Held shortly after Minister Onanga’s appointment, the meeting underscored a shared commitment to faster, more efficient deal-making across Congo’s oil and gas sector. Both sides emphasized that reducing delays in project approvals and execution will be critical to maintaining Congo’s competitiveness and attracting new capital into upstream and gas development.

A key focus of discussions was the development of a stronger local industry. Minister Onanga outlined a clear ambition to see Congolese companies grow beyond traditional service roles to become operators, license holders and regional players capable of competing across African markets. This includes building companies that not only support domestic projects, but can also export expertise and services beyond Congo.

The AEC welcomed this vision, committing to work closely with the Ministry to help develop a new generation of competitive Congolese firms. This effort will focus on strengthening technical capacity, expanding access to opportunities in field development and drilling, and ensuring local companies are positioned to participate more meaningfully across the value chain.

In parallel, Minister Onanga called for enhanced collaboration to strengthen Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC), with the goal of transforming it into one of Africa’s leading national oil companies. The vision is for SNPC to evolve beyond its current partnership model with international oil companies to take on a more operational role – managing assets, leading projects and driving exploration and production both domestically and, over time, internationally.

“Congo is focused on building a stronger national energy ecosystem from the ground up,” said Ayuk. “We agreed with the Minister on the need to develop Congolese companies into competitive players that can scale beyond borders. Strengthening SNPC is central to this, so it becomes a more active operator, managing and developing assets. This is about building long-term capacity in-country and positioning Congo as a leading force in African energy.”

Beyond local industry development, the meeting reinforced Congo’s broader ambition to strengthen its position within Africa’s energy landscape. Minister Onanga highlighted his intention to align national strategy with continental priorities, drawing on his experience as former Chair of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) Board of Governors. Continued engagement with institutions such as APPO and OPEC will remain central to this approach.

Gas development – particularly floating LNG (FLNG) – emerged as another key pillar of the discussion. Congo has already made significant progress through projects such as Eni’s Congo LNG development, where the 0.6 mtpa Tango FLNG and the upcoming Nguya FLNG facility are expected to increase the country’s LNG export capacity to around 3 mtpa.

Building on this momentum, discussions pointed to the potential for additional FLNG developments. With ongoing conversations around new projects and favorable conditions aligning, a future FLNG expansion could further scale production and reshape Congo’s role in the regional gas market. Expanding capacity would not only strengthen export revenues, but also support domestic gas utilization and industrial growth.

“With Minister Onanga, we’re seeing a real commitment to getting things done – moving deals faster, empowering Congolese companies and scaling LNG,” added Ayuk. “The stars are aligning for Congo to lead the continent in floating LNG. If this momentum continues, there’s no doubt the country can position itself as one of Africa’s leading gas hubs.”

With a renewed focus on fast-tracked investment, local industry development and LNG expansion, the AEC’s engagement with Congo signals a more execution-driven phase for the country’s energy sector – one aimed at building in-country value, strengthening regional influence and delivering long-term growth.

Rand Refinery’s participation reflects a broader strategic alignment between the company’s expansion agenda and AMW’s focus on supporting and enabling local beneficiation and promoting artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) responsible sourcing frameworks.

In terms of volumes, the latest market information indicates that Africa produces 1000tpa of mined gold (more than any other continent), with large-scale mining (LSM) and ASM being almost evenly balanced (500tpa production each). On its current trajectory, African ASM volumes are expected to eclipse those of LSM.

The focus on ASM as a transformational imperative is valid, and Rand Refinery is an active participant in the precious metals supply chain, working alongside other upstream and downstream actors to ensure that the communities and countries with gold resources benefit in a sustainable manner.

Under the theme Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value Chain, AMW 2026 offers a critical interface between refiners, miners, regulators, and financial institutions, as African countries intensify efforts to capture more value from responsible mineral production.

A key pillar of Rand Refinery’s 2026 strategy is its expansion into high-growth gold markets beyond South Africa. In January 2026, the company partnered with Ghana’s Gold Coast Refinery (GCR) to support the Ghana Gold Board to locally refine artisanal and small-scale (ASM) gold and elevate responsible sourcing standards in West Africa. The partnership also positions Rand Refinery in a rapidly growing and historically fragmented supply segment: ASM operations, enabling the company to enhance traceability and strengthen compliance with global standards for ethical sourcing and anti-money laundering.

The partnership potentially allows the monetization of ASM supply streams in the formal gold ecosystem, complementing Rand Refinery’s established role in refining output from responsible large-scale producers. AMW 2026 represents a timely platform for the company to provide an update on its projects and contribution to Africa’s gold sector.

As demand for regional refining capacity expands, along with central bank buying programs, companies such as Rand Refinery will be crucial.

Central bank gold purchases are projected to average around 585 tons per quarter in 2026, underscoring sustained global demand. In Africa, gold now accounts for approximately 17% of total reserves – up from less than 10% in 2022–2023 – while physical holdings increased from 663 tons in 2022 to an estimated 738 tons in 2025.

This upward trajectory is driving demand for trusted refining and value addition services, positioning Rand Refinery as a key partner in the region. Against this backdrop, AMW provides a strategic platform for central banks and gold buyers to engage directly with one of the world’s largest integrated single-site precious metals refining and smelting complexes and strengthen regional beneficiation and national reserve strategies.

At AMW, Rand Refinery executives will participate in panel discussions and networking sessions, engaging stakeholders on partnership opportunities that support a more integrated, transparent and value-driven African gold ecosystem.

A structural shift is underway. Mining services companies are no longer confined to contractor roles – they are evolving into integrated project partners, shaping how mines are financed, engineered, built and operated. Their influence now sits at the intersection of capital markets, infrastructure development, energy systems and industrial policy, positioning them as central players in Africa’s next phase of mining – led growth.

This evolution is already visible in project activity across the continent. In April 2026, Metso inaugurated a new regional hub in Cape Town, strengthening its bulk material handling and services capabilities across Africa. The facility enhances automation, logistics and lifecycle services across key commodity value chains – including coal, platinum group metals and manganese – directly supporting South Africa’s strategy to scale mineral exports and industrial output.

Geopolitics is further amplifying this trend. Major global economies are increasingly leveraging their EPC and mining services companies as strategic tools to secure supply chains and expand influence. Institutions such as the Export-Import Bank of the United States are backing American participation in African mining, while China, Europe, Canada and Australia continue to embed their services companies into financing and development frameworks across the continent.

Australia’s Lycopodium is advancing Namibia’s Twin Hills project, while China’s JCHX Mining Management is supporting copper production at Botswana’s Khoemacau Mine. In Guinea, XCMG Machinery is contributing to development at the Simandou iron ore project – one of the largest untapped deposits globally.

Across key mining jurisdictions, this shift is accelerating project pipelines. Countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Ghana, Liberia and South Africa are increasingly relying on mining services firms to fast-track national geomapping exercises, exploration, scale production and advance beneficiation.

Against this backdrop, AMW will bring together global EPC firms, mining services providers, investors and African developers. The event is set to catalyze partnerships and deal-making, with a focus on strengthening execution capacity, unlocking financing and accelerating the delivery of mining projects that can anchor Africa’s industrial growth and global supply chain integration.