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TrustPid proves that Innovation does come out of Africa

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TrustPid

Both Adrenaline and TrustPid share a common approach to UID (unique identifiers) — utilizing telco networks as a major source of consumer data

LAGOS, Nigeria, August 24, 2023/APO Group/ — 

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, a groundbreaking collaboration is taking shape as four major European telecom giants are collaborating on an advertising ID system called TrustPid; a privacy-led identification solution that promotes the use of mobile numbers as unique identifiers, to support the digital marketing activities of publishers and brands, in light of third party cookies imminent extinction. Interestingly, the idea to launch a “Telco Ad Network” did not just happen. In 2015, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Africa’s foremost Data and Marketing Technology company, Terragon (https://TerragonGroup.com), unveiled its unique mobile advertising solution, and Africa’s first telco-data monetisation platform, Adrenaline’, (https://apo-opa.info/3EbmA2f) which just like TrustPid used the mobile phone numbers as the unique identifier.

In 2015, when Terragon (https://TerragonGroup.com) launched Adrenaline, the idea was clear – to provide a simple but robust platform that bridges advertising demand (i.e. businesses) and data supply (publishers and telco) to enable targeted messaging to consumers both online and offline.

Adrenaline is a double-sided platform which offers advertisers (businesses) access to run targeted messages to mobile subscribers via offline Telco-native channels (such as “end of call notification, flash message, USSD etc) and online ad exchanges (display ads via browsers and in-app notifications) on one hand; and on the other hand help Telcos monetise their data assets by providing these advertisers with privacy compliant access to segmented subscribers as well as the channels for businesses to reach their target audience. Terragon’s Adrenaline platform is then able to process the data the adrenaline platform is able to access in a privacy compliant environment to enable data monetisation for telcos, accurate reach for publishers and measurement for advertisers. All of this is powered in a strict privacy complaint framework. The AI-powered analytics enables businesses to deliver “personalized” and relevant messaging to targeted audiences. This means that a business using Adrenaline would not waste marketing dollars promoting mobile app usage to a feature phone user, for instance.

Similarly, TrustPid a cross-operator platform for data protection-compliant digital marketing, was born out of the desire to drive privacy-compliant personalised advertising without cookies and diversify the revenue stream of the 4 European telcos — Telefónica, Orange, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom.

A daring move at the time, but one driven by foresight according to Terragon’s CEO and Co-founder, Elo Umeh, who had noted in 2015 that the unveiling of Adrenaline at the MWC was a ‘global first’ that shows that innovation can indeed come out of Africa (https://apo-opa.info/3EbmA2f). He would later go on to explain that Adrenaline’s inception was driven by the insight that mobile phone numbers would become unique identifiers for consumers in the near future. Today, the launch of TrustPid and the looming extinction of third-party cookies, which will have a major impact on the $300bn advertising industry, validates Elo’s 2015 comments and the innovative value presented by the launch of Adrenaline.

Both Adrenaline and TrustPid share a common approach to UID (unique identifiers) — utilizing telco networks as a major source of consumer data. According to Terragon’s CTO and Co-founder, Ayodeji Balogun, ‘by leveraging telco-data, Adrenaline empowers advertisers with near real-time customer insights needed to deliver more relevant, targeted, and effective advertising campaigns, and make effective business decisions.

Mobile phone numbers serve as crucial identifiers that connect individuals to their mobile devices

Telcos have emerged as exceptionally dependable data sources in today’s world where customers generate multiple data traces. Telco data serves as a valuable resource that empowers advertisers with precise insights and targeting capabilities, enabling them to optimize their campaigns and achieve higher levels of effectiveness. Telco data can provide insights on customer behaviour, location, demography, channel preference, interests, economic power, etc. armed with these insights in near real-time, businesses can deliver enhanced targeting, multi-channel engagement and personalised experiences at scale.

The proliferation of mobile usage in Africa has experienced substantial expansion over the years. With a mobile penetration rate exceeding 50% and customers dedicating more than 4 hours each day to their mobile phones, the significance of identifying consumers with their mobile phone numbers, and interacting with them through mobile channels becomes apparent. This according to the Terragon CTO is a major feature of Adrenaline.

