The City of Cape Town has advised the public of several road closures in the Central Business District (CBD) on New Year’s Eve.
The Cape Malay Road March will usher in the New Year with traditional Malay music, drums and marching as several choirs take to the streets of the Cape Town CBD on Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
The evening will begin with a procession from Rose Street in Bo-Kaap at 8:30pm, before making its way down Wale Street and concluding in Adderley Street.
The event is expected to finish at approximately 4am on Thursday, 1 January 2026.
“This is a free event, and the public can line up along Rose Street, Wale Street and Adderley Street to celebrate with the bands and choirs who will be entertaining the crowds.
“Several roads in the CBD will be closed on 31 December 2025 to accommodate the procession and ensure public safety,” the City said.
Due to the road closures, the MyCiTi service in the inner city will be impacted.
While Africa possesses vast hydrocarbon resources, decades of underdeveloped infrastructure continue to limit the economic potential of its oil and gas sector. In 2025, several major pipeline projects exemplify both the promise of Africa’s energy future and the persistent challenges that delay its realization. These projects are more than engineering undertakings—they are strategic levers for industrialization, regional integration, and economic transformation.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) remains the continent’s most high-profile pipeline project. Stretching over 1,400 kilometers from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania, the pipeline is set to bring East African crude to global markets for the first time. After years of uncertainty and repeated financing setbacks – including withdrawals by several international banks and insurers – the project finally secured the full $5 billion (https://apo-opa.co/4slDPFY) required in late 2025, backed by African lenders and development finance institutions. This breakthrough removes one of the project’s most significant hurdles and restores momentum after periods of stalled progress. By mid-2025, construction had already reached roughly 60% completion, but the prolonged funding shortfall had threatened to slow the schedule. Even with financing now secured, EACOP underscores the delicate balance African energy projects must navigate: the promise of export revenues and industrial development on one hand, and the environmental, social and regulatory complexities of building a cross-border pipeline through sensitive landscapes on the other.
In West Africa, Nigeria’s Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) (https://apo-opa.co/4slDPWu) gas pipeline is intended to channel gas from southern production fields to growing industrial hubs in the north – a cornerstone of the country’s strategy to transform its vast gas reserves into a catalyst for domestic industrial growth. By mid-2025, the mainline was more than 70% complete, including complex engineering feats such as the River Niger crossing. Beyond the technical achievement, the project highlights broader structural challenges: ensuring infrastructure can safely and reliably function in regions affected by political instability, theft and sabotage. Once fully operational, the AKK pipeline is expected to supply 3.5 billion cubic feet per day, reducing flaring, supporting electricity generation and fostering industrialization across northern Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP), a transcontinental initiative linking Nigeria to Morocco and potentially Europe, represents Africa’s most ambitious regional vision. The 5,660-km corridor, advancing toward construction as of August 2025, is intended to deliver billions of cubic meters of natural gas annually across West Africa. Its potential impact is transformative: supplying energy to hundreds of millions, promoting cross-border industrial development and positioning Africa as a strategic gas supplier to Europe amid global supply uncertainties. Yet the sheer scale of the AAGP highlights the persistent factors slowing African pipelines: securing long-term financing, coordinating multiple governments, navigating complex environmental and regulatory landscapes and managing security risks over thousands of kilometers.
Across the continent, several common challenges explain why pipeline projects often move slowly. Financing remains critical: while investor appetite exists, projects are perceived as high-risk due to political, regulatory and security uncertainties, as well as shifting global energy dynamics. Technical complexity is another barrier, with pipelines traversing rivers, wetlands, deserts and other challenging terrain. Transnational coordination further complicates execution, requiring alignment across multiple jurisdictions. Security and operational risks, from sabotage to theft, continue to influence both investor confidence and project timelines.
African Energy Week (AEW), scheduled to return to Cape Town from October 12-16, 2026, plays a vital role in addressing these challenges. The event provides a central forum for dialogue between governments, energy companies, financiers and international stakeholders, bringing together the decision-makers who can navigate regulatory frameworks, unlock investment and advance cross-border cooperation. In 2025, AEW discussions highlighted that while Africa’s pipeline ambitions are technically feasible, progress now depends on coordinated action across policy, finance and engineering.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Mashatile hails Brian Hlongwa as political educator and lifelong activist
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has described the late former Gauteng Health MEC Brian Hlongwa as a lifelong activist, political educator and intellectual contributor to the African National Congress (ANC) and the transformation of government.
