More than 10,000 delegates are expected to gather in Cape Town from October 12-16 for African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, as governments, investors, energy companies and technology providers meet to discuss investment, energy development and partnerships across the continent.
Organizers say this year’s conference and exhibition will be the largest edition of AEW to date, with the event positioning itself as a major platform for energy dealmaking and investment across Africa’s oil, gas, power and renewable energy sectors.
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The five-day event will bring together African governments and international stakeholders through investor forums, project showcases, ministerial meetings, technical sessions and networking events. The program is expected to focus on how African countries can attract capital, develop energy resources and strengthen their position in global energy markets.
International participation will include representatives from the United States, Europe, Japan, Venezuela, Russia, the Caribbean and Asia, alongside companies involved in energy production, technology, services and infrastructure.
Major international energy companies including ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, bp, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are expected to participate, together with technology and oilfield-services companies such as SLB, Technip Energies and Halliburton. Discussions will include international investment opportunities and the development of partnerships between African energy markets and global investors.
Several international forums are scheduled during the week, including the Russia-Africa Energy Investment Forum, Global Energy Leaders Forum, U.S.-Africa Energy & Investment Forum and OPEC-Africa Roundtables.
African governments will also use the event to present national energy strategies, investment opportunities and upcoming projects. Ministers and senior officials from countries including South Africa, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Namibia and Niger are expected to participate in discussions covering hydrocarbons, natural gas, electricity and energy investment.
Country-focused sessions will examine Nigeria’s efforts to increase oil production and revive inactive wells, Namibia’s progress following discoveries in the Orange Basin, Mozambique’s LNG and upstream sector, Congo’s oil and gas value chain, Senegal’s gas-led industrialization strategy and Equatorial Guinea’s plans for its Mega Gas Hub.
Ghana is expected to highlight ambitions to expand beyond the extraction of natural resources toward greater domestic production and value addition, while other national sessions will focus on Algeria’s 2026 licensing round and Angola’s Gas Master Plan.
The conference will cover multiple areas of the energy value chain through dedicated platforms including the AEW Townhall, Upstream E&P Forum, Energy Finance Forum, Energy Additions Forum and Downstream & Petchem Forum. Discussions will address investment, financing, exploration, production, refining, petrochemicals and the future of Africa’s energy markets.
The event will also examine the growing relationship between energy and digital infrastructure. Renegade Intel will focus on the intersection of energy, artificial intelligence and data centers, while Power Africa Today will examine developments in Africa’s electricity sector.
Technology and innovation will feature prominently through The Drill Room and The Innovation Hub, where companies are expected to present technical solutions and technologies for the energy industry. Workshops, investor forums, roundtables and masterclasses will provide additional opportunities for companies and governments to engage directly with potential partners.
A dedicated Deal Room will allow project developers and sponsors to present active energy and infrastructure opportunities to investors and lenders, with the aim of connecting projects requiring capital with potential sources of financing.
Beyond the formal conference program, AEW 2026 will include networking and industry events designed to bring together investors, government officials, energy executives and other stakeholders. These will include the Just Energy Transition Concert, the African Energy Awards & Gala Dinner and a series of business networking events.
African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk said the event would focus on moving beyond discussions toward investment, partnerships and transactions capable of advancing Africa’s energy development.
With thousands of delegates expected in Cape Town, AEW 2026 comes as African countries continue to seek greater investment in oil and gas production, electricity generation, renewable energy, infrastructure and industrial development. The conference will provide governments with an opportunity to present their investment priorities while giving international companies and financiers access to policymakers and project developers from across the continent.
