Category: Africa

Source: APO

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking investment partners to unlock 90% of its mineral resources which remain untapped.

Speaking at African Mining Week 2025 in Cape Town, Louis Watum Kabamba, DRC Minister of Mines, urged industry leaders to partner with the country in driving sustainable mining sector growth.

“Ninety percent of our minerals are not yet exploited. We are offering them. The DRC is seeking industry movers who will harness these resources to stimulate economic growth and create value for our people,” Kabamba said.

He emphasized that the DRC is looking for long-term partners who will go beyond production to invest in exploration, infrastructure and workforce development.

“We are home to the youngest population in the world and we want investors committed to developing our local talent. Our beneficiation strategy ensures high returns through close proximity to resources, a dynamic young workforce, dedicated special economic zones, and a strategic location,” he explained.

Kabamba also highlighted opportunities in copper and iron ore, noting that the country is deploying satellite and spatial data technologies to accelerate greenfield exploration, cut costs and reduce uncertainty.

“We have 20 billion tons of iron ore – enough to supply steel for Africa. The continent must identify what is critical to us and prioritize it to drive regional growth,” he stated.

Kabamba stressed that cross-border cooperation will be essential to unlocking both the DRC’s and Africa’s broader mining potential.

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

Source: APO

As global attention shifts toward Africa’s digital potential, Senegal is emerging as a hub for next-generation technology and investment. With the recent launch of its new digital strategy, the ‘New Deal Technologique’, and a landmark US$10 million partnership formalised with the Gates Foundation just days ago to advance digital transformation efforts, the country is signalling that digital technology is firmly at the heart of national development and technological sovereignty. 

The Forum Invest in Senegal 2025 (Fii Senegal 2025) (https://FiiSenegal.sn/), taking place on October 7-8 at the CICAD Conference Centre in Diamniadio, will bring global leaders, investors, and innovators together to experience that vision in action. 

A high-level panel on “ICT and Artificial Intelligence” aims to highlight the transformative potential of technology and innovation for Africa’s future. Moderated by Eva Sow Ebion, Tech Ecosystem Specialist and Strategic Partner Manager at i4Policy, the panel features Alioune Sall, Senegal’s Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy; Annabelle Albert-Fonteneau, Head of Acceleration Programmes at the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology; Tidjane Deme, General Partner at Partech; and keynote speaker Aicha Sarr Evans, CEO of ZOOX. These government and industry leaders will share insights on digital transformation, AI adoption, and the creation of resilient ecosystems to accelerate growth and competitiveness.

The Fii Senegal 2025 discussions come at a time when the impacts of reform are already evident. Senegal’s Investment Code is lowering entry thresholds, digitising approval workflows, and guaranteeing decisions within ten days. The enhanced Tax and Customs Codes are reducing administrative bottlenecks. The APIX Business Creation Office enables company incorporation in under 48 hours, while the ORBUS and Port Community System digitisation have streamlined trade and customs operations. Additionally, the Startup Act supports emerging tech enterprises. Together, these moves are attracting foreign direct investment into infrastructure, digital services, data centres, and smart projects across Senegal.

Bakary Séga Bathily, Director General of APIX, reiterated that “Senegal is showcasing itself as a sovereign, forward-looking digital hub where reforms, innovation, and opportunity converge. Fii Senegal 2025 will prove to investors that this is the time and place to shape Africa’s digital future.” 

Under the patronage of His Excellency, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Fii Senegal 2025 is set to position Senegal as West Africa’s strategic investment gateway, in line with its main theme of “Connecting Opportunities, Building the Future”. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APIX Senegal S.A.

Source: APO

Mining Ministries from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) showcased measures driving beneficiation of mineral resources during the Ministerial Forum held today at African Mining Week 2025 in Cape Town.

Louis Watum Kabamba, Minister of Mines, DRC said the country is prioritizing the development of special economic zones as part of its value addition strategy.

“We have a one stop shop removing complications of fiscals and make it easier for industry participation to put capital and technology to drive the beneficiation agenda,” stated Kabamba.

The DRC is also investing in AI technology to maximize and simplify mineral exploration and production.

“We want to use advanced technology to unlock lithium potential. We are also second to Chile in copper production and we want to be first,” added Kabamba.

