CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 30, 2026/APO Group/ –Zimbabwe Regulatory Authority (ZERA) CEO Edington Tapera Mazambani, Gabon Oil Company (GOC) CEO Dr. Marcellin Simba Ngabi and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) Chairman and CEO Rudêncio de Rodolfo Novais Morais will speak at African Energy Week 2026, bringing perspectives from three institutions at the center of Africa’s evolving energy landscape. Representing regulation, state participation and natural resource development, the executives will share insights into the policies, investments and partnerships shaping the next phase of energy growth across southern and Central Africa.

Their participation comes as African governments pursue market reforms, strengthen national energy companies and expand private investment to improve energy security and accelerate resource development. AEW 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from October 12–16 – will provide a platform to examine how regulatory modernization, state-led investment and international partnerships are driving new opportunities across the continent’s electricity, oil and gas sectors.

Mazambani joins AEW 2026 as Zimbabwe advances one of its most significant energy market reforms in decades. The regulator recently shifted away from unsolicited project proposals in favour of structured competitive bidding, improving transparency while creating clearer pathways for private investment. At the same time, ZERA continues expanding the country’s renewable energy pipeline, issuing new generation licenses that have added hundreds of megawatts of planned capacity, predominantly through utility-scale solar projects.

The authority has also launched initiatives to modernize the national grid, strengthen energy efficiency standards and prepare for wider deployment of distributed generation through future net-metering frameworks. Recent enforcement measures to ensure lower fuel prices are expected to reduce transport costs and improve affordability for consumers.

Meanwhile, Ngabi brings insights from one of Africa’s fastest-growing national oil companies as GOC expands from an equity partner into an integrated upstream operator. Since taking office, he has overseen a strategy centered on increasing state participation in Gabon’s petroleum sector through acquisitions, operatorship and domestic capability building. The company’s $300 million acquisition of Tullow Oil’s Gabon portfolio significantly expanded its production base and reserves while positioning GOC as a more influential operator across the country’s mature producing assets.

The acquisition of Société de Maintenance Pétrolière Afrique has brought drilling and well intervention expertise in-house, while new offshore production sharing contracts have expanded GOC’s operated acreage. These developments coincide with Gabon’s broader efforts to revive exploration activity, open new offshore licensing opportunities and modernizing refining infrastructure.

A geologist by training with decades of experience inside ENH, Morais has been tasked with maintaining technical continuity while advancing the commercialization of Mozambique’s vast offshore natural gas resources. His appointment comes as Mozambique seeks to accelerate financing and implementation of major Rovuma Basin LNG projects that are expected to transform the country’s economy over the coming decade.

Beyond LNG development, ENH is expanding its role across Mozambique’s broader energy value chain. Under Morais’ leadership, the company is supporting government efforts to increase domestic value addition by strengthening logistics infrastructure, pipeline networks and downstream facilities that can support long-term industrialization. The strategy reflects Mozambique’s growing emphasis on ensuring natural gas development delivers wider economic benefits through local content, industrial growth and improved energy access.

“Across Africa, governments are strengthening regulatory institutions, expanding the role of national energy companies and creating new investment frameworks to unlock long-term energy development,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “The participation of ZERA, Gabon Oil Company and ENH at AEW 2026 reflects the important role these institutions play in shaping competitive energy markets, attracting investment and ensuring Africa’s natural resources drive sustainable economic growth.”

Multilateral finance institution the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) is expanding its role in Angola’s energy and infrastructure sectors, having invested close to $1 billion across the country’s power, rail, logistics and critical minerals industries. Reflecting its growing commitment to the market, the institution has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference & Exhibition as an Elite Sponsor ahead of this September’s event in Luanda.

 

The sponsorship comes as AFC and Angola continue to strengthen their partnership. In 2025, Angola became a sovereign shareholder in AFC through a landmark $184.8 million equity investment commitment, reinforcing the institution’s role in mobilizing capital for strategic projects across the country. Angola’s Sovereign Wealth Fund also invested $25 million in AFC, further demonstrating the country’s confidence in the pan-African infrastructure financier.

