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New forum links capital with pioneering market reforms in Zim

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Zimbabwe

The inaugural Zimbabwe Future Capital Forum (ZFCF) convenes alongside the 6th ZimReal Property Investment Forum at Hyatt Regency Harare, the Meikles, on 26 August, marking the first time that pension funds, private equity, banks and representatives from the nation’s leading stock exchanges gather with the property sector’s leading luminaries

HARARE, Zimbabwe, July 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Zimbabwe will host a first-of-its-kind capital markets forum in August, supported by local and regional domestic capital powerhouses and leading private sector investors. Organised by experienced events company API Events (www.APIEvents.com), the forum co- coincides with a period of historic significance for the country’s capital markets landscape.

 

Co-located with the 6th Annual ZimReal Property Forum, the ZFCF is the first investor- and deal-focused forum that brings the entire ecosystem of institutional capital and bankable assets under one roof domestically, uniting capital seekers and allocators while generating actionable deal flow.

Together, ZimReal and ZFCF are expected to attract over 400 delegates from more than 100 companies, with a spread of local, regional and international attendees.

The event is strongly supported by domestic capital heavyweights such as the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency, the Zimbabwe Association of Pension Funds, the Mining Industry Pension Fund and South Africa’s Eskom Provident Pension Fund. Top executives from the Investor Hosting Centre (IHC), the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX), the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Arctic Blue Asset Management, MMC Capital Advisory and Terrace Africa, amongst others, also feature on the one-day programme.

Aligning with watershed reforms

The ZCFC launches at an opportune moment for Zimbabwean capital, revolving around opportunities created by a revived landscape for investment. Driven by amendments undertaken over the past 24 months, including:

  • Eased listing requirements
  • Structural reweighting toward yield-oriented real assets
  • Institutionalization of Green, Social and Sustainability Bonds
  • Establishment of specialized investment frameworks (SPACs and ATPs)
  • Formation of the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange (ZEEX)
  • The 2026 promulgation of Statutory Instruments 62 and 63, firmly establishing the operational, membership, and trading architecture for the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX).

“Zimbabwe’s capital markets have just been through arguably their most significant reset in a generation. Over the past two years the ecosystem and the infrastructure have been built,” says Murray Anderson, Commercial Director at event organizers API Events.

“But reform only matters if it reaches the market, and that is the purpose behind the ZFCF. The capital exists and the products are finally here; this forum is where they meet.”

The shared ZimReal/ZCFC opening plenary will explore how the reforms have created a platform for innovation across the investment ecosystem, including the country’s stock exchanges.

The combined value of the ZSE and VFEX now exceeds US$7 billion. The US-dollar-denominated VFEX has scaled quickly to roughly US$3.8 billion across 19 counters – propelled by Econet InfraCo’s US$1 billion listing in March, the largest in the country’s history – while the 132-year-old ZSE continues to anchor the market at around US$3.4 billion. The two exchanges now offer issuers and investors complementary local-currency and hard-currency routes to capital.

“Zimbabwe has made meaningful progress in strengthening its capital markets through reforms that have enhanced the investment ecosystem. The next phase is about creating a consistent pipeline of well-prepared, bankable investment opportunities that meet institutional investors’ requirements,” said Benerdict Chisale, General Manager of the Investor Hosting Centre (IHC) – a platform for global investment in Africa.

The institutional prize: capital looking for a home

Zimbabwe’s pension sector held approximately US$2.63 billion in assets at mid-2025, according to the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC).

Zimbabwe has made meaningful progress in strengthening its capital markets through reforms that have enhanced the investment ecosystem

Chisale said that the IHC’s H1 2026 investment analysis illustrates that while liquidity exists within pension funds, asset managers and other institutions, the greatest challenge remains bridging the gap between available capital and investment-ready projects.

“Zimbabwe does not have a capital shortage; it has a bankability challenge. The winners in this new era will not simply be those with capital, but those who can structure investable opportunities that inspire investor confidence. That is the conversation the Zimbabwe Future Capital Forum should lead.”

Meanwhile, listed property, led by Tigere, Revitus, Eagle and Pfuma, has pushed past US$100 million in market capitalisation terms, cementing REITs as early movers and symbols of deepening local capital markets.

