Africa Energy Week (AEW) 2026 will bring governments, energy companies, financiers and service providers together in Cape Town as African markets seek to turn energy opportunities into investment and projects.
Scheduled for October 12–16, the event is expected to draw more than 9,000 delegates from over 100 countries. Its program will focus not only on discussions about Africa’s energy future but also on commercial engagement, with deal signings, business networking and closed-door meetings forming part of the event. Ministers, national oil companies (NOCs), international operators, independent energy companies, financial institutions and service providers will attend the event. Bringing these groups together is designed to connect the companies, governments and financiers needed to move projects from planning toward execution.
AEW’s previous editions have produced agreements covering project finance, trade finance, hydrogen development and partnerships between national oil companies. At AEW 2022, agreements included deals involving Afreximbank, Sasol, Technip Energies and Namibia’s national oil company Namcor. The 2023 edition included a loan agreement between Afreximbank and Alphaden Energy & Oilfield, as well as a hydrogen agreement between Gambia’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and H2 Gambia Limited. Five agreements were signed at AEW 2024, including a partnership between the national oil companies of the Republic of Congo and Azerbaijan and a trade finance agreement between Afreximbank and Dorman Long Engineering.
Licensing Opportunities Take the Stage
AEW has also become a platform for African countries to present licensing opportunities to potential investors.
Equatorial Guinea announced its 2026 licensing round at AEW 2025, providing prospective bidders with details on available acreage, the bidding timeline and changes to fiscal terms and production-sharing contracts. Several other opportunities will feature at the 2026 edition. Algeria will showcase its ongoing bid round, which includes seven onshore exploration opportunities, while Liberia’s Petroleum Regulatory Authority will present the country’s 2026 Direct Negotiation Petroleum Licensing Round.
The focus at AEW 2026 will extend beyond licensing announcements. The Deal Room will give project sponsors and developers a platform to present active oil, gas, power and infrastructure transactions.
The African Farmout Forum, organized in partnership with Moyes & Co, Farmout Angel and Envoi, will showcase available blocks and acreage across the continent. An African Upstream M&A session will examine current deal structures, while a dedicated finance session will focus on risk allocation and its role in reaching financial close.
Country sessions will give investors access to government representatives from markets including South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Namibia, Ghana and the Republic of Congo.
The event will also host the 8th Meeting of the African Petroleum Producers' Organization NOC CEOs' Forum, bringing together senior executives from major national oil companies. Power Africa Today, Renegade Intel and the Upstream E&P Forum will run alongside the main program, extending the event’s focus to power, digital infrastructure and exploration.
With governments seeking capital, companies pursuing new projects and financiers assessing opportunities across African energy markets, AEW 2026 will put commercial engagement at the center of its five-day program in Cape Town.