Mashatile was delivering the eulogy at Hlongwa’s funeral service at Walter Sisulu Hall in Randburg on Wednesday. Hlongwa passed away on Tuesday, 22 December after a short illness.
He served as Gauteng’s Member of the Executive Council for Health from March 2006 to May 2009 and was also a member of the African National Congress. He served multiple terms on the party’s Provincial Executive Committee in the province.
Hlongwa, whose full name was Thamsanqa Brian Hlongwa, was remembered as a committed cadre shaped by the 1976 generation and the mass democratic movement of the 1980s.
Mashatile said Hlongwa belonged to a generation of youth activists, who combined discipline, political clarity and resilience during a period when liberation movements were banned.
“He was not just a foot soldier of our movement but an architect of the mind and a contributor to the politics of the ANC and the transformation of the Gauteng Provincial Government,” Mashatile said.
According to the Deputy President, Hlongwa’s activism was rooted in organisations such as the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), the Soweto Youth Congress (SOYCO), the South African Youth Congress (SAYCO) and the United Democratic Front (UDF), which played a central role in mobilising communities against apartheid.
Mashatile said the banning of the ANC and other liberation movements at the time placed responsibility on youth structures to sustain resistance and prepare future leaders for governance.
Hlongwa later rose through the ranks of the ANC Youth League and served in various municipal and provincial structures, including as a member of the Johannesburg City Council and as Gauteng MEC for Health under former Premier Mbhazima Shilowa.
Mashatile also highlighted Hlongwa’s contribution to political education, particularly through his work at the OR Tambo School of Leadership. He said Hlongwa believed that the liberation of the mind was central to the broader struggle for social and economic justice.
“Political education for him was not about dogma, but about empowering cadres to think critically, lead ethically and serve selflessly,” Mashatile said.
He recalled a 2008 visit to China by an ANC delegation from Gauteng, which included Hlongwa, as part of efforts to study models for building state capacity. Mashatile said the experience reinforced Hlongwa’s commitment to strengthening political education within the ANC.
Reflecting on the current political landscape, Mashatile said Hlongwa’s life offered lessons for renewing the ANC and confronting poverty, inequality and governance challenges with the same determination shown during the anti-apartheid struggle.
He noted that the ANC’s National Executive Committee had resolved that all leaders should undergo political education, particularly in the context of coalition politics and the Government of National Unity.
Mashatile concluded by calling on ANC members to remain accountable to the people and to practise ethical and transparent leadership.
Addressing the Hlongwa family, Mashatile expressed condolences and thanked them for sharing their loved one with the country.
“While the nation has lost a leader, you have lost a pillar of your family,” he said.
Hlongwa was honoured for his contribution to the struggle, governance and political education. – SAnews.gov.za
In parts of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, it is not uncommon to hear of individuals who run naked at night. They cause trouble and instil fear in the neighbourhood. They throw stones on rooftops, make animal noises, bang on windows and doors, and chase night travellers.
In Kenya, the practice is called night running, or night dancing in parts of Tanzania and Uganda. It is claimed to be a form of spiritual possession in the communities where it is rampant.
Night runners are largely left to their own devices, but there is a sense of stigma attached to the practice.
I am a cultural studies researcher and wanted to explore how night running is seen in popular culture through fictionalised print media narratives or other appropriations. I set out to study the concept of night running as practised in rural communities in western Kenya, as well as its adoption in cities.
I conducted interviews with informants from Kisumu and Vihiga counties in western Kenya to examine the ritual and its marginal taboo position. The ritual exists on the margins because it’s a practice deemed unacceptable in public. I also examined Kenyan newspaper archives between 1990 and 2020 to trace the transformation of public discourse around night running. These articles and letters to the editor acted as a repository of understanding by Kenyans from different regions about night running.