“Mobile phone numbers serve as crucial identifiers that connect individuals to their mobile devices. As consumers engage in various activities on these devices, our native cloud software possesses the capability to uniquely recognize them through their phone numbers. Our customer data platform which is situated within different businesses, utilizes mobile phone numbers as key identifiers to centralize and manage customer information.

On the supply side, this data exchange can increase customer life-time value and ARPU, deliver superior customer experience, enable hyper-personalised engagements, identification of growth opportunities, identification of “at-risk” subscribers and prevention of churn. On the demand side, businesses can drive intelligent product recommendation, upsell and cross-sell, reduce cost on customer acquisition and retention, deliver personalised experiences at scale, and increase marketing ROI.”

On data privacy, Mr Balogon states “Our data is fully encrypted and anonymised to protect personal identifiable information. We adhere strictly to global and regional data privacy regulations including the GDPR, and the NDPR (in Nigeria). We have been ISO 27001 certified for 5 years running.”

Terragon is Africa’s leading data and marketing technology company that leverages data and technology to help Brands intelligently reach, engage and deliver more meaningful experiences to African consumers on mobile. Terragon is building a unique and robust cloud-based ecosystem which currently boasts of big global tech companies including Microsoft and AWS, Telco partnership like MTN and Orange, over 30 multinational enterprises including Nigerian Breweries, Access Bank, UBA and over 8,000 small and medium sized businesses.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Terragon Limited.

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African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 Technical Sessions Put Technology Behind Africa’s Next Energy Projects in Focus

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African Energy Chamber

Day 2 technical sessions at African Energy Week 2026 will examine frontier exploration, major gas developments, project economics and the technologies supporting Africa’s expanding oil, gas and LNG sectors

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 22, 2026/APO Group/ –African Energy Week (AEW) 2026’s Day 2 Technical Stages will put the technology and technical expertise behind Africa’s next wave of energy projects in focus, with sessions covering subsurface interpretation, deepwater exploration, gas development, project economics, digitalization, offshore operations and infrastructure.

 




  

The program will unfold across two exhibition-hall stages, with the Drill Room focusing on practical applications across exploration, gas development, offshore operations and LNG, while the Innovation Hub will examine frontier exploration, energy markets, digital technologies and infrastructure. Together, the sessions connect project-level technologies with the wider investment and development challenges facing Africa’s energy industry.

The day opens with GeoEnergy Petroleum Director Maged Fahim, who will examine how legacy and newly acquired subsurface datasets can be integrated with modern technologies to identify additional upstream opportunities. TGS Principal Exploration Advisor Felicia Winter will then focus on Angola’s deepwater basins, examining how modern seismic acquisition and imaging can be used to reinterpret existing data and evaluate frontier plays.

The discussions come as Angola seeks to build on renewed offshore activity. TotalEnergies announced in September that it plans to invest $10 billion in Angola over the next five years, including in exploration, while advancing its $6 billion Kaminho deepwater development.

Gas development will take center stage through two presentations by TotalEnergies. Alexandre Depiesse, GPI Venus, will address appraisal strategies and commercial viability for Orange Basin discoveries, while Mozambique LNG Operations and Project Director Nicolas Cambefort will examine development and optimisation of the Rovuma Basin gas resources. Mozambique LNG, a 13.1-million-ton-per-year project in Area 1 led by TotalEnergies, resumed activities in January 2026 following the lifting of force majeure, putting development of Mozambique’s major offshore gas resources back into focus.

AEW 2026 reflects the practical challenges facing Africa’s energy industry as projects move from resource potential toward development and production

The Republic of Congo National Showcase will provide another perspective on Africa’s expanding LNG industry. The country’s Congo LNG project reached a new stage in February 2026 with the start of commercial production from its second phase. The addition of the Nguya FLNG unit brought total liquefaction capacity to 3 million tons per year, expanding Congo’s ability to monetize its offshore gas resources.

The program will then broaden from individual projects to the continent-wide investment outlook with the launch of The State of African Energy 2027. AEC Senior Vice President Verner Ayukegba and S&P Global Energy Executive Director Max Pietzsch will present the outlook, covering upstream oil and gas, LNG, downstream markets, power, renewables and critical minerals against changing demand, trade flows and energy security requirements.

Project decision-making will remain under examination as S&P Global Energy Technical Research Analyst Tasnika Goorhoo presents “From Limited Data to Better Decisions: How Benchmarking Strengthens Upstream Project Outcomes.” The session will examine how comparative project data can help operators assess performance, costs and development outcomes.

