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United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partners with Carbon Markets Africa Summit: “Preparing governments to become carbon market ready”

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Carbon markets can unlock billions in finance for the continent

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 30, 2025/APO Group/ –“How is it possible that in 2025, when we are able to send people to the moon, when we are able to create driverless vehicles, we’ve not been able to solve the problem of cooking energy in Africa’s rural areas?” asks Maxwell Gomera, Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub.

He continues: “This is something that is within our means. And as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, we are now working with governments across Africa on how to solve such problems. High-integrity carbon markets can offer Africa a powerful tool to mobilise finance required to advance climate action and ensure fair benefits while driving sustainable and inclusive development.”

Carbon markets unlocking billions

“Africa no longer waits for promises to be kept—we act,” Mr Gomera adds. “Carbon markets can unlock billions in finance, strengthen our institutions, and accelerate both Agenda 2063 and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. At UNDP’s Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, we believe in a unified continent ready to harness this opportunity, own its solutions, and lead the global transformation towards resilience and prosperity.”

The UNDP is the official host partner of the upcoming Carbon Markets Africa Summit CMAS), taking place in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 October, gathering the continent’s entire carbon markets value chain, from successful early carbon market movers, climate-finance-ready projects and regulatory bodies to global institutional development organisations and investors.

“We cannot continue talking about Africa’s potential. We must make that potential a reality,” says UNDP’s Maxwell Gomera. “The Carbon Markets Africa Summit matters, because we bring together like-minded people to strengthen the ecosystem around a problem that we all share and provide solutions. Our message is: Tomorrow is worth fighting for.”

The UNDP is making important contributions to the Carbon Markets Africa Summit programme:

CARBON 101

As part of the CARBON 101 pre-summit masterclass on 21 October, UNDP Carbon Market Programme Specialist Bernardin Uzayisaba will facilitate a session on “Why carbon markets matter – and why Africa’s timing is critical.” There is already a lot of interest in this masterclass by delegates who will gain a foundational understanding of global carbon markets—both voluntary and compliance—and their evolving mechanisms: what they are and how they work. In addition, he will explore the global architecture shaped by Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and Africa’s emerging role in a system that’s rapidly evolving.

Day 1: Keynote session

Carbon markets can unlock billions in finance, strengthen our institutions, and accelerate both Agenda 2063 and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal

– Maxwell Gomera, Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub will deliver a keynote address in the CMAS opening session on 22 October.

 Sandra Lindström, Head of International Climate Cooperation, Swedish Energy Agency, a UNDP partner, is another keynote speaker in this session, as she explains: “Sweden has been active in carbon markets for over two decades and we believe that Article 6 of the Paris Agreement has an important role to play in enabling increased global climate ambition. Our long-standing partnerships in Africa are being ramped up to include cooperation on emissions trading with strong sustainable development contributions”.

Turning policy into action

As African countries transition from climate ambition to implementation, regulatory clarity is emerging as the cornerstone of carbon market development. UNDP Carbon Market Programme Specialist Bernardin will moderate the discussion on “Africa’s carbon market frameworks: Turning policy into action” in this session, which will explore how national frameworks are evolving post-COP29, what integration of Article 6 looks like on the ground, and how public-private collaboration can drive effective execution.

NBS & AFOLU discussion

In the sector-focused dialogue on nature-based solutions and AFOLU, Mr Uzayisaba will also join the expert panel discussion to explore carbon methodologies, investment models, policy frameworks, and the role of communities in delivering high-integrity, land-based carbon outcomes.

African companies entering carbon markets

On Day 2, Tomas Sales, Special Advisor for UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, will co-lead the workshop on “How African companies can enter the carbon market.”

This workshop is designed for African corporates and SMEs looking to understand the business case for engaging in carbon markets.

[Read the full interview with UNDP’s Maxwell Gomera here (https://apo-opa.co/4nWxPQL).]