I found that in the 1990s, newspapers reporting on night running largely exposed the ritual and its perceived links to witchcraft. Most of the reports captured the violence meted out on suspected night runners, or reflected on cases of night runners causing havoc.
These references to either night running or witchcraft appeared as hard news and in letters to the editor. They illustrated heightened stigma. In one letter to the editor published on 20 February 1993 in Kenya’s oldest newspaper, The Standard, a reader observes
the decision to burn alive the wizards and witchcrafts as reported by the daily newspapers in Kisii district was an action long overdue … I find it difficult to condone their action and say that was a job well done. Wizards have done worse and have retarded developments.
In the post-2000 period, a column titled The Night Runner in The Standard offered a direct modification of the idea of night running. The columnist, Tony Mochama, assumed the persona of a night runner as an alter ego to document his night adventures in the capital, Nairobi. Each week, the column documented different activities, from watching soccer matches to attending parties and official events.
The column co-opted the public’s memory regarding the ritual figure of the night runner. Mochama invoked the night runner as his lens for seeing Nairobi by night. This column, therefore, offered a collective re-imagination. Readers were asked to re-imagine night running as a strategy of seeing, travelling and documenting the city of Nairobi by night.
I found that the inference in the column was that the night is a significant time-space that carries extensive activity and culture. The column presented the night runner as someone who disrupts the logical and accepted order of how to operate at night.
For instance, instead of taking the night as the time of rest, the contemporary night runner works, travels the city and explores its leisure zones.
By describing a night runner as someone who moves against the grain, Mochama turned night running into a metaphor for life in the city after dark. This view enabled his audience to look beyond the stigmatised ritual and imagine its usefulness as a signal for different forms of nightlife.
The contradictions
My study found that Mochama’s articles and others within the popular culture section of newspapers created space for forays into fictional and surreal tales of night running.
These narratives explored the ritual form of night running as defined by the veil of darkness – but also its contradictions in an over-illuminated city space.
The night runner, therefore, captures the anxieties of cityness embodied in the tensions of non-belonging, especially regarding social norms. This is in relation to subjects that exist outside acceptable social norms that dictate the night as a time of rest and sleep. The narratives also raised the complexities of taboo and family in the city, where boundaries are blurred because of the freedoms of urban life.
In Mochoma’s column, readers laugh at the antics of this night runner, who is an extrapolation of a rural ritual into the city. But they are also forced to recognise the uneasy kinship ties unveiled in urban living. The night runner, in this form, is seen to overcome the unknowability of the city and instead forces an introspective inquiry into human beings as creatures with secret and uncanny habits.
The popular night runner is thus a subject that has “four eyes”. This is defined by anthropologists Filip de Boeck and Marie-Francoise Plissart as a person with a heightened sense of sight to see beyond the obvious, to see the shadows, the supernatural that is part of the nocturnal city.
The urban night runner sees the underbelly of the city in the invisible networks that thrive in dingy bars and backstreets. Here, prostitutes, street families and the police create uneasy alliances. In this regard, to night run in the city is to run the night, to rule over the city and its moods.
This reimagination created space for alternative ideas of night running that are less taboo. Mochama’s column, which ran from 2006 to 2012, indicates a sustained national audience for these forms of night running narratives.
Why it matters
My study found that night running as understood in modern times is a duality: the ritual of persons running naked at night and causing havoc, and a symbol of navigating the nocturnal city against the grain.
The rise in popular imaginaries of night running has enabled a public re-contemplation that has perhaps removed stigma from the taboo act. This is seen in the way people playfully use the term to reference night time activities, such as working or leisure. And in the way columnists inject humour and imagination into its references in their narratives.
These competing narratives on night running operate side by side in the public milieu through the media: the earlier ritual practice, the fictionalised narratives, and the co-opted modern appropriations.
It is no wonder that a supposed group of night runners in Homa Bay, another county in western Kenya, publicly demanded that the government allow for the registration and recognition of their union in 2023. And earlier in 2019, the BBC ran a documentary, Meet the Night Runners.
