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Keith Hill’s Lasting Legacy in Africa’s Oil and Gas Industry (By NJ Ayuk)

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3 years ago

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Keith Hill

Hill will be stepping down as the company’s president and CEO on Sept. 5, 2023

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 27, 2023/APO Group/ — 

By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (http://www.EnergyChamber.org)

Under the leadership of Keith Hill, Canada-based Africa Oil Corp. has become one of the most competitive and impactful independent oil and gas explorers operating in the African continent.

Within the last two years alone, Africa Oil Corp. announced a major discovery offshore Namibia with partner TotalEnergies and secured two production-sharing contracts for offshore Blocks EG-18 and EG-31 in Equatorial Guinea.

The company has campaigns in Nigeria, South Africa, and the Senegal Guinea Bissau Joint Development Zone as well.

By driving widespread exploration and production throughout our continent, Africa Oil Corp. has been opening the door for African countries to overcome energy poverty and maximize the value of their petroleum resources.

These are some of the reasons why in 2022, I said that both Africa Oil Corp. and Hill, the company’s president and CEO, were game changers. The African Energy Chamber was proud of the work the company was doing in Africa then, and we remain proud of it today, even as our window to work with Hill draws to a close.

Hill will be stepping down as the company’s president and CEO on Sept. 5, 2023.

He’s leaving with the appreciation and respect of the African Energy Chamber. Hill has been a strong believer in Africa and a just energy transition for our continent. He has repeatedly shown himself to be the right leader at the right time, both for his company and for Africa’s energy industry.

A Deal-Maker and Risk-Taker

Hill, who got his start in the oil industry more than 35 years ago, earned his bachelor’s degree in geophysics and a master’s in geology from Michigan State University. He also holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. But like every other wildcatter of his day, he learned the oil business the hard way — through deal-making and risk-taking.

A sustaining belief in the future of offshore exploration led Hill to the frontier of deepwater West Africa, including Equatorial Guinea, along with Namibia and South Africa in the southern region of the continent. Seating with him late night in Namibia over beer he shared some fun stories with me about Sudan and Africa. He tells you African energy stories with so much passion that you will feel he has a love affair with Duke’s mayonnaise and Afrobeats.

During difficult moments, Hill will never hide his imperfections. He has his and it seats on his front porch. He is a straight shooter and does not glory in the slow, musical cadence of small talk. He looked and me in the eye and made a promise and he kept it. He is still one of the few in the business that can do a deal with a handshake and it is respected.

Hill has been a strong believer in Africa and a just energy transition for our continent

During his career, he has led successful exploration, asset acquisitions, and production campaigns at Africa Oil Corp., Shell Oil, and Occidental Petroleum. He was behind successful exploration initiatives by BlackPearl Resources Inc., Valkyries Petroleum Corp., and Tyner Resources as well.

Hill also is the chairman of Canadian oil explorer and developer ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. Before joining Africa Oil Corp. in 2009, he was the CEO of Canada-based The Lundin Group, which comprises minerals, metals, renewables, and energy sector companies.

During Hill’s 14-plus years at the helm of Africa Oil Corp., the company has grown from a fledgling independent exploration company to a full-cycle upstream company.

Steady Growth, Significant Impact

In 2022, Africa Oil Corp. made global headlines as a result of its stake in TotalEnergies’ massive Venus prospect in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. Venus is believed to hold billions of barrels of light oil and associated gas. TotalEnergies’ discovery was the largest of 2022, and Africa Oil Corp. was the only publicly listed independent E&P company with exposure to it, through a 30.9% shareholding in its investee company, Impact Oil and Gas, one of the project partners.

Africa Oil Corp. continues to seize the vast opportunities Namibia has to offer. Earlier this summer, the company signed a letter of intent with Azinam Limited, a subsidiary of Eco Atlantic, to acquire a 6.25% stake in Block 3B/4B in the Orange Basin, increasing Africa Oil Corp.’s total stake in the block to 26.25%. With the block’s proximity and similar geographical structure to the Venus, Graff, La Rona, and Jonker discoveries in the basin, it’s a logical move.

At the same time, Africa Oil Corp. is successfully operating producing assets in deep water offshore Nigeria, where the company has a debt-free balance sheet and a robust portfolio of production and development assets.

As recently as May, Africa Oil Corp. announced that partner Total Energies was renewing Oil Mining License 130 in Nigeria. Africa Oil has an 8% interest in the license through its 50% shareholding in Prime Oil & Gas.

“The renewal of OML 130 is very good news for the Company and its shareholders,” Hill said at the time. He noted that the license “includes attractive growth opportunities such as the undeveloped Preowei oil discovery, which we can now take forward towards a final investment decision. Additional opportunities include step-out exploration and appraisal drilling, that should support production rates over the coming years.”

For many, Africa Oil Corp. represents a new era in the continent’s oil and gas industry, one with an increasingly important role for independents that recognize the tremendous opportunities our continent’s vast oil and gas resources offer. With international oil and gas majors divesting their African interests — often in attempts to decrease their overall emissions — independents have been stepping up to fill the gap.