NOV Vice President Mats Anderson will address offshore optimization through high-speed downhole connectivity and real-time distributed measurements, examining how faster access to downhole information can improve operational visibility and decision-making.

Infrastructure will also feature prominently, with Kenyon International West Africa CEO Victor Ekpenyong examining asset integrity and pipeline infrastructure through the company’s CACTUS and FlexSteel technologies. Honeywell Technologies Africa will close the technology-focused sessions with its end-to-end LNG offering, while SLB, InSwitch, the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone and PETROSEN will bring additional perspectives on technology, digitalization and energy services.

“AEW 2026 reflects the practical challenges facing Africa’s energy industry as projects move from resource potential toward development and production,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “From subsurface interpretation and deepwater exploration to LNG development, project benchmarking, digitalization and infrastructure, these technical sessions highlight the expertise and technologies needed to develop Africa’s resources efficiently and create lasting value across the energy value chain.”

AEW 2026 takes place from October 12–16 in Cape Town, bringing together governments, investors, operators and technology providers to discuss investment, project development and the future of Africa’s energy sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

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Rising power costs put energy strategy at the centre of industrial competitiveness

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South Africa

C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg to focus on the procurement, cost and investment decisions facing South Africa’s large energy users

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 22, 2026/APO Group/ –The cost of electricity is no longer only an energy issue for South African businesses. It is increasingly a question of competitiveness, investment and long-term operational resilience.

Recent figures show the pressure on large power users. Business Day reported on 7 September that South Africa’s mining and industrial majors paid Eskom R115 billion for electricity in the 2025/26 financial year. According to Eskom’s annual report, industrial electricity demand fell by more than 22% over the same period as high power costs weighed on energy-intensive operations.

 




  

At the same time, major businesses are moving to alternative supply. Reuters reported on 26 August that South African mining companies are accelerating investment in renewable energy to cut costs, diversify supply and meet decarbonisation targets.

For commercial and industrial energy users, the question is no longer simply how to secure power. It is how to buy it, what to invest in, and which energy strategy makes the strongest commercial sense.

Energy procurement is becoming more complex

Businesses are now weighing several procurement options at once. Should they sign a long-term PPA? Buy through an electricity trader? Wheel renewable power across the grid? Invest in behind-the-meter generation? Add battery storage? Each option carries different implications for cost, risk, contracting and long-term flexibility.

These decisions will take centre stage at the C&I Energy + Storage Summit Johannesburg, taking place on 28–29 October 2026 at The Maslow Hotel, Sandton. The programme is built around the practical challenges facing energy buyers today, with a focus on real projects, commercial models and implementation rather than technology in isolation.

A programme built around the buyer’s decisions

The summit closes with the C&I Decision Clinic: Ask the Experts, a masterclass where attendees submit real project challenges in advance and receive practical, anonymised responses from experts. Questions on the table include whether to build onsite PV or sign a wheeled PPA, how much battery storage makes commercial sense, what a bankable project preparation pack should contain, and what financiers require before term sheet stage.

It follows The C&I Energy Playbook: Five decisions business leaders need to make now, a closing panel in which the moderators of key summit sessions distil the programme into the priorities C&I businesses should act on.

Other sessions address the questions buyers are asking now:

  • Energy storage beyond backup power: unlocking commercial value examines peak shaving, demand charge management, energy arbitrage and hybrid PV-plus-storage business models, along with the operational realities of dispatch, degradation and warranties.
  • Making public-private engagement work for you unpacks how wheeling agreements are structured in practice, where interface risks arise, and how businesses can engage utilities and municipalities early.
  • Reducing energy costs without building new generation is a case-study-led workshop on energy efficiency, operational optimisation, demand response and digital energy management.
  • Projects Spotlight gives energy users the floor to share the strategies they have implemented, the lessons learned and the outcomes achieved.

The programme opens with the keynote panel Threats and opportunities in South Africa’s industrial future, bringing together policymakers, industrial leaders, financiers, and energy and water experts.

Bringing energy buyers into the conversation

The summit’s Hosted Buyer Programme is designed for qualified end-user energy buyers across sectors including mining, manufacturing, property, agriculture and other energy-intensive industries. Hosted buyers take part in the full programme and receive curated engagement with solution providers across energy procurement, storage deployment and project development.

