CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 9, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa holds 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves, positioning the continent at the center of the global energy transition and industrial supply chain realignment. With global mineral demand set to increase four-fold by 2050, this position becomes increasingly strategic – and it is within this context that African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 emerges as a critical platform to convert geological potential into investable projects, partnerships and value-chain development across the continent.

 

Taking place October 14-16 in Cape Town, AMW 2026 returns with a sharpened focus on partnerships and transactions that advance Africa’s mineral value chain. This year’s event takes place under the theme Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value, reflecting a growing emphasis on project bankability, downstream beneficiation and cross-border collaboration as Africa seeks to strengthen its position in increasingly competitive global minerals markets.

Rising Mineral Output, Strengthened Global Trade Flows

Africa hosts some of the world’s largest reserves of cobalt, platinum group metals, chrome, coltan and manganese, placing the continent at the forefront of global minerals essential to electrification, clean energy deployment and industrial expansion. As demand for these resources accelerates and commodity prices are expected to remain elevated through 2026, Africa’s role as a strategic supply partner is becoming increasingly pronounced. Within this context, AMW 2026 will examine how African producers can move beyond volume-led growth to capture greater value across mining, processing and trade.

International Partnerships Drive Production

Across the continent, mineral producers are scaling-up production, leveraging international partnerships to secure capital and technical expertise. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – Africa’s largest copper producer and the world’s leading cobalt supplier – recently partnered with the U.S to leverage technical expertise and financing to unlock an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral potential. Speaking at AMW 2025, the country’s Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba, underscored the level of opportunity that remains in the country, explaining that “Opportunities across the mining sector in the DRC are huge, with 90% of our resources awaiting greenfield exploration.”

Similarly, Guinea – home to the world’s largest bauxite reserves – is enhancing cooperation with global investors to maximize its mineral value chain under the Simandou 2040 – an international cooperation and national development strategy. Securing $20 billion in international investments for the Simandou iron ore project, Guinea is leveraging this global partnership model to expand bauxite production and processing, corelating to a 25% increase in bauxite exports in 2025.

Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, is positioning its copper sector as a catalyst for economic expansion, GDP growth and employment creation. The country is actively engaging international investors to achieve its 2031 production target of 3.1 million tons per annum, reinforcing Africa’s role in future copper supply chains.

Balancing Exports with Local Value Addition

As global mineral demand rises, African governments are increasingly prioritizing local beneficiation to retain value, deepen domestic supply chains and unlock broader economic growth. Ghana, Africa’s largest gold producer, recently signed an agreement with South Africa’s Rand Refinery to expand domestic gold processing capacity. Mali is developing a 200-ton-per-annum gold refinery in partnership with Russian investors. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest lithium producer, is working with Chinese investors to expand lithium processing capacity ahead of its 2027 ban on lithium concentrate exports. These moves signal a broader shift form export-centered development models to strategies that prioritize domestic markets.

As global competition for critical minerals intensifies, Africa’s ability to align production growth with beneficiation, investment readiness and policy coherence will define its long-term position in global supply chains. AMW 2026 will serve as a focal point for advancing the partnerships and transactions needed to translate mineral wealth into sustainable economic value across the continent.

“AMW 2026 is designed to bring project developers, governments and international investors into the same room to accelerate transactions that move Africa’s mining sector from potential to production and value creation,” stated Rachelle Kasongo, Event Director, AMW.

AMW 2026 serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

KIGALI, Rwanda, February 6, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) has formally endorsed the upcoming Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, positioning the May 2026 gathering as a critical platform for investment, partnership and policy dialogue across the continent. Scheduled for May 14-15 in Rwanda’s capital, the forum is expected to convene approximately 2,800 CEOs, heads of state, ministers and business leaders, reinforcing its status as the largest annual meeting of Africa’s private sector.

 

For the AEC, Kigali represents a strategic venue where African decision-makers, global investors and industry leaders can align around practical solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenge: ending energy poverty while accelerating economic growth. By bringing together stakeholders from more than 90 countries alongside hundreds of government representatives and journalists, the forum creates a rare environment capable of translating dialogue into bankable projects and long-term partnerships.

This positioning aligns with the Africa CEO Forum’s core mission: highlighting the driving role of the private sector in Africa’s development through high-level networking, deal-making opportunities and strategic analysis from leading institutions. Participants gain access to decision-makers, insight into emerging investment projects and direct engagement with public authorities seeking public-private partnerships.

