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African Energy Chamber to Host Local Content, Business Development Roundtable at NIEC 2023

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The African Energy Chamber will host a roundtable discussion at 12:30 on 25 April at the Namibia International Energy Conference in Windhoek centered on how Namibian businesses can seize the opportunities created by first oil and gas development

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 24, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Serving as the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org) is pleased to announce that it will host a roundtable at 12:30 on Tuesday 25 April at the Namibian International Energy Conference (NIEC) 2023. Taking place under the theme, ‘Business Development in Oil and Gas,’ the roundtable serves as a foundation for investing in and developing Africa’s oil and gas resources while exploring opportunities for Namibian stakeholders and business players across the country’s burgeoning oil and gas industry.

Hosted by the AEC, speakers include Robert Mwanachilenga, General Manager of Reconnaissance Energy Namibia and Anthony Paul, Energy, Policy & Strategy Advisor. The roundtable will focus on local content, discussing opportunities for Namibian-owned businesses and stakeholders, while advocating for oil and gas monetization in Africa. It will emphasize Africa’s vast reserves of crude oil and natural gas as critical resources to provide consistent power supply for over 600 million people currently lacking access to electricity.

Despite holding vast quantities of oil and gas, lack of investment in major producing countries, delayed exploration campaigns in potential markets and global pressure to reduce oil and gas utilization has significantly delayed development progress in Africa. However, recent trends are expected to turn this around with new discoveries being made in Namibia – at the Venus, Graff and Jonker wells – accelerated exploration campaigns in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, among others, and large-scale infrastructure projects being developed in Angola, Uganda, Senegal and Mauritania. These developments not only make a strong case for investment opportunities in Africa but are set to transform the economic space through new supplies being brought on the market, the opening of economic opportunities such as job prospects and infrastructure rollout on a large-scale basis.

The AEC-hosted roundtable discussion at the NIEC 2023 represents a crucial opportunity for driving the conversation around Africa’s oil and gas resources in the 2023

In Namibia, for example, the three major oil and gas discoveries made in 2022 and 2023 by global energy majors Shell, TotalEnergies and Qatar Energy promise new opportunities for both domestic market growth and regional economic development. Since these discoveries, E&P players have been quick to seize the opportunities present in the basin with the launch of new exploration campaigns country-wide. Reconnaissance Africa, for instance, is actively exploring the Kavango Basin. Additionally, the country has made significant progress in regional collaboration, engaging with neighboring countries such as Angola, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea to establish partnerships and foster knowledge-sharing. These advancements are anticipated to create more opportunities for investors, and the roundtable discussion will provide clear insights on these prospects.

The opportunities created by these three major discoveries transcend energy supplies, with the AEC roundtable exploring what these developments will mean for Namibian-owned businesses. In addition to job creation opportunities, Namibia’s nascent oil and gas market is expected to trigger newfound prospects for business expansion and involvement, as more Namibians turn their attention to the high-potential hydrocarbons sector. During the roundtable, speakers will investigate how Namibians can seize opportunities created by the discoveries, the opportunities for enhancing the participation of women and youth in the industry, and how businesses and people can build partnerships, forge joint ventures and drive the industry into a new era of success. It will also provide insight into the AEC’s recently launched local content office in Namibia, detailing how the office will serve to promote local content and capacity building across the entire energy value chain,

The roundtable will play an important role in bringing together experts, stakeholders and key players in the industry to discuss the challenges, opportunities and strategies for promoting sustainable growth and development across the African oil and gas sector. Such discussions will help identify key trends and issues facing the industry, such as unproductive policies, global market dynamics and investment trends while speakers being to explore ways to overcome these challenges and maximize opportunities. On the engagement side, the roundtable will serve as a crucial platform for the facilitation of networking and collaboration across the industry, as delegates share insights, experiences and best practices. Critically, the roundtable will promote dialogue, knowledge sharing and collaboration, serving as the foundation for sustainable growth on the back of industry-focused dialogue and knowledge exchange.

“The AEC-hosted roundtable discussion at the NIEC 2023 represents a crucial opportunity for driving the conversation around Africa’s oil and gas resources in the 2023, energy-transition landscape. Africa cannot afford to leave its oil and gas in the ground. Africa needs these resources to develop, industrialize and electrify its economies, ensuring long-term and sustainable economic progress. Africa’s oil and gas resources give it a competitive edge and the roundtable will focus on how to invest, where to invest and why to invest in Africa. We look forward to hosting a lively discussion around business development in oil and gas,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.

