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African Iron Ore: Driving Industrialization, Investment and Regional Growth

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Energy Capital

African Mining Week 2026 will showcase investment and lucrative prospects within Africa’s iron ore and steel manufacturing value chain

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 9, 2026/APO Group/ –Home to 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves, Africa has emerged as a strategic player in global supply chains. The continent’s iron ore sector, in particular, offers substantial growth opportunities, with global demand and new exploration campaigns making a strong case for investment. As capital expenditure across the sector increases, Africa has a unique opportunity to turn its iron ore resources into catalysts for sustainable economic growth – and countries are already responding to this call.

Iron Ore Emerges as Strategic Priority

The global iron ore market is expected to grow from $313 billion in 2026 to $425 billion by 2034, driven by infrastructure expansion, industrialization and the continued need for steel in automotive and construction applications. In response, African countries and institutions are moving to position iron ore as a strategic priority. The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has designated iron ore as a strategic resource critical for advancing Africa’s mineral production, manufacturing capabilities and industrialization agenda. In its Compendium of Africa’s Strategic Minerals study released in mid-February, the AFC states that, of the continent’s estimated $8.6 trillion in untapped mineral wealth, iron ore presents a unique opportunity to drive domestic steel and construction sectors while insulating Africa from global demand volatility.

South Africa has also made iron ore a pillar of its critical minerals expansion strategy which targets R2 trillion in investment over the next five years. Speaking in his mid-February State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “Our iron ore reserves are valued at more than R40 trillion, making mining a sunrise industry. After many years of declining investment in exploration, we are dedicating funds to geological mapping and exploration to harness our critical mineral reserves.”

Similarly, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is prioritizing iron ore exploitation as part of its strategy to unlock its $24 trillion in untapped mineral wealth. Speaking in Cape Town in mid-February, Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba highlighted the country’s $28 billion special economic zone program spanning the North East to South West, aimed at mining and processing iron ore into steel.

After many years of declining investment in exploration, we are dedicating funds to geological mapping and exploration to harness our critical mineral reserves

Earlier on, during African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, Kabamba highlighted the DRC’s iron ore potential in an exclusive interview with Energy Capital & Power. “We have 20 billion tons of iron ore – enough to supply steel for Africa. The continent must identify what is critical and prioritize it to drive regional growth,” he said.

African Projects Eye Domestic Markets

As iron ore production rises in Africa, many countries are integrating mining with broader industrial agenda. Guinea, for example, is leveraging its $20 billion Simandou iron ore project – the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposit – as the cornerstone of its Simandou 2040 strategy, a mining-sector-led economic diversification plan. The country aims to attract global investment not only into mining but across strategic sectors, channeling capital into 122 priority projects spanning infrastructure, health, education and agriculture.

Meanwhile, Liberia is on track to triple its iron ore output this year, fueling the expansion of its industrial sector. This growth is being driven by ongoing projects and capacity expansions from ArcelorMittal Liberia, Cavalla Resources, Westcrest, Zodiac, and Bao Chico. The country’s Minister of Mines Matenokay Tingban previously shared that the country expects to reach between 25 million and 30 million tons once all producers come online.

AMW 2026: Unlocking Investment and Industrial Potential

Ongoing developments highlight the strategic potential of Africa’s iron ore sector to drive mining growth, attract investment and fuel industrialization. With global demand for steel and iron rising, African nations are combining resource wealth with infrastructure development, local beneficiation and strategic financing to maximize value across the continent.

Stepping into this picture, the upcoming African Mining Week 2026 – scheduled for October 14–16 in Cape Town – will provide a premier platform to showcase these opportunities. The event will facilitate partnerships, deal signings and high-level discussions across the iron ore value chain, uniting governments, investors and private sector stakeholders to accelerate production, industrial growth and economic transformation across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Caribbean Energy Week 2027 Launches as Guyana’s Oil Boom Enters New Phase

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Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat joined Guyana’s government and industry leaders in Georgetown to highlight the widening pipeline of opportunities for local and international investors at the Caribbean Energy Week 2027 in-country launch

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, September 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana is rapidly approaching one million barrels per day of oil production, but the country’s next wave of growth could be defined as much by what happens beyond the oil fields as by the continued expansion of offshore output. That was the message from senior government and industry leaders in Georgetown on Tuesday as Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) 2027 officially launched in-country, bringing investors and energy stakeholders together around Guyana’s expanding pipeline of opportunities.

