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Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN) and FORUS Digital Announce Strategic Cooperation to Advance Financial Innovation in Africa

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UDPN

This partnership is set to empower African communities, governments, and businesses, and represents a significant step toward realising the shared goal of financial inclusion and economic advancement across Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, November 21, 2024/APO Group/ — 

In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 105 million adults are unbanked and lack proper identification documents (http://apo-opa.co/4fZNzyr) [1]. Over 350 million adults in Africa live on a cash-only basis (http://apo-opa.co/3Z2xBg6), without access to financial accounts, credit cards, or lending facilities. Digital currency systems could prove to be key in improving financial inclusion and opening up new opportunities to large underbanked communities in many African countries.

Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN) (https://apo-opa.co/4g0POSt), the world’s leading global payments messaging network supporting regulated stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and FORUS Digital (http://FORUS.Digital), a global leader in blockchain-based cooperative digital finance, are starting a strategic cooperation aimed at expanding financial inclusion and promoting tokenisation efforts across Africa.

This partnership is set to empower African communities, governments, and businesses, and represents a significant step toward realising the shared goal of financial inclusion and economic advancement across Africa, with blockchain and decentralised finance at the forefront of this transformation. UDPN and FORUS Digital will collaborate to introduce the UDPN platform’s capabilities throughout Africa, initially in South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

Sonny Fisher (https://apo-opa.co/4fVmRXZ), Founder of FORUS Digital (https://apo-opa.co/3YWJRih), remarked “Our partnership with UDPN accelerates our vision of economic empowerment through decentralised finance. Together, we are equipping Africa with the tools to embrace blockchain-powered tokenisation and drive sustainable development.”

“As we stand on the brink of a digital payments revolution, UDPN’s collaboration with FORUS Digital will play a crucial role in shaping a future where financial services are accessible, efficient, and secure for all Africans. This partnership is a testament to our belief that technology can be a powerful tool for development. By working together, we are paving the way for innovative financial solutions that will enhance economic resilience in African communities,” commented Christopher Ortiz (https://apo-opa.co/3UYIb6M), Member of Group Executive Board – North America, UK and APAC, GFT (https://apo-opa.co/4eBennO).     

UDPN is a DLT-underpinned messaging backbone focused on providing interoperability between the fast-growing number of different regulated stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and CBDCs, and seamless connectivity between any business IT system and regulated digital currencies.

Earlier this year the UDPN team launched three solutions designed to reshape the landscape of digital payments and assets in the financial sector:

  • Tokenised Deposit/Stablecoin Management System: A production-grade system designed for both commercial banks and regulated stablecoin issuers, streamlining the entire lifecycle of tokenised deposits and stablecoin services – from issuance to operation, including advanced interoperability features.
  • Digital Asset Tokenisation System: Provides a robust production-grade platform for financial institutions, such as banks and investment firms, to tokenise real-world assets and manage them within a regulated environment.
  • UDPN All-in-One Digital Currency Sandbox: A sandbox, designed to enable both commercial and central banks to learn about the latest digital currency technology, test built-in use cases, and develop their own new custom use cases in a self-control and secure environment that the banks can control and provide permissioned access to other institutions in their ecosystem.

The UDPN aims to drive down payment and foreign exchange costs whilst accelerating the uptake of regulated digital currencies.

Over 130 countries [3] globally are currently investigating, developing, or have already launched CBDCs. On the African continent, South Africa, Nigeria, Eswatini and Ethiopia have taken the lead. FORUS Digital has positioned itself in Africa to help central banks and commercial banks in their journey towards CBDC using the UDPN All-in-One Digital Currency Sandbox.

Statista [4] indicated that the Digital Assets market in Africa is projected to reach a revenue of US$3,115.0m by 2024.  It indicates that Africa’s Digital Assets market specifically, the number of users is projected to reach 53.89m users by 2025.

Financial innovation is not limited to central banks. Citigroup’s launch of Citi Token Services and Societé Generale’s December 2023 announcement of their digital currency and asset services and the HSBC Orion platform are the most recent examples of how traditional financial institutions are making digital assets an essential part of their service offerings to their clients.

This partnership between UDPN and FORUS Digital will focus on helping central banks deploy a secure CBDC testing environment for creating use cases and defining new regulations. It will also help commercial banks manage their own tokenised deposit and stablecoin life cycle and integrate into the central bank digital currency testing environment. The programmability of value-added financial services will enable new business models and enhance the efficiency and transparency of cross-border payments.

This partnership is a major milestone in Africa’s digital financial transformation and the introduction of UDPN Solutions there will enable a variety of sectors to access secure, low-cost cross-border payments and tokenised financial products. By providing African governments and financial institutions with blockchain-driven tools, UDPN will support enabling an inclusive, scalable digital payments system for the African continent.

