, and deliver tangible development outcomes. The session reinforced ICIEC’s role as a catalyst for trade, investment, and sustainable development through Shariah-compliant risk mitigation solutions, partnership-building, and support for investment-ready projects across Member States.