“The local REIT market continues to expand rapidly, thanks to growing institutional and retail demand for property-backed assets which provide a packaged combination of passive income, value preservation, yield uplift, and trading liquidity,” said Brett Abrahamse, Managing Director at Terrace Africa (REIT manager for the Tigere REIT).

Tinashe Kembo, Managing Director of Artic Blue Asset Management, REIT manager for the Pfuma Fund, said the fund’s listing on the VFEX earlier this year had illustrated growing demand for USD-denominated assets.

“We’ve seen first-hand the appetite investors have for quality US dollar-denominated assets that offer both stability and genuine diversification in Zimbabwe’s evolving economy. Pfuma Fund is proud to be part of the conversations shaping the real estate and capital markets in Zimbabwe, and ZimReal and ZFCF are one such platform.”

Capital and property – hand-in-hand

Following the joint opening, the ZFCF agenda will further probe how the reforms can be translated into concrete investment pipelines; the unlocking of pension capital and private equity; other non-bank alternatives; and various funding sources available to market players.

“Forums such as the ZCFC serve as great platforms to increase awareness and market knowledge of REITs, amongst other asset classes across our burgeoning capital markets,” Abrahamse said.

ZimReal’s agenda will, as always, focus on the most pertinent topics shaping modern day real estate investment in Zimbabwe, from listed property and REIT performance, to residential, commercial, secondary city, green building and AI-enabled opportunities.

Anchoring both agendas is a convening of Zimbabwe’s most consequential public and private sector players, from banks, pension funds, asset managers and private equity houses holding the capital, and the developers and listed funds turning it into yield and growth.

Event details:

  • What: Inaugural Zimbabwe Future Capital Forum & the 6th Annual ZimReal Property Investment Forum (co-located)
  • When: 26 August 2026
  • Where: Hyatt Regency Harare, The Meikles
  • Format: In-person
  • Scale: 400+ delegates · 100+ companies · 10+ countries

For more information and to register, visit the Zimbabwe Future Capital Forum website here (https://apo-opa.co/4by0qbq) and the ZimReal website here (https://ZimReal.com).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of API Events.

Energy

Venezuela Energy Week (VEW) 2027 Deal Room Targets Joint Ventures, Service Agreements and Offtake Partnerships

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Register as a commercial partner at Venezuela Energy Week 2027 to connect with Venezuelan operators, projects and strategic energy opportunities

International operators, oilfield service companies and strategic partners are invited to register as commercial partners for the Venezuela Energy Week (VEW) 2027 Deal Room, where companies can pursue joint ventures, service agreements, technology deployments, offtake arrangements and other commercial opportunities.

 




 
 

Taking place February 22–25 at the Simón Bolívar Convention Center in Caracas, the Deal Room will bring international companies into direct discussions with local operators, project developers, asset owners and regional leadership. As international companies re-engage with Venezuela’s oil and gas industry, the platform aims to facilitate project-level discussions and establish commercial relationships spanning upstream development, infrastructure, technology and energy supply.

For international operators and investors, the Deal Room provides an opportunity to identify assets and local counterparties for joint development. Venezuela’s push to increase oil production to 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2026 and 1.5 million bpd in 2027 is creating potential openings for companies with the technical expertise, operational capacity and financial resources to participate in field rehabilitation, enhanced oil recovery, drilling and production expansion. Partnerships with Venezuelan operators can provide a route to developing assets and sharing project responsibilities.

Recent agreements demonstrate how partnerships have already begun to take shape. In September, Chevron secured expanded development rights in the Orinoco Belt, underpinning plans by its Venezuelan joint ventures to invest more than $7 billion over five years. Eni also signed a 25-year contract with PDVSA to assume operatorship of the Junín 5 heavy-oil field, giving the company responsibility for its technical, financial and commercial development.

Oilfield service companies and technology providers can pursue commercial agreements supporting these activities. Demand spans drilling and workover equipment, artificial lift, engineering, digital production systems, reservoir technologies, power solutions and other services required to restore production and improve the performance of existing infrastructure.

Commercial partnerships are advancing this area. In September, Halliburton signed separate agreements with Eneva and WESCA covering development opportunities, field evaluation and technical planning, while SLB signed a framework agreement with PDVSA in June spanning field development, digital technologies and workforce training.