Learn more!

To learn more about the Universal Digital Payment Network (UDPN), please visit www.UDPN.io.

Together, we are equipping Africa with the tools to embrace blockchain-powered tokenisation and drive sustainable development


[1] https://apo-opa.co/4fZNzyr

[2] https://apo-opa.co/3Z2xBg6

[3] Atlantic Council’s CBDC Tracker (https://apo-opa.co/4ggoRKH)

[4] Statista (https://apo-opa.co/4fX9p5N)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FORUS Digital.

Energy

African Energy Chamber (AEC) and DMWA Resources to Advance Advocacy, Advisory Discussion at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026

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African Energy Chamber

Africa’s energy policy and advisory leaders join African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) and pan-African advisory firm DMWA Resources will bring policy advocacy and investment advisory expertise to African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, with Verner Ayukegba, Senior Vice President of the AEC, and Sebastian Wagner, Founder and President of DMWA Resources, confirmed as speakers.

The AEC has established itself as the continent’s leading energy advocacy organization, working with governments, investors and operators to shape the policy frameworks that drive investment into Africa’s energy sector. The Chamber’s advocacy spans regulatory reform, local content, trade policy and the defense of Africa’s right to develop its hydrocarbon resources. In 2026, the AEC applied to intervene at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in a climate-related proceeding, arguing that energy policy on the continent should be shaped by African institutions rather than external litigation. The Chamber also continues to publish its annual State of African Energy Outlook in partnership with S&P Global Commodity Insights, which assesses upstream activity, spending patterns and energy access gaps across the continent’s 54 markets.

 




  

Investment in African energy starts with getting the policy environment right

DMWA Resources is a pan-African energy marketing, advisory and commodities trading firm with operations spanning West, Central and Southern Africa. The firm advises national oil companies and multinational operators on upstream positioning, local content strategy and capital access, drawing on established relationships with producers and host governments across the continent. Wagner also serves as Executive Chair of the Germany Africa Business Forum (GABF), a private think tank founded in 2017 to connect German capital and industrial expertise with African energy and infrastructure opportunities.

Ayukegba’s dual role as AEC Senior Vice President and a director at DMWA Resources reflects the close link between advocacy and advisory work in Africa’s energy investment landscape, where securing the right policy conditions and connecting projects with capital partners remain closely linked priorities.

“Investment in African energy starts with getting the policy environment right,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “When you pair strong advocacy with advisory expertise that connects capital to opportunity, projects become bankable. That is the kind of leadership this platform brings together.”

AEW 2026, taking place in Cape Town from October 12-16, will provide a platform for the organizations shaping Africa’s energy investment environment to engage directly with policymakers, operators and financiers on the advocacy and advisory priorities driving the sector forward. To learn more and register as a delegate, visit https://apo-opa.co/4iRMcGN.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

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Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) Brings Angola’s Next Upstream Investment Cycle to Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026

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Etu Energias

Angola’s upstream regulator will lead a senior delegation to AOG 2026 as the country targets new investment across mature assets and frontier basins under its Hydrocarbon Strategy 2025–2050

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Angola’s National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG) will lead a high-level delegation to the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2026 Conference and Exhibition as the country moves to translate its long-term upstream strategy into exploration, development and production growth.

The delegation will feature senior representatives including Executive Administrators Alcides Andrade, Artur Custódio, Nicola Mvuayi and Ana Miala, alongside Director of Exploration Lúmen Sebastião and Local Content Coordinator Maura Nunes. ANPG Chairman Paulino Jerónimo will lead the delegation, providing investors with direct access to Angola’s upstream regulator as the country promotes opportunities across mature and frontier provinces.

 




 
 

The ANPG’s participation comes at a pivotal moment for Angola’s upstream sector. With production at around 1.03 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2026, Angola is pursuing a dual-track strategy: maximizing recovery from mature producing assets while accelerating exploration across underexplored basins that could underpin the country’s next generation of projects.

Central to this push is Angola’s Hydrocarbon Strategy 2025–2050, which establishes the upstream vision, pillars and targets for the next 25 years. Built around six pillars, the strategy aims to make Angola’s upstream sector more competitive and attractive to investors while promoting technological innovation and greater development of the country’s natural resources.

In the near term, the strategy targets production above one million bpd through 2030, before increasing output to 1.2 million bpd during 2031–2040. Mature assets will form a key bridge to this growth. Angola is targeting field revitalization, well re-entry, new drilling and improved recovery rates, supported by measures including the 2024 Incremental Production Decree. Investment is already advancing at producing assets such as Block 32 and Blocks 3/05 and 3/05A, highlighting the remaining potential within established concessions.

