The event will feature a dedicated panel, Expanding Africa’s Gold Output, exploring strategies to increase gold production, formalize artisanal and small-scale mining and strengthen investment across the value chain.

The session will be moderated by Matt Banton, Head of Mining at Moore Global, and feature Fousseni Togola, President of the Mali Chamber of Mines, and Benford Mokoatle, Executive Vice President: South Africa at Gold Fields.

The discussion comes as the global gold market continues to strengthen. Gold prices have remained above $4,000 per ounce throughout 2026, supported by sustained central bank demand as countries increase gold reserves to diversify foreign exchange holdings and strengthen financial resilience. Across Africa, central banks in Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Egypt and Namibia have expanded gold purchase programs, reinforcing demand while creating new opportunities for domestic producers.

African gold-producing nations are responding by introducing reforms aimed at increasing production and improving sector governance. In Mali, the government is strengthening the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector as part of its strategy to maintain annual gold production above 60 metric tons. In July 2026, the country established the Malian Office of Precious Substances, a new state institution responsible for regulating and formalizing artisanal gold production across approximately 400 mining sites employing nearly two million people. At the same time, Mali continues to strengthen partnerships with major mining companies, including Barrick, B2Gold, Toubani Resources and Cora Gold, to sustain long-term production growth and attract additional investment.

At AMW 2026, Togola is expected to discuss how the Mali Chamber of Mines is supporting these reforms while highlighting the investment opportunities emerging across the country’s gold sector. His participation will explore the role of chamber members in expanding production, strengthening local participation and positioning Mali among Africa’s leading gold producers.

South Africa is also advancing initiatives to revitalize its gold industry through increased exploration and long-term mine investment. Earlier this year, the government expanded the Junior Mining Exploration Fund to R600 million, improving access to exploration capital for emerging mining companies and supporting efforts to unlock new gold discoveries.

Complementing these national initiatives, Gold Fields is investing R1.714 billion through 2027 to deepen its flagship South Deep Mine, positioning the operation as a long-life production hub well beyond 2030. Gold Fields’ Mokoatle is expected to provide an update on the company’s long-term investment strategy, highlighting how innovation and sustained capital investment are supporting South Africa’s efforts to strengthen gold production.

As investment accelerates across Africa’s gold sector, AMW 2026 provides a premier platform to connect governments, producers, investors and service providers, advancing the partnerships and capital needed to unlock the continent’s next phase of gold production growth.

LUANDA, Angola, July 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Global technology and data company Viridien is strengthening its presence in Angola through advanced seismic imaging, reprocessing and multi-client data programs designed to support the country’s next phase of exploration. The company has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition, taking place September 9-10 with a pre-conference day on September 8, as a Bronze Sponsor, highlighting the growing role of subsurface intelligence as operators evaluate new acreage and pursue higher-confidence drilling targets.

Angola is accelerating exploration across offshore and onshore basins to replenish reserves and sustain crude production above one million barrels per day. This strategy is driving demand for higher-resolution seismic data that can help companies better understand complex geological structures, reduce uncertainty and identify prospective opportunities before committing capital to drilling.

Viridien maintains extensive 3D broadband seismic coverage across the Lower Congo and Kwanza basins, two of Angola’s most established offshore exploration regions. Its datasets support prospect generation and acreage evaluation across producing areas, as well as emerging deepwater and pre-salt plays.

A key component of Viridien’s Angolan portfolio is a regional 3D pre-stack depth migration dataset covering more than 7,200 km². The dataset delivers enhanced imaging of pre-salt and post-salt structures, where complex geology can make conventional interpretation challenging. These insights enable operators to refine geological models, prioritize prospects and better assess exploration opportunities.

Viridien expanded its portfolio in 2025 with the launch of a seismic reimaging program covering Block 22. The approximately 4,300 km² dataset is designed to support evaluation of underexplored structures along the Atlantic Hinge zone ahead of Angola’s upcoming licensing round. Final results are expected in the second half of 2026, providing prospective investors with updated subsurface insights as they assess potential participation in the block.

The program comes as Angola works to attract new entrants and encourage existing operators to increase exploration activity. Major developments in the Kwanza Basin, renewed interest in Namibe and Benguela, and upcoming licensing opportunities are expanding the range of acreage under evaluation. At the same time, operators are revisiting mature areas where improved seismic processing can reveal overlooked prospects close to existing infrastructure.

Viridien’s Bronze Sponsorship of AOG 2026 will connect the company with operators, regulators and investors assessing Angola’s next generation of exploration opportunities. By enabling more informed acreage evaluation and prospect selection, Viridien’s seismic technologies can help reduce exploration uncertainty and support the development of future drilling campaigns.

The speaker lineup includes Nillian Mulemi, CEO, Petrofund, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Loïc du Rusquec, Executive Board Member and Board Director, IFP Training. Together, they bring decades of experience developing national talent pipelines, strengthening institutional capacity and ensuring local professionals are equipped to support increasingly complex energy projects across the continent.

Established in 1993, Petrofund advances human capital development through scholarships, institutional support and strategic partnerships that strengthen science, engineering and technical education. The organization operates under a mandate to build the skilled workforce needed to support Namibia’s emerging upstream petroleum industry. With TotalEnergies pursuing Venus FID in 2026 and the race for first oil production by 2030 on, Petrofund aims to position Namibia’s youth at the forefront of the country’s next development chapter. Mulemi is expected to share insight into this strategy during AEW 2026.

Representing Nigeria, Ogbe joins the conference at a time when the country is striving to reach two million barrels per day in oil production, driven by a renewed wave of billion-dollar investments. The NCDMB positions Nigerian companies and entrepreneurs at the center of this investment drive by promoting the development and utilization of in-country capacities for the industrialization of the country. Recent milestones reflect this vision, including the launch of a Cradle-to-Career academic excellence program, new oil and gas training certification and a human capital development program introduced alongside TotalEnergies and Geoplex.

Meanwhile, as a leader in professional training and skills development for the energy, mobility and environment sectors, IFP Training delivers specialized programs covering exploration, production, refining, energy transition technologies and operational excellence, helping companies and governments strengthen workforce capabilities across traditional and emerging energy sectors. Through its partnerships with operators and national institutions worldwide, IFP Training continues to support the development of highly skilled technical professionals capable of meeting the evolving demands of the global energy industry. Du Rusquec joins AEW 2026 to discuss the impact of these programs on Africa’s energy sector.

“Africa’s energy future will not be determined solely by the projects we develop, but by the people we equip to lead them. Building local technical expertise, strengthening national institutions and creating opportunities for African professionals are essential to ensuring the continent captures the full value of its natural resources,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.