Four events, one venue

The summit is co-located with the EIUG Conference, Water Security Africa and the Data Centre Summit, bringing the energy, water and digital infrastructure communities together in Sandton. It is brought to you by Enlit Africa, with ESI Africa as host media, and is accredited by the SAIEE.

Qualified commercial and industrial energy users can apply for the Hosted Buyer Programme at https://apo-opa.co/4yPnXOg, and bring their project questions to the Decision Clinic.

Full programme: https://apo-opa.co/4xK2ANv

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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Beyond the carbon credit: Who sets the terms for Africa’s carbon markets?

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From project ownership and verification to pricing and benefit-sharing, CMAS 2026 will bring African market leaders and global decision-makers together to examine who creates and captures value

KIGALI, Rwanda, September 22, 2026/APO Group/ –A carbon credit may be traded as a single unit, but its value is shaped long before it reaches a buyer. Decisions about project ownership, finance, data, verification and benefit-sharing determine who participates, who carries the risk and who ultimately benefits. As new regulations and international partnerships expand market access, these questions are becoming increasingly important across Africa.

 




 
 

They will be central to the Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) 2026, taking place from 13 to 15 October at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda. The summit will convene African governments, project developers, investors, buyers and technical experts involved in decisions across the carbon-market value chain.

Countries are approaching these decisions from different regulatory, economic and environmental positions. While recent developments in East Africa demonstrate growing market activity, questions concerning international requirements, technical capacity, investment and benefit-sharing are relevant across Africa.

Ousmane Fall SARR, Coordinator of the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance, says:

“African countries are developing carbon markets from different starting points. Stronger African expertise and regional cooperation will be important if the continent is to contribute to the standards and market practices that determine how its projects compete, attract investment and create value.”

Against this continental backdrop, East Africa provides a timely example of how the market is developing. In January 2026, Rwanda and Singapore invited applications for carbon-credit projects under their bilateral Implementation Agreement, aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Credits from authorised projects may be used by eligible Singapore-based carbon tax-liable companies to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions, subject to both governments’ requirements.

African countries are developing carbon markets from different starting points

Across the continent, carbon market frameworks are rapidly taking shape. Kenya and Uganda are strengthening regulatory oversight, regional partnerships are helping governments build market capacity and infrastructure, and South Africa is advancing reforms to modernise its carbon-credit ecosystem and attract investment. Together, these developments are bringing greater focus to questions of authorisation, project ownership, verification, pricing and access to international buyers, while also raising expectations that carbon finance should deliver sustainable economic and development value beyond the credit itself.

Emmanuelle Nicholls, Portfolio Director for CMAS, says:

“A carbon credit may be the final product, but behind it are decisions about ownership, data, risk, pricing and who ultimately benefits. The conversations in Kigali will examine what credible participation looks like across the full carbon-market value chain.”

These decisions have consequences beyond individual transactions. Carbon finance is increasingly connected to conservation, agriculture, soil restoration, food security, clean energy and waste management. Its success will therefore also be judged by whether projects produce credible environmental outcomes and lasting benefits for African economies and communities.

A practical example comes from the Chinko Conservation Area in the Central African Republic, where revenue from the Chinko Carbon Project is channelled through a community fund that supports locally selected initiatives, including the expansion of a medical centre in Agoumar. At CMAS 2026, African Parks and Welthungerhilfe, both Bronze Sponsors, will share perspectives on how carbon finance can support conservation, climate resilience, food systems and community development, while highlighting broader questions around project governance, impact and the distribution of value.

From project-level impact to market-wide structures, these questions will underpin discussions at CMAS 2026. The programme will address government authorisation, buyer requirements, pricing and offtake, investment risk, early-stage finance, registries and African measurement, reporting and verification capacity. It will connect the question of who sets the terms with the practical requirements for building credible, investment-ready projects and transactions.

CMAS 2026 is hosted by the Ministry of Environment of Rwanda, with UNDP and the African Development Bank as host organisations, the Development Bank of Southern Africa as host partner and AUDA-NEPAD as strategic institutional partner.

Taking place ahead of COP31, CMAS will focus attention on the decisions behind every carbon credit and what they mean for African governments, projects, investors and communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

 




 

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