– Kenya’s ‘night running’: how a rural ritual with links to witchcraft became an urban staple – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-night-running-how-a-rural-ritual-with-links-to-witchcraft-became-an-urban-staple-267333
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, welcomed the peace initiative presented by the Transitional Government of Sudan to the United Nations Security Council. The AUC Chairperson described the initiative as a comprehensive and forward-looking framework that demonstrates a profound understanding of the severe crisis confronting Sudan and its people, as well as a sincere commitment to ending hostilities, halting violence, alleviating humanitarian suffering, and upholding Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The AUC Chairperson noted that the African Union attaches great importance to the political, humanitarian, and security elements outlined in the proposal, viewing them as a credible foundation for sustainable peace. He underscored that constructive engagement with the initiative is indispensable to any comprehensive solution and to efforts aimed at ending armed conflict, restoring security and stability, and safeguarding Sudan’s social cohesion and national unity.
The AUC Chairperson expressed strong support for the initiative’s emphasis on an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, the protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access, support for refugees and internally displaced persons, disarmament, security sector reform, national reconciliation, and reconstruction. He affirmed that these components are essential for rebuilding trust, repairing the social fabric, and consolidating a unified Sudanese state.
Furthermore, the AUC Chairperson stressed the need for a guaranteed and inclusive process anchored in transitional justice, national reconciliation, redress for victims, and broad political participation. Such an approach, he stated, is vital for achieving lasting peace, preserving societal unity, and preventing a return to violence or fragmentation.
Reiterating the African Union’s long-standing position, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf emphasized the importance of Sudanese-led dialogue during the transitional period, aimed at forging national consensus on governance and unity within a single constitutional framework.
He also highlighted the necessity of conducting free, fair, and internationally supervised elections to fulfill the Sudanese people’s aspirations for democracy and stability.
The AUC Chairperson affirmed the African Union’s readiness to coordinate closely with the United Nations, Arab League, IGAD, and international partners to support and accompany peace efforts in Sudan. He reaffirmed the AU’s steadfast commitment to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and to promoting regional and international peace and security.
The government of Senegal has approved the studies conducted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the National Cattle Identification and Tracking System (SNITB) following a national workshop held on December 23-24, 2025, in Diamniadio, Senegal.
The workshop, which brought together public authorities, private sector stakeholders, professional organizations, and technical partners, was chaired by Mabouba Diagne, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock.
This event marked a decisive turning point in the fight against cattle theft. The focus was on innovation and the involvement of technology start-ups to tackle this issue, which is undermining the livelihoods of millions of families in West Africa. In Senegal, annual losses are estimated at two billion CFA francs (approximately USD 3.2 million). Cattle theft represents a major economic and social threat to livestock farmers.
In response to this challenge, Senegal has chosen a collective and inclusive approach, mobilizing communities, authorities, and the private sector to strengthen security and tracking. According to the Minister of Agriculture, the time for observation has passed: “We must act. Cattle theft is no longer just a rural incident; it’s a well-organized plague that hinders investment, impoverishes pastoral households, and will seriously damage the development of the livestock sector if no action is taken,” he stated.
A Collective and Inclusive Response
The workshop highlighted a hybrid approach that combines digital solutions for tracking and surveillance, community involvement in prevention and intelligence gathering, and strengthening the security and institutional framework with strong involvement from the national private sector.
“Aware of these challenges, the government is implementing a firm, coordinated, and multi-sectorial response. This workshop aims to make a decisive leap: to move from diagnosis to concrete action on the ground by providing substantial support for the development of a national strategy and real support for the anti-cattle theft task force,” the Minister stated.
A multi-sector technical committee has been set up, bringing together public institutions, civil society members, and private companies, including several start-ups specializing in cattle tracking and electronic security, in addition to support from the FAO and projects of the Ministry.
Innovation and Tracking: The Contribution of Start-ups
Young technology companies (Daraal Technologies, Jourgui, EMC2, Africa Smart Citizens, SAGAM Technologies, Somone, and ASM) have presented solutions ranging from digital platforms to connected devices. These innovations, integrated into the SNITB, will allow for real-time tracking of livestock, prevent theft, and strengthen investigations.