Energy remains central to these discussions. Despite Africa’s vast natural resources, over 600 million still lack access to reliable electricity and 900 million to clean cooking solutions, constraining industrialization, job creation and social development. The AEC maintains that addressing this crisis will require sustained investment across oil, gas, power and emerging low-carbon technologies – supported by regulatory certainty and African financial leadership.

“Africa’s energy future should be defined by Africa – and platforms such as the Africa CEO Forum are strategic opportunities to advance Africa’s energy narrative. The Forum in Kigali provides the platform where investors, governments and industry can engage directly, mobilize capital at scale and build partnerships that deliver reliable, affordable power to African citizens,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

Kigali also reflects a broader shift in confidence toward African economic leadership. Rwanda’s rise as a hub for high-level continental dialogue shows how stable governance, investment-friendly policies and regional connectivity can position African cities at the forefront of global business discussions. Ultimately, Africa’s journey toward energy security and prosperity will be defined by partnerships forged on the continent itself.

As momentum builds toward May, the AEC is calling on energy stakeholders across the value chain to engage actively in Kigali – bringing projects, financing solutions and long-term commitment. Participation ensures that Africa’s economic and energy future is not merely discussed abroad, but designed, financed and delivered where it matters most.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 6, 2026/APO Group/ –The high‑profile exit of global energy major TotalEnergies from deepwater Blocks 11B/12B and 5/6/7 – home to the Brulpadda and Luiperd gas discoveries – was a significant setback for South Africa’s plans to use domestic resources to boost energy security and economic growth. TotalEnergies, together with partners QatarEnergy and CNR International, gave up their stakes after determining that the discoveries could not be commercially developed under the existing market conditions and regulatory framework.

 

The exits underscored long‑standing industry frustrations with South Africa’s legal and regulatory environment, widely seen as lacking the clarity and predictability that deepwater investors demand. That backdrop helps explain the government’s passage of the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act (UPRD Act) – a standalone legislative framework designed to replace the petroleum provisions embedded in the old Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and provide a bespoke upstream regime.

At its core, the UPRD Act aims to accelerate exploration and production of South Africa’s petroleum resources by providing clear rules and stable rights for companies – key to attracting major investment. It combines exploration and production rights into a single petroleum right, sets out controlled licensing rounds, guarantees third-party access to infrastructure, and establishes the Petroleum Agency of South Africa as a clear regulatory authority. The law also promotes active participation by the State and previously disadvantaged South Africans, mandates local content, allows a share of output to be sold for strategic stock purposes, and separates oil and gas regulation from mining rules to reduce red tape and simplify operations.

Yet the big question remains: will this new legal certainty be enough to lure back the supermajors, or has the landscape shifted toward leaner, more aggressive independent companies seeking opportunities where majors have stepped away?

“Simply put, TotalEnergies’ exit was a blow to South Africa’s energy industry. These discoveries brought to light alternative energy solutions for a country plagued with a decade‑long energy crisis. However, without clear, predictable rules, even world‑class discoveries struggle to progress to commercial development. It shows how regulatory reform is essential to restoring investor confidence,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

The UPRD Act now provides that framework, but timing is crucial. The regulations needed to put the Act into practice are still being finalized, and until these rules – covering licensing, environmental safeguards and rights administration – are published and tested in early rounds, investor confidence is likely to remain cautious.

For supermajors, investment decisions are increasingly guided by a global strategy that prioritizes projects with clearer returns and lower regulatory risk. With growing pressure to meet climate targets and streamline their portfolios amid the energy transition, deepwater frontier projects in emerging markets are less appealing unless they come with clear, predictable terms.

This creates an opening for independent and smaller players. Companies like Africa Energy Corp. – which increased its stake in Block 11B/12B after the majors’ exit – could view South Africa’s upstream sector as a promising opportunity. With leaner cost structures and a greater tolerance for frontier risk, these players can advance projects that supermajors may avoid, potentially driving local value creation and technology transfer through a different investment model.

Looking ahead to African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – the continent’s premier energy summit bringing together governments, investors and service companies – the UPRD Act is expected to be a central topic in discussions surrounding South Africa. AEW offers a high‑profile platform to showcase the country’s evolving policy landscape and could set the stage for the first post‑Act licensing round. Industry leaders are likely to debate whether the framework delivers on its promise of stability and what conditions might be needed to attract supermajors back.

Ultimately, South Africa’s upstream rebound will depend on execution: if the regulations foster transparency, competitive terms and confidence in governance, the UPRD Act could be a turning point. If not, the sector may settle into a new normal where ambitious independents, rather than supermajors, drive the next chapter of oil and gas development.