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Global tech stakeholders converge at GITEX Africa advancing the race for digital excellence in the world’s rising innovation economy

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GITEX

Historic debut of Africa’s largest tech event welcomes 900 exhibitors and start-ups, 250 leading investors, 250 conference speakers and 30 ministerial delegations

MARRAKECH, Morocco, May 31, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Big tech stakeholders, international government entities, start-ups, youth, academia, and investors from across Africa and the world have gathered at the inaugural edition of GITEX Africa (www.GITEXAfrica.com), which opened today in Morocco (31 May) to augment collaborative pursuits and advance the continent’s race for digital excellence.

Running for three days in the Red City of Marrakech, Africa’s largest and most influential tech and start-up event is set to launch Africa into a golden age of digital inclusion, rallying the resilience of a youthful population and elevating tireless governments determined to redraw the boundaries of socio-economic development.

GITEX Africa is expected to attract tens of thousands of attendees from 120 countries in its debut edition, with powerful connections and valuable new relationships awaiting them in the form of 900 exhibiting tech companies and start-ups across 10 halls and 45,000sqm of exhibition space. 

African tech’s showpiece event, officially inaugurated by the Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, also features Africa’s most impactful leadership conference programme, with ten conference tracks exploring transformational topics advancing Africa’s digital agenda, from generative AI and digital cities, or Fintech and agritech, to healthcare, energy, innovation, sustainable development goals, and a spotlight on the world’s most exciting start-up ecosystem.

Forging public private sector alliances, augmenting socio-economic growth

GITEX Africa 2023 is held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and hosted by the Digital Development Agency (ADD), under the authority of the Moroccan Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform. 

The event is organised by KAOUN International, the overseas events organising company of Dubai World Trade Centre, which organises GITEX Global in Dubai, UAE, the world’s largest tech and start-up show, rated by tech executives as the world’s best global tech event.

Africa’s three-day hyper connector is also hosting for the first time the Smart Africa Digital Academy and the Council of African ICT Agencies (CAITA), the latest organ meeting of Smart Africa established to promote collaboration and cooperation in Information Communication Technology (ICT) investment across the African continent.

Smart Africa is an alliance of 37 African countries tasked with Africa’s digital agenda, to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent and usher Africa into the knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and the use of ICTs.

“We are pleased to join forces with GITEX Africa to collocate high-level events including our first ever Council of African IT Agencies (CAITA),” said Smart Africa’s Director General Mr. Lacina Koné. “This is a crucial forum for IT agencies to discuss policy and regulatory issues affecting them and develop solutions together.”

This is a crucial forum for IT agencies to discuss policy and regulatory issues affecting them and develop solutions together

Regional and international exhibitors spearheading the charge into GITEX Africa include American heavyweights IBM, Dell, Oracle, and Hewlett Packard; German software titan SAP; Lenovo, Huawei, and TP Link from China; DP World and the Technology Innovation Institute from the UAE; and Orange Maroc, Inwi, Maroc Telecom, and MTDS from Morocco.

Autodesk, the leading global software developer for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing and media & entertainment industries, is also participating at GITEX Africa to give regional talent the toolsets to support Africa’s digital aspirations.

Naji Atallah, Head of AEC and Manufacturing for EMEA Emerging at Autodesk, said: “By 2030, more than 50 percent of Africa’s population will live in cities, and with this increased urbanisation comes the urgent need to build better and more resilient cities, and to ensure that existing ones can grow more sustainably.

“This rapid growth, is in turn, accelerating the convergence of the construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries enabling a better way of designing and making things in four ways; workflow coordination, on-demand customization, visual creation and continuous reshaping of existing assets.”

Start-up founders battle for supremacy at Africa’s most valuable pitch competition

GITEX Africa 2023 has partnered with North Star, the world’s largest start-up event, converging more than 400 start-ups from 30 countries – 200 of which are international award-winners – presenting future-defining tech across multiple sectors, from agritech and sustainability, AI, and edtech, to fintech, healthcare, or mobility and smart cities. 