 




  

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat said Guyana’s production has surged from around 80,000 barrels per day in 2020 to more than 900,000 bpd, with the country on track to approach 1.7 million bpd by the end of the decade.

Bharrat highlighted exploration and the wider oil and gas value chain as major areas of opportunity, with Guyana’s local-content framework creating new avenues for international investors to partner with domestic companies. “You are in the right place, at the right time,” he told investors.

The government’s local-content drive is already reshaping that ecosystem. Nearly 1,300 companies are registered with the Local Content Secretariat and almost 7,000 Guyanese have been trained and certified to work directly in the oil and gas sector, Bharrat said.

“When we dropped that [Local Content Act], it was in no way meant to shut the door on foreign investment,” he said. “We have proven that the model can work, where we can have foreign investors partnering with our local private sector.”

We have proven that the model can work, where we can have foreign investors partnering with our local private sector

For Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer Peter R. Ramsaroop, the opportunity now extends beyond hydrocarbons. The country is entering a period of transformation in which energy availability and cost could unlock new investment across manufacturing and other industries.

“Energy is economics. It’s not a commodity, it’s a variable,” Ramsaroop said, pointing to the expected impact of lower electricity costs as Guyana’s Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project comes online.

The approximately 300-MW project is designed to process natural gas from the offshore Stabroek Block for power generation while recovering natural gas liquids. Lindsayca Guyana Country Manager and Board Member Luis Pirela said the project is targeting power generation before the end of 2026.

“With GtE, our goal is to bring energy to Guyana in the shortest time possible,” Pirela said, adding that Lindsayca is now sourcing close to 70% of its materials locally.

The project illustrates the wider shift underway in Guyana, where the rapid expansion of oil production is generating demand for infrastructure, services, manufacturing and local businesses while creating new opportunities for international investors. That transformation is also increasingly regional in scope – a central focus of Caribbean Energy Week 2027.

“Looking around this room, the strength of our collective leadership is clear,” said Sandra Jeque, Vice President at Energy Capital & Power, organizers of CEW. “We are here today to lay the groundwork for what will be a landmark event for the region – Caribbean Energy Week 2027 – at a critical moment for the Caribbean’s energy future.”

With Guyana emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers, CEW 2027 will bring that momentum into a regional forum focused on investment, partnerships and the next chapter of the Caribbean’s energy economy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 




 

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Invictus Energy Takes Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa Opportunity to African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as Bronze Partner

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Invictus Energy joins AEW 2026 as Bronze Partner as Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa project advances toward commercialization, drilling and gas-to-power development

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Invictus Energy will participate in African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Bronze Partner, bringing Zimbabwe’s Cabora Bassa Basin development into the continent’s premier energy investment forum. The partnership comes as Invictus shifts from frontier exploration toward commercial development following major discoveries, regulatory progress and a landmark production sharing agreement.

 




  

Invictus holds an 80% interest across 360,000 hectares in the Cabora Bassa Basin, where its Mukuyu discovery has established a significant gas-condensate resource. The company estimates the project contains 4.2 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas and 264 million barrels of condensate, positioning Cabora Bassa as a potential new source of domestic gas and power for Zimbabwe.

The company signed a petroleum production sharing agreement with the government of Zimbabwe in May this year, establishing the fiscal and commercial framework for future development. The agreement gives the state a 20% interest and incorporates the Mutapa Investment Fund, while providing a framework under which Zimbabwe can take its share through profits or physical gas volumes.

Its participation brings Zimbabwe’s emerging gas opportunity into direct conversation with investors, developers and energy companies from across the continent and beyond

Invictus is now preparing for its next major exploration catalyst, with the Musuma-1 well scheduled to spud in November. The well will target an independent prospect on the eastern basin margin containing an unrisked gross mean prospective resource of 1.2 tcf of gas and 73 million barrels of condensate, potentially expanding the basin’s commercial footprint.

