CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s Green Economy Summit (24–27 February 2026) will present a curated, deal‑ready pipeline of climate projects from more than 25 African countries. Since 2023 our mission has been unchanged: connect global capital with Africa’s ventures. This year’s portfolio spans early‑stage SMMEs and bankable expansion and infrastructure opportunities, together seeking approximately USD 3.09 billion in funding – roughly USD 90 million for SMME-stage pitches and nearly USD 3 billion for expansion and infrastructure.

The projects cover energy, waste, e-mobility and circular economy, food and agriculture, blue economy, built environment and nature‑based solutions, offering investors a rare, investable cross‑section of climate solutions across the continent.

 

Deal‑ready, technically validated pipeline

AGES is designed to accelerate transactions through focused pitch sessions, curated 1:1 matchmaking and investor briefings that align founders, DFIs, commercial banks, venture funds and specialist partners. The projects on stage are beyond concept: most have pilots, offtake LOIs or bankable feasibility studies. That technical validation, combined with near‑term market demand, creates investable opportunities – provided the right mix of catalytic capital, blended finance and structured risk mitigation.

Elodie Ashdown, Investment Project Lead at VUKA Group, adds: “AGES presents curated deal flow where catalytic investors can unlock both impact and return – from decentralised hydrogen manufacturing to circular industrial solutions and resilient food systems. Now is the moment to mobilise blended capital and turn validated pilots into regional industries.”

 

Strategic verticals

 

• Alternative energy: Projects include electrolyser BoP manufacturing, battery assembly, decentralised solar mini‑grids and AI‑driven energy management. These investments address decarbonisation, energy stability and domestic manufacturing, accelerating access to reliable, low‑carbon power and reducing diesel dependence.

 

• Waste management & circular economy: Initiatives range from pyrolysis and advanced battery recycling to medical‑waste sterilisation and composite manufacturing. These solutions turn waste into traded products and feedstock, reduce landfill pressure and generate measurable carbon outcomes – attractive  to impact‑focused and risk‑adjusted investors.

 

• Sustainable agriculture & blue economy: Proposals include vertical farming, organic‑waste‑to‑bioproduct systems, traceable small‑scale fisheries, seaweed‑to‑fuel pathways and insect‑based feed platforms. Combined with nature‑based investments – catchment  restoration, urban composting, market infrastructure, these projects strengthen food security, livelihoods and carbon finance potential.

 

Investor ecosystem & financing approaches

Expected investor participants are well matched to the pipeline’s needs:

 

• Multilaterals and climate funds: concessional finance and guarantees for large infrastructure and nature‑capital projects.
• Commercial banks and asset managers: project finance and structured lending for revenue‑backed ventures.
• Impact VCs and growth funds: equity to scale SME platforms and technology businesses.
• Specialist investors and sector partners: technical expertise that reduces execution risk and accelerates market access.
• Credit enhancement and local‑currency intermediaries: bridge foreign capital with on‑the‑ground lending.

 

Strategically pairing instruments to project maturity – from  pilot funding and blended concessional finance to commercial debt and equity – will  be critical to convert validated opportunities into industrial capacity and jobs.

 

Market context and readiness

Several market trends support investability: declining renewable and storage costs; stronger corporate carbon commitments and regulation; and policy and SEZ approvals enabling on‑shoring of green manufacturing. For higher‑risk technologies (e.g., some power‑to‑liquid pathways), staged financing that blends demonstration and commercial capital will be essential.

 

“African ecosystems are maturing and investor interest is translating into tangible manufacturing prospects and skilled jobs across the Western Cape and beyond,” says Amanda Ganca, Head of Investment at WESGRO.

 

Africa’s Green Economy Summit is a practical convening for investors ready to move from commitment to deployment. Founders will deliver concise five‑minute pitches followed by five minutes of Q&A, with curated matchmaking and targeted 1:1 meetings. Institutional and strategic investors are invited to attend pitch sessions, join investor briefings and consider catalytic commitments that accelerate manufacturing, job creation and resilient systems across Africa.

 

The Africa Green Economy Summit brings together an influential coalition of leaders and partners shaping the continent’s sustainable future — led by the Host Organisation, the African Union, with Sanlam Investments as Title Sponsor, Standard Bank as Gold Sponsor, and Silver Sponsors FSD Africa, Gautrain and UNOPS. Proudly hosted in partnership with the City of Cape Town, and supported by Government Partners including the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Summit creates a powerful platform for collaboration, investment and action — join them and many more as we accelerate Africa’s green growth journey.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, February 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Venezuela’s long-dormant oil and gas sector is rapidly reactivating in early 2026, sharpening the relevance of Caribbean Energy Week (CEW)’s First Mover Advantage in Venezuela’s Frontier session. Recent developments – including a visit by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to assess the country’s oil-sector overhaul, alongside new U.S. licensing measures enabling foreign companies to handle Venezuelan crude – signal a renewed pathway for commercial engagement with the world’s largest proven oil-reserve base.

Venezuela holds roughly 300 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, a resource endowment larger than any other country, yet decades of sanctions, underinvestment and bottlenecks in output have kept actual production far below potential. Recent shifts suggest a meaningful pivot toward reintegration and growth: expanded U.S. licences are supporting a return of Venezuelan crude to export flows, and global energy companies like Shell are exploring offshore gas projects that could position Venezuela as a Caribbean‑Atlantic gas exporter in the next few years.

Last month, Venezuela enacted oil sector reform laws that roll back state monopolies and open the industry to private and foreign participation, including potential minority ownership and arbitration protections. These changes – driven by interim leadership and influenced by U.S. engagement – mark the most significant overhaul in decades and are designed to attract capital and technical expertise back into the market.