Link to the CMAS 2025 Programme Brochure: https://apo-opa.co/4nPlvBO

Event dates and location:
Dates:
21 October: Pre-summit day
22–23 October: Summit
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Event website: About — Carbon Markets Africa (http://apo-opa.co/48DqHEz)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Energy

Egypt’s Mineral Resources Authority Chair Joins African Mining Week (AMW) Advisory Board

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Eng. Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority has joined the 2026 edition of African Mining Week – scheduled for October 14–16 in Cape Town – as an advisory board member

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 23, 2026/APO Group/ –Eng. Yasser Ramadan, Chairman of the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority (EMRA) has been appointed as an Advisory Board Member of African Mining Week (AMW) – The Most Influential Mining Conference in Africa – reinforcing the event’s engagement with key regulatory institutions shaping the continent’s mining sector.

 

In his role, Ramadan will provide strategic guidance on core themes and agenda priorities for AMW, ensuring alignment with Egypt’s mining sector vision, including regulatory reform, investment facilitation and value-added mineral development.

His appointment strengthens AMW’s position as a direct engagement platform for global investors seeking exposure to Egypt’s mining industry. It also supports Egypt’s broader national agenda to attract foreign direct investment into key mineral segments including phosphate, gold, copper and industrial minerals, which are central to the country’s industrialization and resource monetization strategy.

Under the theme Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value Chain, AMW 2026 will convene African regulators, including EMRA, alongside global investors and project developers for partnerships formation aimed at unlocking investment flows across the continent’s mining sector.

AMW 2026 comes at a time when Egypt is accelerating reforms and strategic initiatives across its mining sector. These include enhanced collaboration on mineral value chains, such as the Afreximbank-Central Bank of Egypt initiative to establish the African Gold Bank, aimed at financing gold mining and beneficiation projects. Additionally, Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone-based Futurefert project recently secured $20 million in financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to develop fertilizer production facilities, further supporting the country’s phosphate beneficiation ambitions and regional food security objectives.

Meanwhile, regulatory reforms are also underway, including the development of a modern mining cadastre system designed to streamline licensing processes and improve transparency for investors, led by EMRA.

Through his role on the AMW Advisory Board, Ramadan will position Egypt as a key mining investment destination within Africa’s evolving resource landscape.

https://apo-opa.co/4ai4FYa

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

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Africa’s Data-First Energy Workforce is the Key to Unlocking Future Exploration

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Africa’s energy sector is undergoing a massive digital transformation, leveraging AI and analytics to enhance transparency and production while prioritizing essential workforce development and innovation

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s energy future will be shaped not only by the resources beneath the ground, but by the ability of its workforce to interpret, manage and act on increasingly complex datasets. As exploration targets become more technically challenging and investors demand greater certainty, energy companies across the continent are turning to artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and digital platforms to improve decision-making. Building a data-first workforce capable of leveraging these technologies is emerging as a strategic priority, enabling operators to reduce exploration risk, optimize production and accelerate project development.

 

As digital innovation becomes increasingly critical to streamlining operations across exploration and production, this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from October 12–16 – is set to highlight how these shifts impact regional competitiveness. These industry-wide advancements are set to take center stage during Renegade Intel, the event’s premier track dedicated to AI and data centers.

For Africa’s exploration sector, digitalization is becoming a prerequisite for success. As operators pursue frontier acreage, deeper reservoirs and more complex geological plays, the ability to process and interpret large volumes of seismic, subsurface and operational data is critical. However, technology alone is not enough. Scaling exploration activity will require a workforce equipped with advanced digital skills, capable of applying AI-driven insights to geological modeling, prospect evaluation and resource development.

In the exploration sector, the BHP Xplore Bootcamp – designed to fast-track early-stage mineral exploration – launched in South Africa on February 3. The intensive program provides junior explorers with $500,000 grants and access to proprietary data analytics, specifically targeting deeper copper and zinc systems in the Northern Cape province through advance mineral modeling.

Harnessing digitalization is no longer an option but a necessity to ensure Africa remains globally competitive

Further boosting upstream efficiency, global technology company SLB inaugurated its Africa Performance Center in Luanda, Angola in late 2025. The facility provides regional operators with high-fidelity digital twins and AI-driven workflows for enhanced oil recovery. These tools allow companies to analyze massive datasets, extending the life of mature fields in Angola and Algeria.