The company has also secured Exalo Drilling Rig 202 through a deed of variation with Exalo Drilling, while wellpad construction, civil works and rig preparations advance ahead of mobilization. Invictus also completed an approximately $7-million capital raising in July, strengthening its funding position for the upcoming drilling program and wider appraisal activity.

Alongside exploration, Invictus is developing an early gas-to-power commercialization pathway centered on Mukuyu. A pilot project with Dallaglio and Himoinsa is designed to generate an initial 12 MW for the Eureka Gold Mine, with potential expansion to 50 MW as gas production develops and additional industrial demand emerges.

The company is also pursuing broader gas monetization through an MoU with Mbuyu Energy, potentially supplying gas-to-power generation facilities connected to the Southern African Power Pool. Longer-term plans include regional pipeline infrastructure and modular LNG production, creating multiple routes for Cabora Bassa gas to reach Zimbabwean and regional energy markets.

“Invictus Energy represents the type of African-led resource development that AEW is designed to showcase, where exploration success is being matched by commercial planning, government alignment and investment,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Its participation brings Zimbabwe’s emerging gas opportunity into direct conversation with investors, developers and energy companies from across the continent and beyond.”

Invictus’ Bronze Partnership gives AEW 2026 delegates direct engagement with an emerging African upstream developer advancing one of the continent’s most significant recent onshore gas discoveries. Its participation comes as Zimbabwe seeks to convert new hydrocarbon resources into domestic power generation, industrial growth and energy security, while attracting investment into an underexplored frontier basin.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

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bp Supply, Trading & Shipping Strengthens Global Market Focus at Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 as Gold Sponsor

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Moving around 240 million tons of oil, gas and products annually, bp Supply, Trading & Shipping will bring its global energy marketing and logistics expertise to Angola’s premier industry event

LUANDA, Angola, September 3, 2026/APO Group/ –bp Supply, Trading & Shipping – the distribution business of energy major bp – has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition as a Gold Sponsor, bringing the expertise of one of the world’s leading energy marketing, operations and trading businesses to discussions around Angola’s position in global oil and gas markets.

 




  

Connecting producers and suppliers with customers and markets worldwide, bp Supply, Trading & Shipping sits at the intersection of energy production, transportation and consumption. The company’s participation at AOG 2026 comes as Angola seeks to strengthen its position as a competitive oil and gas producer while maximizing the value generated from its resources.

As one of Africa’s largest oil and gas producers, Angola has set clear objectives to sustain production above one million barrels per day (bpd) while increasing natural gas development and exports. Monthly crude production measured approximately 31 million barrels in June 2026 – equivalent to 1.039 million bpd – while gas production averaged 2,663 million cubic feet per day. During the same period, Angola’s total crude liftings were 34.16 million barrels, of which 33 million barrels were exported and 1.07 million barrels made available for the Luanda refinery.

Looking ahead, Angola strives to bolster output through enhanced recovery and infill drilling at mature assets alongside forays into frontier exploration basins. Recent developments include TotalEnergies extending the life of the prolific Block 32, enabling the continuous development of the assets; Etu Energias advancing appraisal drilling at Block 2/05; Sonangol progressing a redevelopment program at Blocks 3/05 and 3/05A; and Afentra targeting 2026/2027 FID on its Block 3/24 discoveries.

As crude production stabilizes and gas output rises, Angola is gradually positioning itself to play an increasingly central role in global supply chains. As a strategic player in the global market, bp Supply, Trading & Shipping is well-positioned to support this next phase of growth. The business integrates bp’s oil, gas and lower-carbon value chains while providing capabilities spanning commodity trading, supply, logistics, pricing and risk management.

AOG 2026 will examine this entire value chain. The conference brings together policymakers, operators, financiers, service companies and other industry stakeholders to discuss investment opportunities spanning exploration and production, gas, infrastructure, logistics and downstream development.

For bp Supply, Trading & Shipping, the event provides a platform to engage stakeholders around the commercial systems underpinning international energy trade. As Gold Sponsor, the company is expected to contribute a global market perspective to conference discussions, reinforcing the importance of trading, shipping and integrated supply chains to Angola’s continued development as a major African energy producer.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 




 

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