More to Say About Africa

Hill, who will be joining Africa Oil Corp.’s board as a director, will continue to make a positive impact on Africa after he steps down from his current position. Keith is not leaving the scene. It is not in his character. I expect him to continue discussions and advocacy about investing in African energy and making energy poverty history. He will champion issues that are important African energy industry stakeholders  and we will continue to value Hill’s experience, perspectives, and advice. Even as Hill moves on to another chapter, we don’t expect that to change.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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China’s digital hub Hangzhou hosts conference on AI, OPC

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43 minutes ago

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June 30, 2026

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OPC

HANGZHOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The inaugural AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference was held from June 29 to 30 in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province. Centered on one-person company (OPC), a new form of smart economy in the AI era, the conference program comprised one opening ceremony and two parallel breakout sessions.

It gathered around 400 delegates from government departments, industry associations, financial institutions, AI enterprises and OPC startup operators across the country. Participants exchanged insights on AI innovation pathways and cross-industry integration strategies, injecting strong impetus into Hangzhou’s ambition to develop a national benchmark hub for AI+OPC entrepreneurship.

A series of key launches and milestone ceremonies took place during the opening segment. Official releases included the 2026 national OPC development observation report, Hangzhou’s 2026–2028 action plan and supporting policies to build a national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub, and a catalog of actionable AI+OPC application scenarios. Attendees also received an in-depth interpretation of the specifications for AI-enabled OPC community services and evaluation.

The ceremony featured multiple landmark initiatives: plaque awarding for Hangzhou’s priority AI+OPC incubation communities and dedicated observation sites, the official launch of the AI+OPC Community Alliance initiative, and a kickoff marking the official construction of the national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub.

The open forum session featured keynote speeches from distinguished industry and academic leaders. Speakers included Pan Yunhe, former executive vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Zhejiang University; Liang Gui, former executive vice governor of Jiangxi Province and ex-director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; and Zou Ling, head of Hong Hub, Shangcheng District’s single-member unicorn startup acceleration community, who shared cutting-edge insights from varied perspectives.

A panel dialogue followed, bringing together representatives from Moshu OPC Community (Beijing E-Town), the School of Future Science and Engineering at Soochow University, Qingju Hub · Future Digital Intelligence Port (Shangcheng District), and Puhua Capital for in-depth industry exchanges.

Complementary concurrent events held throughout the conference included an OPC capital-industry matchmaking salon, a symposium on industry-education integration for AI-powered OPC sectors, and a national exchange forum for AI+OPC community practitioners.

OPC has emerged as a vibrant new engine driving economic vitality and underpinning high-quality development. Against the backdrop of a new development era, the inaugural Hangzhou AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference unites OPC innovators nationwide.

Drawing on the creative energy of millions of independent super-individual operators, the event delivers sustained digital momentum to fuel Hangzhou’s super-individual economy, while rolling out replicable local practices and actionable Hangzhou solutions to advance high-quality growth of smart economies nationwide.

 

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Hainan FTP marks 6-month milestone of special customs operations, signs deals during Hong Kong visit

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8 hours ago

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June 30, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – As the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) marked the six-month milestone since the launch of its full special customs operations, a Hainan provincial delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to Hong Kong. During the visit, the delegation signed deepened cooperation agreements with several major local chambers of commerce and promoted the latest policies introduced since the island-wide special customs operations took effect.

According to data released by Hainan Province during the visit, Hainan’s foreign trade has surged since the launch of special customs operations. As of June 17, the province’s total goods imports and exports reached RMB 173.98 billion (approximately US$24 billion), up 54.6% year on year. Imports of zero-tariff goods hit RMB 2.645 billion, a 120% jump that generated tariff savings of RMB 440 million. A total of 172,100 new market entities were registered—a 61% increase—including 1,240 foreign-invested enterprises. Zero-tariff items now account for 74% of all tariff lines, benefiting more than 12,000 market entities.

During the Hong Kong visit, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan) signed separate deepened cooperation MOUs with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Under the MOUs, the parties will establish a regular liaison mechanism for the periodic exchange of economic and trade information, and will promote collaboration in areas including professional services, green finance, the digital economy, supply chain management, and cultural tourism. Mutual enterprise service desks will be set up to provide consulting services regarding policies and projects. The parties will leverage their complementary strengths to help Chinese mainland enterprises access overseas markets via Hong Kong, while facilitating Hong Kong companies’ entry into the Chinese mainland through Hainan.

The delegation also held talks with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, exploring ways for British and American businesses to leverage Hainan’s value-added processing tariff exemptions and multifunctional free trade accounts to position themselves in regional supply chains and cross-border investment and financing. HSBC, De Beers, and other British firms are already active in Hainan, and the UK served as the Guest of Honor country at the 2025 China International Consumer Products Expo.

According to industry analysts, amid the shifting international trade landscape, Hainan is leveraging Hong Kong’s “super-connector” role to accelerate its integration with global capital and business networks, while simultaneously offering the Hong Kong business community a policy testing ground for entering the Chinese mainland market.

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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4 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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