At the same time, ANPG is creating opportunities to shorten development timelines and commercialize smaller discoveries through infrastructure sharing and subsea tiebacks. The Greater PAJ development, which reached FID in June 2026 and combines resources from Blocks 31 and 31/21 through shared infrastructure, demonstrates how cross-block development can unlock resources more efficiently.

Beyond mature acreage, Angola’s longer-term production outlook will increasingly depend on frontier exploration. The Hydrocarbon Strategy targets approximately 12.7 billion barrels of oil initially in place and five trillion cubic feet of gas in discovered or prospective resources through 2030, rising to approximately 20 billion barrels and 13 trillion cubic feet during 2031–2040. Angola plans to expand 3D seismic coverage and intensify exploration across the Kwanza, Namibe and Benguela Basins, alongside deeper Cretaceous and pre-salt opportunities in the Lower Congo Basin.

Momentum is already building. TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil secured four Namibe and Benguela blocks in 2026, Woodside Energy is pursuing studies across Blocks 25, 26 and 43, while Shell has partnered with Sonangol on Block 33. ANPG’s Permanent Offer Regime provides an additional route into the market, enabling investment in unawarded acreage, free areas within existing concessions and concessions held by the national concessionaire.

ANPG’s participation at AOG 2026 will therefore put both sides of Angola’s upstream proposition in focus: near-term barrels from established producing areas and longer-term growth from frontier exploration. As Angola moves from managing decline toward rebuilding production, AOG 2026 provides a platform for ANPG to connect available acreage, regulatory reforms and project opportunities with the capital and technical expertise needed to deliver the country’s next investment cycle.

Visit www.AngolaOilandGas.com for more information.

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

 




 

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Energy

Egypt’s Upstream Reset Gains Momentum as Tarek El Molla Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2026

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African Energy Chamber

Egypt’s former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources returns to the conference as the country accelerates upstream reforms, reopens acreage for exploration and strengthens its position as a strategic Mediterranean gas supplier

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Tarek El Molla. Founder & Principal Consultant at Luminant Energy Consultancy and Former Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Egypt, will speak at the upcoming African Energy Week (AEW) Conference and Exhibition – the continent’s premier event for the energy industry. El Molla joins the conference at a time when Egypt is revitalizing its upstream strategy under efforts to address production decline, attract new exploration investment and reinforce its role as a strategic Mediterranean supplier.

 




 

In recent months, Egypt has been actively repositioning itself as a competitive upstream destination through a combination of exploration incentives, regulatory reform and expanded partnerships with international energy companies. These efforts align with goals to reach 6.6 billion cubic feet per day in production by 2027. Recent agreements and drilling campaigns signal renewed confidence in the country’s hydrocarbon potential, particularly offshore and in underexplored onshore basins.

Tarek El Molla helped position Egypt as one of the Mediterranean’s most strategically important gas markets

Just this month, the country signed an exploration agreement with TotalEnergies, establishing a framework for technical cooperation. The agreement reflects Egypt’s continued strategy of leveraging international partnerships to accelerate resource development while maximizing the value of its existing LNG and gas infrastructure. This comes as a wave of foreign investment is expected across the upstream sector in the coming years. International companies have committed more than $19 billion over the next three years, including Eni ($8 billion), bp ($5 billion), ARCIUS ($2 billion) and Apache Corporation ($4 billion).

To support production growth, the country has also approved two new petroleum laws aimed at accelerating hydrocarbon exploration in key offshore zones. Law No. 81 of 2025 covers the North Sinai offshore zone while Law No. 163 of 2025 focused on the East Al-Hamad area in the Gulf of Suez. Perenco and affiliates formalized a deal for the North Sinai zone, committing an initial $46 million to drill exploration wells. Dragon Oil signed a contract for the East Al-Hamad, with plans to invest between $30 million and $40.5 million to drill at least two wells. These moves aim to unlock new frontiers in the country, strengthening export resilience and long-term production metrics.

Egypt’s upstream revival is taking place against the backdrop of intensifying regional competition for investment and export market share. As Mediterranean and European buyers seek reliable supply partners closer to market, Egypt is positioning itself as both a producer and a regional processing hub capable of handling gas flows from across the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Tarek El Molla helped position Egypt as one of the Mediterranean’s most strategically important gas markets. Egypt’s renewed exploration drive and policy reforms are sending a strong signal to investors that the country is serious about increasing production, accelerating deal flow and strengthening its role in regional energy security,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

As Egypt expands exploration activity and strengthens its investment framework, AEW 2026 is expected to serve as an important platform for Egyptian authorities, operators and policymakers to connect with international investors and showcase new opportunities across the country’s upstream and gas sectors. Taking place from October 12-16 in Cape Town, the conference will bring together African energy leaders, global financiers and technology providers to shape the future of the continent’s energy industry.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

 




 

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