Fujn from the USA is among the global start-ups looking to extend engagements, build connections, and scale imaginations with key stakeholders in the tech ecosystem. “Africa is the continent with the youngest most digitally native population,” said Khadija Khartit, the founder of Fujn, an integrated technology platform that upskills women in the future of work via online self-paced curated courses. 

“Fujn focuses on the future of skills, work, and income for women, and we’re joining forces with GITEX Africa to enable a better future for African women by leveraging digital. 

“We’re seeking hands-on collaborations with African governments, NGOs, universities, and corporations, to upskill and provide income opportunities for African women.”

The GITEX Africa Supernova Challenge, Africa’s most valuable start-up pitch competition with US$100,000 in cash prizes, will meanwhile see 70 disruptive start-ups from 31 countries battle it out for supremacy across two days of live pitches in front of a 13-strong judging panel of global VCs, angel investors, and accelerators,  including Segun Cole, Founder of Fund the Gap Alliance, Nigeria; Janade Du Plessis, Fund Manager of Launch Africa, South Africa; and Vijay Tirathrai, Managing Director of Techstars from the UAE. 

The shortlist of Africa’s most coveted start-up pitch competition was selected from more than 300 applications, representing nations from across the globe, including Cameroon, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Gambia, Ghana, India, Israel, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uganda, UK, USA, and Zambia.

More information is available at www.GITEXAfrica.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of GITEX Africa.

Business

ACG CEO Paulo J. Cruz to Speak at the Leadership Summit 2026 in Luanda on How Sport and Entertainment Districts Can Accelerate Africa’s Productive Economy

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Paulo J. Cruz

Paulo J. Cruz joins CEOs from Angola’s telecoms, energy, data infrastructure, and technology sectors on the Productivity and Productive Economy panel at one of the country’s leading executive summits

LUANDA, Angola, November 10, 2026/APO Group/ –African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through the origination of bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems, today announced that its Founding CEO, Paulo J. Cruz, will speak at the 2nd Edition of the Leadership Summit 2026 (Cimeira de Liderança 2026) in Luanda, Angola, on 19 November 2026.

 




 
 

Mr Cruz will participate in Panel 3, “Productivity and Productive Economy,” alongside CEOs from Angola’s telecoms, energy, data infrastructure, and technology sectors, including the leaders of TVCABO Angola, Raxio Data Centres, Angola Cables, TIS, and EWT – Energy Water Telecom. The panel will be moderated by Kussi Bernardo, CEO of Multitel.

The Leadership Summit, held under the theme “Leadership that Generates Results: Strategy, Execution and Value,” convenes Presidents of Boards of Directors, CEOs, CFOs, and senior executives from Angola’s most strategic sectors, including oil and gas, mining, banking, telecoms, energy, industry, and agriculture. The event takes place at the Palmeiras Suite Hotel in Talatona, Luanda.

A Victory District™ generates revenue from 15 to 20 different asset types, creates thousands of permanent jobs, and operates 365 days a year

Mr Cruz will address how ACG’s origination of integrated sport and entertainment districts across Africa contributes directly to the transformation of the productive economy. His intervention will focus on how sport infrastructure, when conceived as a financially self-sustaining urban ecosystem rather than a standalone stadium, becomes a catalyst for job creation, tourism, diversified revenue generation, and long-term economic development.

“Sport infrastructure is not a social cost. It is a productive asset,” said Paulo J. Cruz, Founding CEO of ACG. “A Victory District™ generates revenue from 15 to 20 different asset types, creates thousands of permanent jobs, and operates 365 days a year. That is not a stadium. That is a contribution to the productive economy. I am honoured to share that vision alongside some of Angola’s most influential business leaders.”

ACG’s Victory District™ framework is designed to originate integrated, mixed-use sport and entertainment districts that move beyond single-venue development models. Each district combines stadiums, indoor arenas, training academies, hotels, conference centres, retail, entertainment, residential, and commercial space within a single masterplanned development, financed by private and institutional capital without reliance on public subsidy.