The commercial opportunity extends beyond upstream operations. Companies can explore technology and service partnerships supporting gas processing and transportation, refinery rehabilitation, power generation, grid infrastructure and energy logistics, creating multiple routes for international suppliers and specialist firms to establish a presence in the market and for Venezuelan companies seeking to strengthen their portfolios.

Recent agreements reflect growing momentum in these areas. In September, GE Vernova signed a strategic alliance with PDVSA to rehabilitate electrical infrastructure serving Venezuela’s oil industry. More recently, Baker Hughes partnered with PDVSA, Venezuelan engineering company Lindsayca and Fulcrum LNG to pursue gas processing, transportation and commercialization projects.

Offtake and supply agreements offer another route for strategic participation. Companies can negotiate arrangements linked to specific oil, gas or refined-product assets, while international trading and downstream partners can explore supply relationships connected to Venezuela’s expanding production and processing capacity. Trading companies Vitol and Trafigura have already secured agreements to purchase and market Venezuelan oil, while international refiners are increasingly pursuing direct supply relationships with PDVSA.

The Deal Room will also provide direct access to the institutions shaping project development and commercial activity, including the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, PDVSA and its operating leadership. These relationships can help companies identify counterparties, clarify project requirements and develop commercial frameworks around specific opportunities.

As international activity accelerates across Venezuela’s energy sector, the Deal Room offers companies a focused setting to identify partners and convert market interest into concrete commercial relationships.

International operators, service companies and strategic partners can register to engage as commercial partners at the Venezuela Energy Week 2027 Deal Room. To engage as a commercial partner email info@venezuelaenergyweek.com or visit https://apo-opa.co/4z16kLV for more information.

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

 

 




 

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Guinea-Bissau Natural Resources Minister to Join Petroguin Delegation at Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea-Conakry (MSGBC) 2026

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The former head of the Senegal-Guinea-Bissau joint zone agency returns to Dakar as Chevron’s arrival and fresh seismic work are lifting interest in Guinea-Bissau’s deepwater

DAKAR, Senegal, October 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Júlio Mamadu Baldé, Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Natural Resources, will attend MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 in Dakar at the invitation of Senegal’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Dr. El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf. National oil company Petroguin will accompany him with a delegation of its own, giving the conference a strong Bissau-Guinean presence during the most active period for the country’s offshore in nearly two decades.

 




 
 

Chevron’s entry in November 2025 brought a supermajor into Guinea-Bissau’s deepwater for the first time. The company operates Blocks 5B and 6B with a 90% interest in each, while Petroguin holds the remaining 10%. In April 2026, Petroguin formed a joint venture with Tender Oil & Gas covering Blocks 5C and 6C, with plans for new seismic surveys aimed at advancing the acreage toward exploration drilling.

As a longstanding participant in this important event, it will be a great pleasure for us to attend once again

Apus Energy’s Atum-1X well, spudded on the Sinapa license in September 2024 in roughly 890 meters of water, was Guinea-Bissau’s first deepwater exploration well. The project re-opened the country’s offshore acreage and reignited global interest in Guinea-Bissau’s potential as a producer in the MSGBC region. In the two years since, Petroguin has expanded the data available to explorers. On October 15, at African Energy Week in Cape Town, the company signed an agreement with Norwegian geoscience firm TGS to reprocess more than 11,000 km² of 3D seismic data, with final products expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.

Baldé took office in April 2026 after nearly two decades as Secretary General of the Agence de Gestion et de Coopération (AGC), which oversees the maritime zone jointly administered by Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. “As a longstanding participant in this important event, it will be a great pleasure for us to attend once again,” said Minister Baldé.

In Dakar, Minister Baldé and the Petroguin delegation will join Senegal’s government leadership and the international companies now evaluating acreage across the basin. The conference will also host its inaugural Data Room, offering investors direct access to regional acreage, subsurface data and partnership opportunities, as MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 positions Guinea-Bissau’s frontier blocks for global investment.

Organized by Energy Capital & Power (ECP), MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 takes place December 1–3 at the Centre International de Conférences Abdou Diouf in Dakar, under the High Patronage of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and in partnership with Senegal’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum. For more information and registration, visit www.MSGBCOilGasandPower.com.