Join the AEC and other high-level stakeholders at the Business Development in Oil and Gas roundtable at the NIEC 2023 on Tuesday.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Energy

Building a Knowledge Hub for China-ASEAN Energy Cooperation

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NANNING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – During the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, China Southern Power Grid showcased a range of innovations designed to support energy cooperation between China and ASEAN. These included the DaWatt – Lao Language Large Language Model (LLM) for the Energy and Power Sector V2.0 and the Flexible Grayscale Intelligent Monitoring & Analysis Platform for power system cybersecurity, highlighting expanding opportunities for cooperation in digitalization, intelligent technologies and green energy.

The Lao-language LLM has been deployed at Electricité du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), where it can automatically analyze thousands of inspection images within a short period of time. After its algorithms were optimized for Laos’ mountainous and rainforest terrain, the model completed intelligent inspection analysis for four transmission lines, processing 26,000 drone inspection images and identifying more than 3,600 equipment defects.

 




 
 

Liu Ying, general manager of the Digitalization Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd., said the company has been building multilingual professional corpora for the power sector, covering ASEAN countries including Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia. Drawing on the capabilities of the DaWatt foundation model, the company is developing energy and power models tailored to ASEAN languages and real-world power industry applications.

Talent development is another focus of the cooperation. The China-ASEAN Institute of Energy, jointly established by Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Guangxi University, is exploring an industry-university training model with a strong emphasis on practical experience. So far, two cohorts totaling 53 students from ASEAN countries have enrolled.

Cooperation is also evolving from one-way training toward joint innovation. Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. and the Royal Academy of Cambodia have jointly established a laboratory for artificial intelligence and safety equipment, while the company has also launched peer-to-peer exchanges with Electricité du Laos on improving power supply reliability.

To address language barriers in cross-border technical exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has developed an AI-powered translation platform backed by a specialized database containing terminology for more than 1,800 types of power equipment. The platform supports accurate translation between Chinese and English, Chinese and Lao, and Chinese and Vietnamese.

At a recent training program for Chinese and overseas engineers, the system supported one-click generation of bilingual course materials and real-time speech translation, helping participants navigate highly specialized power-sector terminology.

To support regular international exchanges, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. has also established an international talent pool covering management, technical and skilled personnel. It has developed 24 hours of courses on international affairs as well as 20 short-form video courses.

“This year, we will also explore joint postgraduate programs with universities in ASEAN countries,” said Sun Xiaohua, deputy director of the Human Resources Department at Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd.

Looking ahead, Guangxi Power Grid Co., Ltd. plans to further advance a development model featuring “R&D in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, integration in Guangxi, and application in ASEAN.” The company will continue expanding its multilingual power-sector corpora and explore a “Token Goes Global” model for power-sector AI, with computing resources and models based in Guangxi while knowledge services are delivered overseas. The effort is aimed at creating new forms of China-ASEAN energy cooperation and supporting the green development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0.
 




 

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24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival to Showcase Asia’s Spectacular Autumn Colors

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BAZHONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – The 24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival will run from October 1 to November 18 at the Guangwu Mountain Tourism Area in Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China.

Located in southwest China, Guangwu Mountain boasts a forest coverage rate of 97%, earning its reputation as a “natural oxygen bar.” Each autumn, 680 square kilometers of mountain forests burst into a dazzling palette. Over 40 tree species, including Fagus pashanica, maples and lindens, weave the mountains into a stunning autumn landscape.

Known as “Asia’s longest natural red carpet,” the Mountain has become a top autumn destination for backpackers, photographers and travelers seeking immersive cultural and nature experiences, and is widely recognized as one of western China’s signature autumn attractions.

 




 
 

The tourism area caters to international visitors who prefer slower-paced, in-depth, off-the-beaten-path travel. The new Yanziling Loop Boardwalk, launched in May 2026, winds along mountain cliffs, with a sea of clouds rolling beneath visitors’ feet and brilliant foliage unfolding alongside the trail, creating the feeling of “stepping into a painting.”