Winston Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Republic of Zimbabwe said the country will commission a new base metal refinery in the next two years.

He said the country holds the world’s second largest reserves of platinum and seeks to leverage its global market position to create employment and manufacturing industries locally.

Zimbabwe also has three industrial parks currently under development in Hwange, Beitbridge and outside Harare to value-add critical minerals, according to Minister Chitando.

“We want value addition making economic sense. Exporting ore all the way to the port and ship them to international does not make economic sense since we are a landlocked country,” added Chitando.

Yusuf Farouk Yabo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines of Nigeria highlighted efforts by the country to create a $1 billion economy by 2030.

“We need leadership, institutions and the right policies hence we are revamping the Mining Act of 2011 to ensure the needs of the private sector are catered for,” stated Yabo.

Nigeria is also investing in digitizing its mining processes, from data accessibility and mineral traceability.

“We want to ensure traceability from mining to monetization, with Nigerian minerals set to come from two sources: license holders or a seller and supplier buying from ASM players who are traced and formalized,” reiterated Yabo.

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

Source: APO

Namibia has been awarded the top prize of the ExxonMobil Foundation STEM Regional Finals during the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy Awards & Gala Dinner on September 30. The team was recognized for its innovative waste-to-energy project.  

Using a 3D-printed frame, the system converts fish waste into bio-feed for plants. The project promotes sustainable farming, turns organic waste into valuable nutrients and supports efforts to combat hunger in rural Namibia.  

The Nigerian Team took home second place for its UltraClean project. Serving as a solar-powered water purification apparatus for classrooms and home, the UltraClean system uses sand filtration, charcoal purification and biochar creation to provide safe water, convert waste into fertilizer and support sustainable development.  

The Angolan Team came third for its project involving solar to remove waste from water. The system aims to mitigate waterborne diseases, support tourism in Angola and convert plastic waste into revenue.  

The Mozambique Team was awarded fourth place for its sanitation and energy solution. The project converts human waste into biogas, which is then transformed into electricity. The system combines a carousel and biodigester to support clean water access, sanitation for children and increase agricultural capacity through irrigation and energy production. 

The competition, a collaborative initiative between the ExxonMobil Foundation and non-governmental organization JA Africa, marks the culmination of a year-long program of quizzes and innovation camps.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Source: APO – Report:

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Afreximbank TV, a digital TV channel that is wholly owned and run by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) marked its fifth edition with dedicated coverage of the recently concluded Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) held in Algiers, Algeria.

Since premiering in November 2023, the virtual TV channel has steadily grown its audience with over 14.1 million views and 324,200 hours in watch time. The channel’s subscribers currently stand at about 0.5 million; watched by an average of 272,800 people every month. Its broadcasts have a global reach, with Kenya, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania among its top five markets.

Afreximbank TV’s first edition featured coverage of IATF2023 in Cairo, Egypt. Since then, it has broadcast a variety of in-depth, wide-ranging and newsworthy content, including interviews with key opinion shapers, long and short form video testimonials, coverage of flagship events and conversations. The content is aired free-of-charge in English and French.

“Through Afreximbank TV, we are leveraging the power of storytelling to not only amplify Afreximbank’s critical interventions and its development impact but also lead the conversation on Africa’s trade transformation. As Global Africa works towards a more prosperous and interconnected future, we have to own and shape our narrative globally,” said Mrs. Anne Ezeh, Afreximbank’s Director of Communications & Events.

Mrs Ezeh added that Afreximbank TV remains committed to depicting Africa’s capabilities, strengths, uniqueness, budding prosperity and contribution to the global value chains.

More than five videos on the channel have reached over 1 million views including: CANEX Music Factory: Championing African Talent; GDIZ: Weaving Bright Futures in Benin’s Textile Industry; Eva’s Coffee: ShowcaseHER Success; PAPSS: Connecting the Continent; and Oando: Empowering Female Leaders. The most watched podcast on the channel is Afreximbank Annual Meetings 2025, with over 1.2 million views and 30,700 hours in watch time.

During IATF2025, Afreximbank TV delivered live coverage of the various sessions, in addition to high-profile interviews with leaders including H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chair of the IATF Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; H.E. Wamkele Mene, the Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, among others.