At CEW 2026, the First Mover Advantage in Venezuela’s Frontier session will showcase how these shifts translate into concrete opportunities for investors and operators. With production targets set to rise – Venezuelan output has climbed toward one million barrels per day and could return to pre‑blockade levels by mid‑2026 under expanded licensing frameworks – understanding how to enter early and navigate the regulatory, fiscal and operational environment will be critical.

For Caribbean stakeholders in particular, Venezuela’s strategic location and resource profile make it a potential driver of regional energy security and market stability. Heavy crude from Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt has historically supplied regional refineries and markets, and renewed export flows could support Caribbean demand while enhancing trade linkages with North America and beyond. The session will unpack both short‑term plays – such as crude supply agreements and logistics optimization – and longer‑term strategic partnerships.

Investor interest is also being shaped by geopolitical dynamics. U.S. engagement – including calls by Energy Secretary Wright for a “flood of investment” – underscores Washington’s interest in balanced, commercially viable partnerships. While major U.S. firms like ExxonMobil remain cautious, reforms that reduce state dominance, provide clearer dispute resolution pathways and expand market access are being actively discussed and developed.

CEW 2026 will bring together policymakers, energy company leaders, financiers and regional energy planners to explore these dynamics in depth. Participants will gain insights into how Venezuela’s resource base, evolving legal regime and shifting international engagement can intersect with Caribbean and American commercial interests. For investors seeking first‑mover advantage in hydrocarbons or related energy infrastructure, this forum provides a roadmap for engagement at a pivotal moment in Venezuela’s energy resurgence.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 19, 2026/APO Group/ –As Africa seeks to capitalize on surging global demand for critical minerals to drive GDP growth and industrialization, regional collaboration is emerging as a strategic imperative to unlock the continent’s full resource potential. Holding approximately 30% of the world’s critical mineral reserves – including the largest global shares of platinum group metals (PGMs), manganese and chrome – Africa is positioned to play a leading role in global supply chains. However, with intra-African trade accounting for only 16% of total African trade, significant opportunities remain to strengthen cross-border cooperation and build integrated mineral value chains. Enhanced regional collaboration offers a pathway for African countries to address longstanding structural challenges, including limited access to financing and inadequate infrastructure and shortages in technical skills.

 

Recent Regional Cooperation Deals

Against this backdrop, African governments and mining financiers are accelerating partnerships to enhance geological knowledge, unlock investment and strengthen industrial capacity. A notable example is the agreement between Gabon’s Ministry of Mines and Geological Resources and Council for Geoscience of South Africa. The partnership enables Gabon to leverage South Africa’s expertise in geological mapping, exploration and resource assessment to improve its national mineral database and support the diversification of its mining sector. With South Africa’s extensive experience as the world’s leading producer of PGMs, chrome and manganese, as well as its historical position as a dominant gold producer, the agreement provides Gabon with technical support to accelerate the development of its potash, manganese and iron ore sectors. Equally important, the partnership prioritizes local capacity building, workforce development and knowledge transfer, strengthening Gabon’s institutional and technical capabilities to support long-term mining sector growth.

 

“Africa’s integration is a strategic economic vision. Harmonizing natural resource laws and aligning with frameworks like the ECOWAS Mining Code and African Minerals Vision is key, but national interests disrupt continental coordination, limiting the continent’s mining potential,” Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources said in Cape Town earlier this month.

Financial cooperation is also playing a pivotal role in unlocking regional mineral development. In February 2026, South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s Fonds de Promotion de l’Industrie to jointly finance and co-develop projects across the mining, energy and logistics value chain. This agreement brings together two of Africa’s most strategically important mineral economies, combining South Africa’s financial capacity and industrial expertise with the DRC’s vast reserves of cobalt, copper, tin and other critical minerals. By aligning development finance institutions, the partnership reduces funding constraints that have historically delayed project development, while directing capital toward beneficiation infrastructure, processing facilities and transport corridors that enable greater value addition within Africa.

Similarly, several African producers are leveraging South Africa’s technical expertise to de-risk exploration and accelerate mineral sector development. Nigeria and South Sudan have signed cooperation agreements with South African institutions focused on geological mapping, exploration and technical collaboration. These partnerships form part of broader national strategies to diversify economic growth away from petroleum dependence and toward mining-led industrialization. By strengthening geological knowledge and improving resource certainty, such agreements enhance investor confidence, reduce exploration risk and position Nigeria and South Sudan to attract long-term mining investment.

Strategic Value of Regional Cooperation

These agreements reflect a growing recognition among African governments that regional cooperation is essential to unlocking the continent’s mineral wealth. Many of Africa’s most valuable mineral belts extend across national borders, making coordinated infrastructure development, regulatory alignment and investment frameworks critical for efficient resource extraction and commercialization. Regional cooperation enables countries to pool financial resources, share infrastructure such as railways, power systems and ports, and coordinate industrial strategies that support downstream beneficiation and manufacturing.

Speaking in Cape Town in mid-February, Henry Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, stated: “Africa must finance strategic mineral corridors such as Lagos–Abidjan and Lagos–Maputo, not just to export raw materials, but to build cross-border processing industries that create jobs and retain value within the continent.”

Platform for Advancing Cooperation

Building on the growing momentum for regional cooperation, African Mining Week, taking place from October 14–16 in Cape Town, will serve as a critical platform for advancing partnerships across the continent’s mining sector. The event will bring together policymakers, investors, mining companies and financial institutions to strengthen collaboration, showcase investment opportunities and accelerate the development of integrated African mineral value chains. As Africa positions itself at the center of the global energy transition and critical minerals supply chain, such partnerships will be instrumental in transforming the continent’s resource wealth into long-term economic growth and industrial development.