“Through this FAO pilot project focused on preventing and combating cattle theft using digital technologies, FAO aims to contribute to the emergence of start-ups specializing in digital tracking. These innovative initiatives enhance pastoral security and provide solutions tailored to local realities,” said Lionel Gbaguidi, Head of the Animal Health and Production Unit at the FAO Subregional Office for West Africa.
Towards a Sustainable National Strategy
Stakeholders validated a budgeted roadmap, which includes the creation of local anti-theft committees in all 557 municipalities. This decision aligns with the FAO’s support for the initiative, already backed by the National Association for the Fight Against Cattle Theft (ANLCVB), and the increased involvement of defense and security forces, private agencies, and the integration of digital solutions into the national strategy.
From Plague to Resilience
The defense and security forces, supported by private companies created by former gendarmes, are leveraging their expertise to track stolen livestock. Using community-based and tech intelligence, they anticipate suspicious movements, dismantle criminal networks, and rebuild the trust of livestock farmers. FAO is committed to supporting the Ministry in implementing this strategy and encourages the integration of the proposed innovations to develop solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and tailored to the needs of livestock farmers and institutions.
“FAO strongly supports the integration of the proposed innovations to develop solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and adapted to the needs of livestock farmers and institutions, and is committed to assisting the Ministry in this strategy,” said Makhfousse Sarr, Program Officer at the FAO Representation in Senegal.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
Sosthène Nguema Nguema, Minister of Oil and Gas, Gabon has been confirmed as a speaker at the upcoming Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2026 – taking place in Tripoli from January 24-26. The announcement highlights Gabon’s ongoing efforts to attract international investment and advance strategic reforms in its oil and gas sector.
Minister Nguema assumed office in May 2025 and has since led a comprehensive modernization of Gabon’s hydrocarbons framework. Under his leadership, the government is replacing the 2019 Hydrocarbons Code with separate oil and gas codes (https://apo-opa.co/4pW73cJ), aiming to enhance transparency, improve fiscal terms and provide legal clarity for investors. These reforms are design to unlock Gabon’s deepwater and ultra-deepwater reserves, an underdeveloped segment of the country’s energy portfolio.
Gabon currently produces approximately 200,000-228,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, with proven oil reserves estimated at 2 billion barrels and natural gas reserves at 26 billion cubic meters. In 2025, the country has seen major international re-entries, with bp and ExxonMobil signing MoUs (https://apo-opa.co/4qtT2CZ) to explore offshore oil and gas blocks. The state-owned Gabon Oil Company (GOC) has also expanded rapidly through strategic acquisitions, including Tullow Oil’s Gabonese assets (https://apo-opa.co/49xcitD) and Assala Energy, raising national production to nearly 50,000 bpd under its portfolio.
Key gas projects under development in the country include the Cap Lopez LNG Terminal, a $2 billion investment by Perenco (https://apo-opa.co/3MW8oBU) featuring a floating LNG unit slated to begin production in 2026, and the Port-Gentil LNG facility, a $983 million joint venture with GOC. Gabon’s broader energy strategy also encompasses renewable integration and electricity expansion, targeting 85% rural electrification by the end of 2025.
Gabon and Libya share a history of multilateral cooperation through OPEC and continental energy forums, and Minister Nguema’s participation at LEES 2026 reinforces growing collaboration across the African oil and gas sector. Scheduled to join a high-level ministerial panel during this year’s event, Minister Nguema is set to provide attendees with first-hand insights into Gabon’s production optimization strategies, regulatory reforms, and investment opportunities, while also engaging in discussions on regional gas infrastructure and hybrid energy integration.
“We are honored to welcome Minister Sosthène Nguema Nguema to LEES 2026,” states James Chester, CEO, Energy Capital & Power. “His participation underscores Gabon’s strategic role in Africa’s evolving energy landscape and offers delegates a unique opportunity to engage directly with leadership driving regulatory reforms, deepwater exploration and gas monetization initiatives. Minister Nguema’s insights will be invaluable for investors and stakeholders looking to partner in Gabon’s growing hydrocarbon and energy sector.”