Guangwu Mountain offers a wealth of outdoor attractions. Highlights include the 1,888-meter Red Leaf Coaster and a glass water slide certified by Guinness World Record, combining thrilling experiences with stunning natural scenery.

The large-scale immersive production “New Dream of Guangwu Mountain” integrates cutting-edge light and visual technology with Bashan folklore and traditions, transforming the forest into an atmospheric nighttime experience. Visitors can also enjoy welcome performances and interactive robot activities, which offer more ways to discover the mountain’s late-autumn charm.

A major highlight of this year’s festival is the newly completed Micang Avenue. Stretching 85 kilometers, the route connects seven core scenic spots, including Guangwu Mountain, Micang Mountain, and Nuoshui River, reducing a four-hour drive to just one hour. Lined with continuous stretches of colorful forest and layered peaks, the avenue brings brand-new travel experiences for autumn foliage enthusiasts.

The festival will also feature cultural, sports and international exchange activities, including the third season of the “Sending You a Red Leaf” campaign, the China Micang Avenue International Road Cycling Race, and the “World Red Leaf Landmark” global collection campaign.

In addition, 31 scenic attractions and 18 museums and cultural venues across Bazhong will provide special ticket offers and visitor benefits during the festival.

Across mountains and seas, Guangwu Mountain invites visitors from around the world to witness one of China’s most vibrant red-and-gold autumn displays.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
 
 




 

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Business

DHL Invests in Greater Middle East-Africa Connectivity with New Aviation Lane

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The investment also reflects shifting global supply chains, as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond traditional corridors

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 21, 2026/APO Group/ —
  • New weekly B767/F Bahrain-Johannesburg service strengthens Sub-Saharan Africa connectivity and supports growing trade flows between Africa, the Gulf and global markets

DHL Express (www.DHL.com) has marked an important milestone in its regional aviation network with the successful operation of the first direct DHL flight between Bahrain and South Africa.

The inaugural flight arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, opening a new weekly aviation lane operated by a DHL Express B767/F freighter. The route reinforces DHL’s continued investment in strengthening Sub-Saharan Africa network connectivity, expanding heavier-weight capability, improving flexibility and supporting growing trade flows between the Middle East and Africa.

 




  

As trade between Africa and the Middle East develops, businesses need resilient, well-connected logistics networks. The new service provides greater inbound and outbound capacity for South Africa and neighbouring countries through the DHL Johannesburg Hub, one of the company’s key gateways on the continent.

 

The investment also reflects shifting global supply chains, as companies diversify sourcing, manufacturing and customer markets beyond traditional corridors. Bahrain’s position as a gateway between Africa, the Gulf and Asia make it an important link for businesses seeking faster access to international markets.

 

Every new connection we introduce is designed with our customers in mind

“Every new connection we introduce is designed with our customers in mind. As global trade routes diversify and economic ties between Africa and the Middle East continue to strengthen, we are seeing powerful geographical tailwinds creating new opportunities for businesses. Demand is growing across sectors such as healthcare, technology, manufacturing and cross-border e-commerce, all of which rely on fast, reliable international logistics,” said Anthony Beckley, Vice President of Operations and Aviation for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

“While this first direct DHL flight between Bahrain and South Africa is a significant network milestone, its real value lies in the opportunities it creates for customers.”

 

 

South Africa is one of DHL’s Geographic Tailwinds markets, reflecting its growing role in global trade flows and its potential to drive future trade growth. And Johannesburg remains a critical gateway in DHL’s SSA network, linking South Africa and neighbouring markets to global opportunities through Bahrain and the wider DHL aviation network. Through continued investment in routes, aircraft capacity and hub connectivity, DHL is supporting customers across this dynamic lane.

 

“DHL Express is the only logistics provider operating a dedicated intra-regional air fleet across the Middle East, connecting customers through Bahrain with major global gateways including Hong Kong, Leipzig and Cincinnati,” said Richard Gale, Vice President of Aviation, DHL Express MENA.

 

“Bahrain’s position at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East makes it an ideal hub for customers seeking faster, more reliable access across these growing trade corridors. We are pleased to add this direct Johannesburg connection as economic ties between Africa and the Gulf deepen.”

 

DHL remains committed to helping customers seize opportunities created by changing trade patterns and expanding economic relationships.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of DHL Express.

 

 




 

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