Attended both physical and virtual by more than 112,000 visitors from 132 countries, IATF2025, which took place from 4 to 10 September, ended on a remarkably high note with US$48.3 billion in trade and investment deals signed over the seven days of the continental exposition. It welcomed 2,148 exhibitors.

For more information, please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.

– on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media contact:
media@intrafricatradefair.com
press@afreximbank.com

About the Intra-African Trade Fair:
Organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Union Commission (AUC) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.

Source: APO

• AWS to Become the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media –

• New Cloud AI Platform, Built on AWS, to Power League-wide Innovation and Bring New Level of Access to NBA and WNBA Fans –

The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced (https://apo-opa.co/3KQ0bhl) a multi-year partnership to power the league’s next generation of innovation as AWS will become the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the NBA and its affiliate leagues, including the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media. 

As part of the partnership, the NBA and AWS will launch NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a new basketball intelligence platform that will turn billions of data points into compelling insights and interactive experiences, reimagining how fans engage with the game of basketball worldwide. 

Built on AWS’s industry-leading AI infrastructure, the platform will introduce a suite of features that enhance live broadcasts and elevate fan experiences across the NBA App, NBA.com, and the league’s social channels. 

“Partnering with AWS provides us with an opportunity to elevate the live game experience through innovation and offer fans a deeper understanding of the game of basketball for years to come,” said NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Media Operations and Technology Ken DeGennaro. “AWS has a proven track record of delivering unique statistical insights and offering transformative experiences that will resonate with NBA fans around the world.”  

“At AWS, we’re excited by the NBA’s vision to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sports,” said AWS Vice President of Professional Services & Agentic AI Francessca Vasquez. “This partnership will showcase how cloud and AI can reimagine the game of basketball – from generating new insights to creating experiences that bring fans closer to the game they love.

Together, we’re delivering technology that not only enhances live broadcasts and digital platforms, but also transforms how players, coaches, and fans understand basketball.”

AI-Powered Advanced Stats

The NBA will leverage AWS’s AI capabilities to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games. This new advanced statistics platform processes the NBA’s player tracking data, which analyzes the movements of 29 data points per player using machine learning and AI to contextualize in-game developments and generate real-time insights. Fans can deepen their understanding of the game by accessing new statistics via the NBA App, NBA.com and during live NBA games, including during NBA on Prime broadcasts. 

Throughout the 2025-26 season, the NBA and AWS will introduce new AI-powered stats that capture aspects of basketball performance that have not been measured previously, starting with:   
 
• Defensive Box Score: Reimagining Basketball’s Fundamental Metric Defensive Box Score quantifies individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics cannot measure. AI algorithms detect which defender is responsible for each offensive player in real-time. Once the primary defender is determined, the traditional box score can now be enhanced by identifying the defender at the time each stat was recorded. Additional new metrics like ball pressure, double teams and defensive switches can now be viewed and tallied as well.  
 
• Shot Difficulty: The Science of Shooting 
Shot Difficulty transcends traditional make-or-miss statistics to evaluate every aspect of each shot attempt. The difficulty of attempted shots will be quantified with new stats such as Expected Field Goal % which takes into account various factors such as the shooter’s orientation and setup, defensive contest details related to pressure, interference, and each player’s positioning on the court. This new statistic gives fans a deeper appreciation for the skill and strategy behind every scoring attempt.  
 
• Gravity: Quantifying the Invisible Impact 
Gravity showcases what coaches and analysts have observed for years – how certain players create advantages for teammates simply by being on the court, even without touching the ball. This new stat measures the level of attention a player receives from the defense, including how closely they’re guarded with or without the ball, to quantify the amount of space they create for their teammates. This revolutionary system processes optical tracking data 60 times per second, using custom neural networks to analyze how defenders react to specific players, while factoring in real-time game context and historical data.  

Transforming Basketball Intelligence

NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS will also feature a first-of-its-kind technology called “Play Finder,” which uses AI to analyze and understand player movements across thousands of games.  Utilizing AWS services such as Amazon Bedrock (https://apo-opa.co/3Kx1oKs) and Amazon SageMaker (https://apo-opa.co/4mHodbG), the feature will enable instant search and retrieval of similar plays, laying the foundation for future generative AI integrations built on player tracking data.  Play Finder will help fans and broadcasters learn common offensive strategies and explore deeper insights by combining play results with advanced analytics. 