Join industry leaders at the Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2026 in Tripoli and explore investment opportunities in one of North Africa’s most dynamic energy markets. LEES 2026 offers a premier platform for partnerships, innovation and sector growth. Visit www.LibyaSummit.com to secure your participation. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Ending energy poverty in Africa requires scalable, reliable and lower-carbon energy systems – and Angola’s accelerating gas agenda is emerging as one of the continent’s most compelling pathways forward. Through projects such as the New Gas Consortium (NGC), new discoveries and a supportive policy and infrastructure framework, Angola is positioning natural gas as a cornerstone of regional energy security. This shift reflects more than diversification: it offers a replicable model for African producers aiming to expand power generation, industrial output and economic resilience through gas-led development.
A New Era of Non-Associated Gas Development
Angola reached a milestone in November 2025 with first production from the NGC project – the country’s first non-associated gas development. Drawing resources from the offshore Quiluma and Maboqueiro fields for processing at an onshore treatment plant in Soyo, the project has capacity to produce 400 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and 20,000 barrels of condensate. Operated by the NGC – comprising Azule Energy as operator alongside Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, Sonangol E&P and TotalEnergies – the $4 billion project came online six months ahead of schedule, strengthening Angola’s ability to meet growing regional demand while reinforcing its place in global gas supply chains.
Historically, Angola’s gas output has been tied to associated gas from crude oil fields. The NGC breaks that pattern. By generating dedicated gas production independent of oil cycles, it stabilizes supply, supports downstream industrialization and delivers a cleaner, more flexible fuel source for power and industry. Equally significant, the NGC demonstrates how coordinated partnerships and infrastructure-led planning can unlock technically complex resources efficiently. The consortium model spreads risk, pools expertise and mobilizes capital – while integration with the Angola LNG plant ensures immediate export capacity and competitive market access. At the same time, domestic industries gain opportunities in gas-fired power, fertilizer production and gas-based manufacturing. For other African oil producers, Angola’s lesson is clear: align partners early, build enabling infrastructure and use gas as both an economic catalyst and a stabilizing energy resource.
Progress, Policy and International Engagement
Quiluma was discovered in 1970 and Maboqueiro in 1995 – so why development now? The answer lies in policy. Determined to offset production decline and diversify its hydrocarbons sector, Angola enacted a series of legislative reforms to stimulate gas exploration and production. These include Presidential Decree 1/18, establishing a framework for gas development rights, and the Gas Master Plan, which maps a comprehensive strategy for advancing the entire gas value chain. Complementing these reforms, Angola launched a multi-year licensing strategy in 2019, opening strategic acreage to operators and catalyzing new investment. The results are increasingly visible.
Beyond the NGC, Angola announced its first gas discovery in 2025 in Block 1/14 – signaling the start of a more deliberate, gas-focused exploration phase. The National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency is reprocessing historic seismic data to de-risk prospects and encourage new drilling campaigns. Together with growing international engagement, these initiatives are expected to accelerate future non-associated gas development.
This is where African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 adds momentum. Returning to Cape Town from October 12–16, AEW connects global operators, investors and policymakers with African projects – facilitating partnerships and channeling capital into strategic gas opportunities across the continent.
“Angola’s gas push is more than an upstream success story – it is a lifeline in the fight against energy poverty. Projects like the NGC show what is possible when policymakers and industry work together to unlock resources, build infrastructure and put African energy to work for African development. This is the model our continent needs to scale,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
As African oil-producing nations seek to boost output and attract new capital, regulatory reform has emerged as a key catalyst. Countries such as Angola, Nigeria and the Republic of Congo demonstrate how clear frameworks, transparent licensing and targeted incentives can accelerate investment. As emerging producers gain prominence across the continent, lessons from Africa’s largest oil and gas markets show that the right reforms do more than improve governance – they deliver production, investment and measurable results.
Regulatory Restructuring Drives Investment
Angola has been among the continent’s most proactive reformers, implementing multi-year licensing rounds, establishing the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency, and introducing measures such as the incremental production decree. These initiatives have revitalized exploration across both frontier and mature basins, enabling new discoveries such as ExxonMobil’s Likember-01 and Azule Energy’s Block 1/14 gas find, while driving forward integrated projects like Kaminho, Agogo and the New Gas Consortium gas development – all crucial to sustaining production above one million barrels per day (bpd). Supportive policies have generated an investment pipeline of $70 billion over the coming years, underscoring the role of regulation in advancing national priorities.