Mr Cruz brings more than 25 years of experience across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe in originating, structuring, and delivering large-scale infrastructure, urbanisation, and real estate development initiatives. Prior to ACG, he served as Senior Vice President at DAMAC Group, the largest private real estate developer in the Middle East, and as Group CEO of LandAfrique, a pan-African development platform focused on industrial parks, infrastructure, housing, and power projects across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Leadership Summit 2026 is an initiative of Clube De Valor™, focused on leadership, strategy, execution, and value creation across Angola’s business landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Collaborations Group (ACG).

 




 

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Energy

South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Djibouti to Headline South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026 Ministerial Panel

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SSOP

The Ministerial Panel will feature ministerial representatives from South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti and Uganda

JUBA, South Sudan, November 10, 2026/APO Group/ –Senior energy and government representatives from South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Djibouti will participate in a ministerial panel at South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026, taking place November 24-25 in Juba. The discussion will focus on strengthening regional energy cooperation, advancing cross-border infrastructure and attracting investment into East Africa’s petroleum sector.

 




 
 

Titled Regional Cooperation, Investment and Energy Security, the panel will feature Awow Daniel Chuang, Minister of Petroleum of South Sudan; Monica Musenero Masanza, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development of Uganda; Silvester Kasuku, Advisor, Governance, Executive Office of the President, Kenya; and Wahib Ali Boulo, Director of Hydrocarbons, Djibouti.

Their participation comes as East Africa enters a new exploration and production cycle, backed by the start of upstream projects in Uganda and Kenya, a drive to strengthen cross-border trade by Djibouti and efforts to increase crude production in South Sudan. Regional cooperation is supporting these activities and SSOP 2026 will provide a platform to explore East Africa’s broader energy renaissance.

Minister Chuang joins the event as South Sudan opens its upstream market to international investors. Under efforts to raise production from 174,000 barrels per day (bpd) to around 230,000 bpd in the near term, the country is inviting investors to support brownfield development, accelerate exploration and expand refining capacity. Around 14 blocks are currently available.

Uganda is also promoting investment in exploration as the country prepares to start oil production from the Kingfisher and Tilenga oilfields in June 2027. The fields represent the country’s entry into commercial oil production. Crude will be exported via the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, currently 92% complete, which connects the fields to Tanzania’s Port of Tanga. To sustain upstream investment, the country also plans to launch a licensing round in 2026/2027.

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Kenya is preparing to join East Africa’s oil producers as the country prepares for first production from the South Lokichar Basin in December 2026. Developed by Gulf Energy, the project targets 20,000 bpd in its first phase and 50,000 bpd in its second. The project coincides with investments in the downstream sector. In late-September 2026, Nigeria’s Dangote Group launched construction activities at a 700,000-bpd refinery in Lamu. A South Sudanese delegation, led by Minister Chuang, attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

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As regional neighbors prepare for commercial oil production, Djibouti continues to strengthen its cross-border partnerships. The country signed an agreement with South Sudan in 2025 to develop the White Nile Trade Corridor, which aims to establish river and dry-port infrastructure in Juba, Bor, Malakal and Renk, connecting South Sudan to international trade routes through Djibouti. Boulo’s participation at SSOP 2026 creates new pathways for strengthened regional ties.

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Returning for its seventh edition under the theme Resource Renaissance – Energy-Fueled Growth for a New Generation, SSOP 2026 will provide a platform for policymakers, national oil companies, investors and infrastructure developers to examine how regional partnerships can strengthen energy security and accelerate project development.

For more information, visit www.SouthSudanOilPower.com.