That partnership is already translating into major transactions. In July 2026, AFC reached financial close on a $753 million financing package for the Lobito Corridor Railway Project, serving as Co-Financial Adviser alongside Eaglestone. The financing includes $553 million from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and $200 million from the Development Bank of Southern Africa and will support the rehabilitation, upgrade and long-term operation of the 1,300-km railway linking the Port of Lobito with the Democratic Republic of Congo border.

Beyond transport infrastructure, AFC is also supporting Angola’s upstream oil and gas industry. The Corporation invested $60 million as part of a $190 million debt facility backing Angolan independent Etu Energias’ acquisition of interests in offshore Blocks 14 and 14K. The transaction enabled Etu Energias to acquire a 20% stake in Block 14 and a 10% stake in Block 14K, doubling its net production at the time from approximately 9,000 to 19,000 barrels per day.

AFC’s participation at AOG 2026 reflects its expanding footprint in Angola and creates new opportunities to engage with project developers, operators and government stakeholders. As the country’s premier oil and gas event, AOG has established itself as the leading platform for advancing investment, financing and partnerships across Angola’s hydrocarbon value chain.

Taking place on September 9-10, with a pre-conference program on September 8, AOG 2026 will bring together government officials, financiers, operators, service companies and investors to examine the opportunities shaping Angola’s energy future. As an Elite Sponsor, AFC will showcase its expertise in structuring and mobilizing capital for large-scale African infrastructure and energy projects while reinforcing its long-term commitment to Angola’s economic development.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 28, 2026/APO Group/ –Sputnik Africa has joined African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as an official Media Partner, expanding the event’s international media reach ahead of the conference taking place on October 12-16 in Cape Town. The partnership strengthens global visibility for Africa’s premier energy investment platform.

As an official Media Partner, Sputnik Africa will help amplify discussions surrounding investment opportunities, policy developments and commercial partnerships emerging from the conference. The collaboration broadens AEW’s engagement with audiences across Africa and internationally while expanding coverage of major announcements, strategic dialogues and project developments taking place throughout the event.

The 2026 program features an expanded agenda focused on investment mobilization across the energy value chain. Town Hall sessions will examine fiscal reforms and regulatory competitiveness, while the Upstream E&P Forum will address frontier exploration, gas development and regional cooperation. dedicated finance, downstream and technology tracks will further explore infrastructure investment, AI adoptions and digital transformation.

Country spotlights will showcase licensing rounds, upstream opportunities and national reform programs from African producers seeking new investment. These sessions will provide international companies and financial institutions with direct access to policymakers and project developers while highlighting commercially attractive opportunities spanning hydrocarbons, power generation, infrastructure and emerging energy technologies.

As such, Sputnik’s participation reflects its growing presence across the continent through multilingual news coverage and regional broadcasting platforms. Publishing in English, French, Swahili and Amharic, the outlet covers diplomacy, business, infrastructure, technology and economic developments affecting African markets while expanding distribution through digital platforms, FM radio and institutional media partnerships.

In recent months, Sputnik Africa has expanded coverage of Russia-Africa economic cooperation, infrastructure investment, transport connectivity and energy collaboration. The platform has also reported extensively on discussions surrounding nuclear energy, industrial development, AI governance and broader Global South partnerships, reflecting growing international interest in Africa’s evolving economic landscape.

The organization has steadily expanded its physical footprint since establishing its first African editorial center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2025. The bureau serves as a production hub for English and Amharic programming while supporting locally produced reporting and strengthening the organization’s long-term presence on the continent.

Operational growth continued through the launch of FM broadcasting services in Ethiopia before expanding radio operations into additional African markets, including Burkina Faso. Sputnik Africa has also broadened institutional engagement through journalism training initiatives and educational partnerships, including collaboration with the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana under its SputnikPro program.

“African Energy Week has always been about connecting Africa’s energy opportunities with global investors, technology leaders and strategic partners. Sputnik Africa’s participation as a media partner expands the reach of those conversations, helping showcase the projects, policies and partnerships that are driving the continent’s energy future to audiences across Africa and beyond,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

The partnership between Sputnik Africa and AEW 2026 reinforces the conference’s commitment to engaging a broad international media network capable of showcasing Africa’s investment story to global audiences. By expanding coverage across multiple languages and regions, the collaboration supports greater visibility for investment opportunities, policy reforms and commercial partnerships shaping Africa’s evolving energy sector.