A real-time alert system within Play Finder will enable commentators to instantly provide historical context and strategic insights, making every live game more engaging, educational, and insightful for viewers.  NBA teams will have direct access to the ML models powering Play Finder to improve their front office and coaching workflows.

Future iterations of Play Finder will allow fans to explore basketball strategy with unprecedented depth on the NBA App.  

Global Fan Engagement

The NBA App, NBA.com and NBA League Pass, delivering year-round NBA coverage and programming to fans around the world, will run on AWS. Through this partnership with AWS, the NBA will accelerate basketball’s growth worldwide by offering fans new and unique opportunities to understand team strategy and the concepts that lead to execution on the court. Additionally, the NBA and AWS will deliver in-language content and personalized experiences to fans across platforms.  

The NBA’s partnership with AWS broadens its strategic relationship with Amazon. This season marks the start of Prime Video’s landmark 11-year media rights agreement (https://apo-opa.co/4mHXOdS) with 66 regularseason NBA matchups streaming on Prime Video globally, and a suite of new interactive features set to debut.  Prime Video will also serve as the strategic partner and third-party global subscriptions store destination for NBA League Pass, offering streaming of live and on-demand games in the U.S. and internationally.  The first night of the NBA on Prime will feature a doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 24 during the first week of the season, with the Celtics visiting the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Lakers hosting the Timberwolves (10 p.m. ET) in two rematches from the NBA Playoffs 2025.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contacts:
Kevin Alonzo
KAlonzo@nba.com
(212) 407-8158
NBA PR

Stuart Bryan
SBryan@nba.com
(212) 407-8937
NBA PR

Darlene Capiro
dcapiro@amazon.com
AWS PR

About the NBA:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season featured a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries.  The NBA’s digital assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms.  NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness. 

About AWS:
Since 2006, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any workload, and it now has more than 240 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, media, and application development, deployment, and management from 120 Availability Zones within 38 geographic regions, with announced plans for 10 more Availability Zones and three more AWS Regions in Chile, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit https://AWS.Amazon.com/

Source: APO

“Energy and youth are not two separate priorities—they are the most powerful drivers of Senegal’s growth,” says Bakary Séga Bathily, Director General of APIX (https://InvestInSenegal.sn/).

By setting the tone for the Forum Invest in Senegal (Fii Senegal 2025 – https://FiiSenegal.sn/), scheduled for October 7 and 8 at the CICAD in Diamniadio, the head of APIX highlights the country’s dual ambition: to successfully achieve its energy transition and to transform its demographic advantage into a driver of development.

The context is compelling: just weeks after announcing a $300 million solar-for-agriculture program—the largest investment ever made to electrify rural areas—Dakar is determined to prove it can reconcile growth, inclusion, and sustainability. The stated goal: achieve universal access to electricity and raise the share of renewables to 40% by 2030.

To explore these issues, a high-level session will bring together Khadim Bamba Diagne, Permanent Secretary of COS-PETROGAZ, Birame Souleye Diop, Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, along with key stakeholders such as Biro Condé (DFC), Abdoulaye Dia (WAPP), and Pierre Goudiaby Atepa (CIS). Together, they will examine the opportunities offered by Senegal’s energy resources—including solar, wind, gas, and oil.

The numbers underscore the urgency: 84% of the population currently has access to electricity, yet rural areas remain underserved. Senegal, committed to the Just Energy Transition Partnership, aims to increase its production capacity by 70% and leverage its substantial oil and gas reserves to ensure energy security and sustainable growth. The installation in 2024 of Africa’s first floating regasification and power generation unit already reflects this strong push toward diversification.

But the other pillar of this strategy is human capital: with 75% of Senegalese under the age of 35, youth are expected to play a central role in project implementation. Their dynamism, creativity, and skills are essential to meet the demand for qualified labor and to foster a more competitive and inclusive economy.

“Fii Senegal 2025 will demonstrate how these projects translate into opportunities that empower youth, accelerate our energy transition, and position Senegal as a major global investment hub,” emphasizes Bakary Séga Bathily, echoing the Forum’s theme “Connecting opportunities, building the future.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APIX Senegal S.A.