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

 




 

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Merec Industries, a subsidiary of Invictus Investment Company PLC, builds first pasta manufacturing plant in northern Mozambique

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Merec

The plant will significantly expand Mozambique’s pasta production capacity and bring production closer to consumers in the north, while increasing the availability of high-quality fortified pasta in line with the country’s national food fortification requirements

Today, pasta is part of the basic food basket of Mozambicans

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 10, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • Merec Industries, Mozambique’s largest flour milling company, is building the first pasta manufacturing plant in the north of the country, taking its coverage countrywide
  • Once complete, Merec’s plants will have the capacity to meet Mozambique’s domestic pasta demand and export the surplus, contributing to the country’s food security
  • The investment comes as Merec Industries prepares for its next phase of growth, with Helios Investment Partners set to become a minority shareholder in the business alongside Invictus Investment
  • Governor of Nampula Province visited the site in Nacala to view construction progress

 




 
 

Invictus Investment Company PLC (https://InvictusInvestment.ae/) (ADX: INVICTUS), a leading holding company specialised in agro-food commodities across the Middle East and Africa, today announced that its subsidiary Merec Industries (“Merec”) is building the first pasta manufacturing plant in the northern region of Mozambique, in Nacala. Once the plant is complete, Merec will be the only company in Mozambique with pasta manufacturing facilities in all three regions of the country: the north, central and south. Together with the expansion of its Machava industrial facility in the south, the new plant will take Merec’s total pasta production capacity beyond Mozambique’s national demand, enabling the country to meet its pasta demand from local production and export the surplus. Nacala is home to a deep-water port and is the gateway to the Nacala Logistics Corridor, which links Mozambique to Malawi and Zambia.

The Governor of Nampula Province, His Excellency Eduardo Abdula, visited Merec’s facilities to view construction progress and learn more about the developments of this investment. The plant will significantly expand Mozambique’s pasta production capacity and bring production closer to consumers in the north, while increasing the availability of high-quality fortified pasta in line with the country’s national food fortification requirements. It will also create direct and indirect jobs, develop local skills and involve businesses across the value chain, from production and logistics to distribution and sales.

Merec’s operating performance has improved significantly since it joined Invictus Investment in January 2025, prompting a more ambitious growth strategy to expand it beyond its core operations into new food categories in Mozambique and across the wider Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. In October 2026, Invictus Investment and Helios Investment Partners announced that Helios Fund V had entered into an agreement to acquire up to a 49% interest in Merec’s holding company, with Invictus Investment remaining the majority shareholder. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Merec and Invictus Investment also signed cooperation agreements with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, at the Lusophone Africa Investment Forum in Cabo Verde last month, to advance agribusiness in Mozambique and across Africa.

Commenting on the announcement, Amir Daoud Abdellatif, CEO of Invictus Investment, said: “Completing Merec’s pasta manufacturing footprint across Mozambique brings production closer to consumers and provides the local capacity needed to build a more resilient food business. This investment is part of our wider approach to growth, which involves taking majority positions in strong businesses, investing in their expansion and bringing in partners who can help take them further. Our ambition is to develop Merec into a regional food platform for Southern Africa, and this plant is an important part of the foundation for that.”

Eng. Luís Aveleira, Executive Board Member at Merec, added: “Today, pasta is part of the basic food basket of Mozambicans. Through this investment, we want to help ensure that Mozambique has the capacity to meet the needs of its own market, reducing its dependence on imported products. With industrial facilities in the north, central and south regions, we are strengthening our ability to supply the national market and contributing to the country’s objectives of promoting local production and import substitution. Beyond ensuring the supply of the domestic market, we also aim to build the capacity to generate production surpluses for export, contributing to foreign currency earnings and the growth of the national economy. We believe that investing in domestic production means investing in food security, industrialisation and the future of Mozambique.”

In addition to strengthening Mozambique’s food security and reducing its reliance on imports, the project reflects Invictus Investment’s focus on midstream and downstream assets across key African markets in support of its aim of becoming a fully integrated agro-food enterprise.

*Please refer to https://apo-opa.co/4sT7DdG for more information. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invictus Investment Company PLC.

 

 




 

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