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

 




 

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Côte d’Ivoire’s Poro Power Solar Plant Earns International Awards for Pioneering Africa Finance Corporation-Led Project

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The facility is expected to become Côte d’Ivoire’s largest solar plant when operational in 2027

LONDON, October 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Côte d’Ivoire’s Poro Power solar project has received international recognition for a pioneering investment structure led by Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org/), demonstrating how African capital can be mobilised to develop essential infrastructure and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy. The facility is expected to become Côte d’Ivoire’s largest solar plant when operational in 2027.

 



 
 

The project won ESG Green Bond Deal of the Year for Africa at the recent Infra Global ESG Awards 2026 in London, while AFC received ESG Green Bond Arranger of the Year for Africa. The double honours recognise the innovation behind the Poro Power transaction and AFC’s role in structuring and mobilising investment for sustainable infrastructure.

Developed by Ivorian entrepreneurs, the 66-megawatt solar plant is under construction in northern Côte d’Ivoire near the city of Korhogo. It is projected to generate approximately 136 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually, meeting the needs of more than 100,000 households and benefiting an estimated half a million people.

Beyond providing homes, public services and businesses with reliable power, the project will help Côte d’Ivoire towards meeting its target of increasing renewable energy’s share of electricity generation to 45% by 2030. The Government of Côte d’Ivoire is enabling projects such as Poro Power through its initiative to encourage local private-sector participation in large-scale renewable energy projects, led by the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy under Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly.

“These awards are a tremendous recognition for an Ivorian project developed to meet the needs of our own communities,” said Jean-Marc Aie, Chairman and CEO of Poro Power 1 S.A. “Our ambition is not simply to generate clean electricity, but to support businesses, create opportunities and contribute to the development of Côte d’Ivoire. The Ministry’s strategy to empower local private developers to undertake large-scale renewable energy projects, together with AFC’s investment and innovative financing structure, has been instrumental in bringing Poro Power to this stage.”

Poro Power demonstrates that African financial institutions have both the capital and the expertise to finance large-scale renewable energy infrastructure through our own markets

The €65 million financing package, equivalent to approximately FCFA 42.6 billion, was raised through a green bond — an investment instrument that enables institutions to lend money to projects delivering environmental benefits. It was the first project-finance green bond in both Côte d’Ivoire and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), establishing a precedent for French-speaking West Africa, and was led, structured and fully funded by African institutions. The transaction allowed investors to participate in both euros and CFA francs, making it also Côte d’Ivoire’s first dual-currency green bond. Together, these features demonstrate how African financial institutions can mobilise their own capital for major infrastructure projects, using financing structures suited to African markets.

AFC invested €43 million (approximately FCFA 28.2 billion) in February 2026 and acted as anchor investor, lead underwriter and co-arranger. The equivalent of a further €22 million was raised from African investors, including local and regional banks, pension funds, insurance companies and high-net worth investors.

The bond has a 15-year term, a fixed interest rate of 8.75%, and quarterly repayments following a two-year construction grace period. The financing combines the flexibility of a bond with safeguards normally used in project finance, including first-ranking security, dedicated revenue accounts and contractual protections that separate the project’s cash flows from other activities. These measures help protect investors and align repayments with the plant’s expected revenues.

By bringing together AFC’s investment alongside capital from other African institutions through a structure that accommodates both local and international currencies, the transaction offers a potential model for financing further renewable energy and infrastructure projects across the region. Its significance extends beyond Poro Power, providing a practical example of African money financing African projects and a structure that could be replicated across the continent.

“Poro Power demonstrates that African financial institutions have both the capital and the expertise to finance large-scale renewable energy infrastructure through our own markets,” said Sameh Shenouda, Executive Board Member and Chief Investment Officer of AFC. “By combining the protections required for long-term project finance with the flexibility of capital markets, we have created a structure that can attract a broader range of African investors. This is an important model for mobilising the investment needed to expand reliable electricity supply, support industry and accelerate the energy transition across the region.”

Once operational, the plant is projected to avoid approximately 72,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually — equivalent to taking around 15,600 petrol-powered cars off the road for a year.

The project includes a commitment to allocate €0.01 for every megawatt-hour of electricity generated towards to initiatives intended to benefit local communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

 



 

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