Nigeria has also highlighted the impact of reform in scaling production. The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 overhauled the oil and gas sector, streamlining licensing and reducing bureaucracy to restore investor confidence and target 2.5 million bpd. Successive licensing rounds in 2024 and 2025 further enhanced the market’s appeal, with the latest November 2025 bid round offering 50 blocks and targeting $10 billion in new investment.
The Republic of Congo is pursuing equally ambitious reforms, aiming for 500,000 bpd in 2025 and expanding LNG output to 3 million tons per annum. A planned Gas Master Plan, dedicated Gas Code and new licensing rounds are strengthening the investment climate. These reforms complement ongoing projects, including TotalEnergies’ $600 million investment in Moho Nord, Trident and Perenco’s expanded drilling, as well as the second phase of Congo LNG, which began in November 2025. Congo’s regulatory push is designed to maximize production from existing assets while opening opportunities for new market entrants.
Lessons for Emerging Producers
The experiences of Africa’s largest oil and gas markets offer critical guidance for emerging producers. Namibia, following successful exploration in the offshore Orange Basin, is targeting first oil by 2029 through the TotalEnergies-led Venus project and the Galp-led Mopane complex. Onshore, ReconAfrica’s hydrocarbon discovery at Kavango West 1x in December 2025 underscores the country’s growing investment potential. To maintain confidence as exploration transitions to development, Namibia can emulate regional best practices: establish stable fiscal regimes early, resist frequent revisions and ensure predictable project economics as discoveries move toward commercialization.
Uganda, which anticipates first oil production at the Kingfisher and Tilenga fields in 2026, stands to benefit from lessons across the region. Alongside its oilfields, the 1,443-km East African Crude Oil Pipeline will link Lake Albert developments to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania. With its pipeline-driven model, Uganda can draw on Congo’s integrated planning approach – aligning upstream, midstream and industrial policy to ensure resource development translates into long-term national value. Efficient permitting, accelerated local-content development and secure infrastructure will be critical as construction peaks.
As discoveries mature, regulatory frameworks must evolve from exploration-focused policies to comprehensive strategies for development, commercialization and export. This is where African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 plays a vital role. As the continent’s premier policy platform, AEW enables governments, investors and regulators to collaborate on reforms and share lessons from across Africa.
“Africa’s energy future will be built by countries that embrace reform, attract investment and move fast. Strong policies unlock strong projects, and when regulators, investors and industry work together, we see real results – more wells drilled, more gas commercialized and more opportunities created. If we want to make energy poverty history, then policy clarity, stability and bold decision-making must remain at the center of Africa’s oil and gas agenda,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, has met with the family of the late corporal T.J. Motsamai, who lost his life during a recent military operation.
The Minister was accompanied on her visit on Tuesday by the SANDF Surgeon General, Chief of the South African Military Health Services, Lt Gen (Dr) Peter Maphaha and Joint Operations Headquarters, General Officer Commanding, Maj Gen Godfrey Thulare, as well as other senior military personnel.
“The engagements were undertaken to convey condolences to the bereaved family and to provide leadership support and encouragement to soldiers on internal deployments.
“This followed a tragic incident at Macadamia during routine patrol duties under Operation CORONA, where a military vehicle carrying members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Military Police attempted to cross a river that had been heavily flooded due to recent adverse weather conditions,” the Department of Defence and Military Veterans said.
In the incident, two members were swept away by the strong river current. The body of one member was recovered, while the second member remained missing.
“The Minister expressed her deepest condolences to the bereaved family and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to providing continued support to the family during this difficult time, while also standing firmly with all SANDF members serving the Republic,” said the department.
The Minister also engaged with SANDF members deployed in the affected area.
Meanwhile, the South African Police Service has said that the remains of a person suspected to be that of the missing SANDF member, who was swept away in the flooded river, have been recovered in the Komati River in Komatipoort on Monday.