AI is increasingly being adopted across Africa’s energy management systems. Leading the charge in modern grid management, South Africa’s state utility Eskom announced on March 3 that it is leveraging AI to build a self-healing power grid. This ambitious project aims to utilize predictive analytics to minimize outages and optimize integration of renewable energy sources across its national transmission network. This was followed by the signing of an agreement between Eskom, the University of Pretoria and the South African National Energy Development Institute, aimed at harnessing the power of AI to address critical energy challenges across the country.

Similar moves are taking place in Nigeria. In a landmark move for regulatory transparency, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) launched a 60-day digitalization program in early 2026. NUPRC Commission Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan announced the initiative following a visit from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s Executive Secretary Musa Sarkin Adar, pledging to eliminate paper trails to enhance speed and royalty enforcement.

Sustaining this momentum requires robust talent pipelines and university partnerships. Workforce reform is essential to bridge the technical gap, as African institutions must evolve into dynamic innovation hubs. Investing in local skills development ensures that the digital transition remains Africa-led, creating high-value jobs for the continent’s growing youth population.

“Transforming Africa’s economic potential into reality requires that we empower those who make growth possible – our SMEs, our women entrepreneurs and our youth,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Harnessing digitalization is no longer an option but a necessity to ensure Africa remains globally competitive.”

Ultimately, digitalization and skills development are the dual engines driving Africa toward an era of energy abundance. By fostering a tech-savvy workforce and adopting cutting-edge analytics, the continent can de-risk projects and attract long-term capital. These critical advancements are set to form the cornerstone of discussions at the Renegade Intel track at AEW 2026 this October.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Cabship Expands Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Logistics, Workforce Development Strategy Ahead of Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Sponsorship

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As Angola’s oil and gas sector evolves, Cabship is expanding its service offering through digital innovation, workforce development and integrated logistics solutions designed to support the next phase of industry growth

LUANDA, Angola, June 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Angolan logistics and maritime services provider Cabship is strengthening its service portfolio to better support the country’s evolving oil and gas sector, while leveraging digital technologies, workforce development and local partnerships to meet growing industry demand. Reflecting its expanding role across Angola’s oil and gas value chain, the company has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 conference and exhibition as an Elite Sponsor.

 

Over the years, Cabship has developed into a strategic integrated logistics and support service providers for Angola’s oil and gas industry. The company offers a broad range of solutions spanning shipping, customs clearance, procurement, warehousing, material management, pipe yard operations, freight forwarding, transportation and offshore support services. Building on this foundation, Cabship continues to diversify its capabilities to support increasingly complex upstream and offshore developments across Angola.

The company’s growth strategy has been underpinned by continuous investment in technology and operational efficiency. As Angola’s oil and gas industry embraces digital transformation, Cabship has integrated artificial intelligence and advanced digital tools into its logistics and supply chain operations. These technologies are helping optimize cargo tracking, improve operational planning and enhance the efficiency of project execution, enabling operators and service providers to reduce costs while maintaining reliability across the supply chain.

Alongside technology adoption, Cabship has placed local content development at the center of its long-term strategy. The company signed a partnership agreement with Angola’s National Petroleum Institute (INP), aimed at strengthening training initiatives to prepare young Angolan professionals for careers in the energy sector. The partnership initially benefits 15 individuals from the provinces of Cabinda, Zaire, Bengo and Luanda, with recipients undergoing specialized training in industrial electricity in renewable energies and international welding.

The company has also continued to expand its offshore and marine support capabilities through strategic partnerships, strengthening its ability to provide integrated services for both shallow-water and deepwater operations. These efforts align with Angola’s broader objectives of increasing local participation across the oil and gas value chain while supporting new exploration, development and production projects.

As an Elite Sponsor of AOG 2026 – taking place September 9-10 in Luanda, with a pre-conference day on September 8 – Cabship will join industry leaders, policymakers and investors to discuss the future of Angola’s oil and gas sector. The company’s participation highlights the increasingly important role that logistics, digital innovation and workforce development play in supporting Angola’s next phase of oil and gas growth.

 

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

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