CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 27, 2026/APO Group/ –After a series of major offshore discoveries transformed Namibia into one of the world’s most closely watched exploration frontiers, attention is shifting from proving resources to building the infrastructure, partnerships and industrial capabilities needed to bring them into production. At African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, the session “Invest in Namibia: Transforming Discoveries into Production. Orange Basin’s Path to First Oil” will examine how the country can capture value beyond the development of individual oil fields and use the emerging petroleum sector as a catalyst for wider economic growth.

 

TotalEnergies’ Venus discovery is technically ready to move toward a Final Investment Decision, with negotiations on fiscal terms still underway. The project’s development concept targets around 150,000 barrels per day at peak production, with first oil potentially around 2030. FEED has been completed and major contractors selected, bringing Namibia’s first potential deepwater oil development closer to execution.

Meanwhile, the Orange Basin continues to attract major international players. TotalEnergies and Galp strengthened their positions across the Venus and Mopane discoveries in 2025, with TotalEnergies becoming operator of Mopane and Galp taking a participating interest in Venus. In August 2026, Equinor agreed to acquire a 17.4% stake in Chevron’s PEL 90, marking its first upstream entry into a new country since 2017. The block is expected to see another exploration well before the end of the year.

The scale of investment now being contemplated makes the question of local economic participation increasingly urgent. Namibia’s draft Local Content Policy identifies the development of national capabilities, employment, local procurement and stronger domestic value chains as central to ensuring that petroleum resources generate benefits beyond government revenues. The government has also highlighted technical training and partnerships with universities and industry as priorities for preparing Namibians for the emerging oil and gas sector.

For Namibia, this means moving beyond an export-led model in which capital, equipment and specialist expertise flow in and crude flows out. Developing local suppliers, financing Namibian businesses, building research and training hubs and creating opportunities for joint ventures could help establish capabilities that extend well beyond the life of individual oil projects. The opportunity spans engineering and fabrication, logistics, marine services, environmental management, digital technologies and other areas of the petroleum supply chain.

“The real measure of Namibia’s oil opportunity will not simply be how many barrels it produces, but how much economic value those barrels create at home,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Namibia has a chance to build a competitive African energy industry around its discoveries – one that creates jobs, develops local companies, transfers technology and gives Namibians a meaningful stake in the country’s energy future.”

The session will look beyond first oil itself to the ecosystem required to sustain production and translate upstream investment into long-term industrial development. With Venus, Mopane and further Orange Basin exploration moving toward development, Namibia has an opportunity to establish the commercial partnerships, financing structures and technical capabilities needed to ensure its petroleum boom becomes an economy-wide growth story.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, August 31, 2026/APO Group/ –South Africa’s energy landscape is entering a new phase. While the country moves towards a more competitive electricity market, commercial and industrial businesses continue to face rising electricity costs, pressure to decarbonise and the need for greater operational resilience.
 




 

With Eskom’s 2026/27 tariff increase and continued reforms to the electricity market, businesses are increasingly looking beyond traditional electricity supply to wheeling, renewable PPAs, onsite generation, battery storage, energy efficiency and demand management.

The key question is no longer simply “How do we keep the lights on?” but “How do we secure reliable power while controlling costs and remaining competitive?”

That question will take centre stage at the C&I Energy + Storage Summit, taking place 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg.

From energy security to business competitiveness

Under the theme “Business continuity through power security,” the summit will bring together commercial and industrial energy users, project developers, investors, financiers, utilities and policymakers to address the practical challenges shaping South Africa’s energy future.

The programme will examine the threats and opportunities facing South Africa’s industrial sector, including rising energy costs, electricity-market reform, decarbonisation and infrastructure constraints.

A key focus will be the growing commercial case for battery storage. The “Energy Storage Beyond Backup Power” session will explore how businesses can use storage for energy arbitrage, peak shaving, demand management, renewable-energy firming and improved power quality – moving batteries from a backup solution to a potential strategic investment.

Practical solutions for South African businesses

The summit will also look beyond new generation, exploring how businesses can reduce energy costs through energy efficiency, operational optimisation, demand response and digital energy management.

