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

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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.

Business

Aurionpro expands its multi-country transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB)

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Aurionpro

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers

MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –Aurionpro Solutions Limited (www.AurionPro.com) (BSE: 532668 | NSE: AURIONPRO)a global leader in banking technology, announced the expansion and upgrade of its transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), to modernize and enhance the bank’s corporate transaction banking capabilities across multiple countries.

Download Document: https://apo-opa.co/4edHUaC

This multi-country transaction banking upgrade covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania aligns with DTB’s intent to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and support growing transaction volumes as it expands its regional corporate banking footprint. DTB continues to focus on building a more agile, ‘digital-first’ banking experience, particularly around payments for its corporate customers across Africa, and is now well positioned to scale these capabilities. As part of its broader transformation agenda, the bank has been steadily investing in platforms that enhance scale, reliability, and service consistency across markets.

Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers. By enabling DTB to standardize and scale its transaction banking operations across countries, the platform ensures consistent service levels, stronger control, and improved efficiency. It also supports enhanced user experience, advanced security, and the flexibility to introduce new features as DTB expands its regional transaction banking footprint.

Murali Natarajan (https://apo-opa.co/48trPdk), Managing Director & CEO, DTB Kenya   commented: “We are delighted to strengthen and broaden our partnership with Aurionpro Solutions as part of DTB’s ongoing digital transformation journey across multiple markets. Our focus on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity continues to guide our technology investments. This upgrade strengthens our transaction banking capabilities, enabling us to deliver greater value to our customers through robust digital channels and seamlessly integrated experiences.”

Ashish Rai, Group CEO, Aurionpro Solutions, commented: “We are pleased to deepen our multi-country engagement with Diamond Trust Bank and support the next phase of its transaction banking modernization. As DTB continues to scale across markets, platform resilience and consistency become paramount. Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility, deliver superior experiences to corporate customers, and create long-term value across geographies.”

He added, “Aurionpro’s iCashpro lays a strong digital foundation for transaction & wholesale banks across the globe to grow their corporate and SME client portfolio today, while creating a clear roadmap for next- generation capabilities in AI-driven insights, advanced automation and API-led connectivity for businesses in Kenya and across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aurionpro Solutions Ltd.

 

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Minerals Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joins African Mining Week (AMW) as South Africa Improves Sectorial Investment Climate

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Energy Capital

Minerals Council CEO to share insights on policy, infrastructure and investment trends shaping South Africa’s mining industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference will feature Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council of South Africa, as a speaker. Scheduled for October 14 – 16, 2026 in Cape Town, the event will bring together global investors, policymakers and industry leaders, with Mthenjane’s participation highlighting the council’s commitment to engaging international stakeholders and promoting investment across South Africa’s mining sector.

His participation comes at a critical moment as the Minerals Council works closely with government on finalizing the Mineral Resources Development Bill 2025, a policy framework aimed at strengthening the country’s mining investment climate and the sector’s contribution to GDP. According to the council, the revised legislation will support new investment across the value chain as South Africa seeks to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock its critical minerals potential.

The policy reforms come amid shifting production trends in the sector. In 2025, South Africa recorded declines in gold and platinum group metals output of 1.9% and 4.1%, respectively. The new regulatory framework is expected to strengthen public-private partnerships and stimulate investment, enabling South Africa to increase production and capitalize on strong global commodity prices. Increased private sector investments is crucial with South Africa seeking targeting to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore potential as well as maintain its position as the world’s leading producer of chrome and manganese.

At AMW 2026, Mthenjane is expected to outline these trends, providing insights into how the council is contributing to addressing challenges disrupting the sector. Infrastructure and energy costs remain key concerns for industry players. To support the energy-intensive sector, South Africa approved a 35% reduction in electricity tariffs for major ferrochrome producers, helping stabilize an industry that has faced significant cost pressures after electricity prices surged by roughly 900% since 2008.

Logistics constraints are also a priority area for reform. South Africa’s economy is losing an estimated R1 billion per day due to inefficiencies across rail and port infrastructure. As a result, the government is considering measures supported by the Minerals Council to increase private sector participation in logistics. Planned reforms include rail modernization initiatives targeting 250 million tons of freight capacity by 2029, alongside port upgrades and private operator participation aimed at strengthening mineral exports and improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, the Minerals Council is advocating for stronger exploration investment to support long-term industry growth.

At AMW, Mthenjane is expected to highlight these developments and outline the steps required to reinforce South Africa’s position in the global minerals supply chain. His insights will offer investors and stakeholders a timely perspective on opportunities within the country’s mining sector.

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

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Seychelles Targets Energy Investment Push as Minister Jérémie Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Speaker

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African Energy Chamber

Seychelles energy minister will speak at AEW 2026, positioning her to highlight reforms, renewable projects and investment opportunities as the island nation advances its transition toward a diversified energy system

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Marie-May Jérémie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources for Seychelles will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town. Her participation underscores the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s small-island energy transition agenda.

Minister Jérémie’s presence at AEW 2026 comes at a critical time as Seychelles accelerates efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. The event provides a platform to attract investment, strengthen policy alignment and showcase bankable projects, positioning the country as a viable destination for private-sector participation in island energy systems.

Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments

In May last year, international finance institution the World Bank approved the Renewable Energy Acceleration Program, a seven-year initiative aimed at modernizing the grid and increasing renewable energy penetration to 15% by 2030. The program focuses on unlocking private capital while strengthening transmission infrastructure to accommodate variable renewable energy sources.

Project development is gaining traction in the country, particularly in innovative technologies suited to Seychelles’ land constraints. The 5.8 MW Seysun Lagoon floating solar PV project, developed by independent renewable power producer Qair, is under construction and expected online in 2026.

Alongside renewables, Seychelles continues to pursue upstream opportunities to diversify its economy. The government approved new exploration entrants in 2025 and extended exiting petroleum agreements, while securing an infrastructure partnership with China. Multilateral estimates suggest over $800 million in investment will be required over the next 25 years.

Regulatory reform is central to this transition, with Seychelles introducing an independent power producer framework to open the market to private developers. Standardized power purchase agreements, grid access reforms and strengthened public-private partnership structures are being implemented to improve transparency, reduce risk and accelerate project bankability across solar, storage and emerging wind opportunities.

“Minister Jérémie’s participation highlights the strategic importance of island nations in Africa’s broader energy transition,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments. Her insights will be critical to advancing dialogue on resilient, low-carbon energy systems across the continent.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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