For heavy industry, a dedicated session will examine how mining, manufacturing, cement and metals companies can integrate solar, wind and hybrid energy systems while maintaining reliable operations and competitiveness.

The programme will also address one of the biggest challenges facing new energy projects: infrastructure and collaboration between businesses, municipalities and utilities. Discussions will cover shared infrastructure, wheeling agreements, network constraints and how businesses can engage more effectively with public-sector stakeholders.

The conversation has moved beyond keeping the lights on

South Africa’s energy transition is becoming a business strategy. With electricity-market reform, renewable procurement, wheeling and storage creating new opportunities, businesses need to understand not only where their power will come from, but how they can use energy strategically to reduce costs, manage risk and remain competitive.

“The energy transition is about more than adding megawatts; it is about building reliable, responsible energy systems that strengthen competitiveness and resilience,” said Grace Olukune, Head of Engineering at Eskom Green. “Businesses need solutions that combine renewable power, storage, efficiency and partnerships, while ensuring today’s infrastructure does not become tomorrow’s environmental challenge.”

The C&I Energy + Storage Summit 2026 is supported by a growing group of partners committed to advancing South Africa’s energy transition, including NOA Group as Gold Sponsor, Huawei as EIUG Gold Sponsor, Lyra Energy as EIUG Silver Sponsor, and Webber Wentzel, in alliance with Linklaters, as Bronze Water Security Africa Sponsor.

The C&I Energy + Storage Summit 2026 will bring those decision-makers together in Johannesburg to tackle these questions and explore what comes next for South Africa’s commercial and industrial energy market.

28–29 October 2026 | The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, August 20, 2026/APO Group/ –Russell Baatjies, Group Chief Executive of Transnet Freight Rail, has been confirmed as a speaker at African Mining Week (AMW) 2026 – Africa’s premier gathering for the mining industry – taking place October 14-16 in Cape Town.

 

Baatjies will participate in the Regional Connectivity: Financing Africa’s Mineral Infrastructure panel, where he is expected to discuss Transnet’s strategy to modernize South Africa’s freight rail network, expand private sector participation and strengthen regional logistics corridors to support mining growth and cross-border trade.

His participation comes as South Africa accelerates sweeping logistics reforms aimed at removing infrastructure bottlenecks and unlocking greater investment across its mining sector. As the country seeks to mobilize R2 trillion to develop its critical minerals industry – including an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore resources – expanding rail and port capacity has become central to increasing exports of coal, platinum group metals, manganese, chrome and iron ore while improving regional trade connectivity.

In May 2026, Transnet signed rail access agreements with 11 Train Operating Companies (TOCs) serving the coal, manganese, container, fuel and general freight sectors, marking a major step toward opening the national freight rail network to private operators. The agreements are expected to add 24 million tons of annual freight capacity, with the potential to increase to 52 million tons over the next five years, supporting South Africa’s goal of increasing annual rail volumes from approximately 180 million tons to 250 million tons by 2030.

Building on these reforms, Transnet launched the procurement process in June 2026 for The Leasing Company, a rolling stock leasing platform designed to improve access to locomotives and wagons for both established and emerging TOCs. The initiative is expected to increase asset utilization, strengthen freight capacity and attract greater private investment into Southern Africa’s rail sector.

The company is also reinforcing its financial position to accelerate infrastructure modernization through major financing agreements, including a €300 million loan from Agence Française de Développement, a €350 million loan from the European Investment Bank, a $278 million facility from the New Development Bank, a $1 billion loan from the African Development Bank and a R94.8 billion government guarantee package supporting its long-term recovery and investment program.

Alongside infrastructure investment, Transnet is strengthening collaboration with the mining industry to improve export capacity through strategic agreements with Exxaro Resources, United Manganese of Kalahari, Hotazel Manganese Mines and Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining, reinforcing efforts to support higher mining production through more efficient logistics.

At AMW 2026, Baatjies is expected to examine how rail modernization, private sector participation and regional logistics integration can unlock new mining investment while strengthening Africa’s mineral value chains and improving access to global markets.