Category: English

Source: APO

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South Africa’s Ministry of Mineral and Petroleum resources has introduced four key policy changes aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the country’s mining and petroleum industries. The policies, aligned with broader economic growth objectives, seek to attract new investment across the extractives sector while enhancing value addition and industrialization. As the world’s top producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), policy reforms stand to support accelerated growth across the PGM industry.

The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference – Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders, scheduled for October 1–3, 2025 in Cape Town – will feature a dedicated panel on South Africa’s PGM sector. The discussion will showcase how recent policies are creating opportunities within the country’s PGM market, exploring investment opportunities, challenges and anticipated policy-led growth.

Mineral Resources Development Bill

South Africa published its draft Mineral Resources Development Bill on May 20, 2025, for public comment. Set to replace the 2002 Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, the new law addresses key industry challenges, empowers small-scale mining and promotes local beneficiation of minerals. The law seeks to ensure revenue generated from the industry is channeled into the formal sector and contributes to GDP growth. In 2024, the mining sector generated R674 billion in export earnings and R451 billion to GDP. The public has until August 8, 2025, to comment on the bill.

Petroleum Products Bill

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources is expected to submit the Petroleum Products Act Amendment Bill (PPB) of 2024 to Cabinet for approval before the end of 2025. The bill aims to streamline licensing and appeals processes, increasing the oil and gas sector’s contribution to economic transformation, job creation and security of petroleum product supply. The new law was submitted for public comments on October 21, 2024 and aims to replace the 1977 act.

Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act

South Africa is set to complete the implementation of the new Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act by September 2025. The law creates an investor-friendly regime for oil and gas investors, promotes economic growth and expands opportunities for local companies and entrepreneurs across the petroleum value chain. The act was signed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2024 and is expected to come into effect following the introduction of new Petroleum Regulations.

According to South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe, the law has not only created legislation that is investor-friendly for the oil and gas sector, but has also ensured that there is a dedicated regulatory regime for the sector given its potential for economic contribution and job creation.

The Mine Health and Safety Amendment Bill

The Mine Health and Safety Amendment Bill was tabled to parliament in late 2024 and seeks to amend the act of 1996. The bill aims to advance stakeholder adoption of modern health and safety practices, driving the country’s agenda of zero harm across the mineral industry. Key provisions include measures to streamline administrative processes, strengthen managerial responsibility and accountability while enhancing mine safety training and adoption.

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

Source: APO

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On 10 July 2025, Ambassador Conrad Mederic presented his Letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Mr John Dramani Mahama, to become the new non-resident High-Commissioner of the Republic of Seychelles to the Republic of Ghana.

Ambassador Mederic also had the opportunity to have a short meeting with President Mahama, focusing on potential areas to strengthen cooperation between the two countries which included education, culture, tourism, Blue Economy, illegal activities in maritime spaces, climate change and its impact on the two countries.

Ambassador Mederic recognised the strong historical and bilateral ties between Seychelles and Ghana, having established diplomatic relations since October 1988 and reassured the President of the commitment of Seychelles to bring the two nations closer through collaboration on mutually beneficial areas.

To recall, President Wavel Ramkalawan visited Ghana in November 2024 on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary celebrations of King Prempeh I’s Return from exile in Seychelles. During this visit, four Memoranda of Understanding were signed and now, both parties look forward towards the conclusion of other Agreements, particularly one in the health sector.

Ambassador Mederic was accompanied by Mr Kwame Acquah, Honorary Consul of Seychelles in Accra.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.

Source: APO

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Ambassador Selby Pillay represented Mr Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Seychelles, at the 47th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea from 10th to 11th July 2025.

The 47th Ordinary Session was conducted under the theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through reparations”. It adopted the African Union Commission budget for 2026, assessed the implementation of the Agenda 2063, considered the roadmap on the theme of the year 2026, and endorsed decisions on critical issues affecting the African Continent.

During the discussions on the roadmap of the theme for the year 2026: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063”, Ambassador Pillay recognised the inseparable linkage between water and other factors such as health, agriculture, and climate resilience. He further underscored that “Seychelles, as a Small Island Developing State, will always be a strong advocate for environment sustainability and climate change, due to its vulnerabilities mainly from the devasting effects of climate change”.

The Ordinary Session further witnessed the election of Professor Gaspard Banyankimbona from Burundi as the new African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) and Mrs Francisca Tatchouop Belobe from Equatorial Guinea as the new Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM). This completes the election and appointment process of the Senior Leadership of the African Union Commission, a process which started in February 2025.

Ambassador Pillay was accompanied by Mrs Patricia Ilunga, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Seychelles in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Republic of Seychelles.

Source: APO

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Ana Hajduka, Founder and CEO of green energy supplier Africa GreenCo, will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 conference, taking place from September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town. During the event, Hajduka is expected to share insights into the company’s groundbreaking work in advancing renewable energy trading and power market integration, as Africa GreenCo advances a series of projects across southern Africa.

Delivering tailored energy solutions, Africa GreenCo supports businesses, utilities and renewable energy developers in Africa by facilitating renewable energy trade and distribution. Recent developments reflect this, while supporting the expansion of the continent’s renewable energy sector. Hajduka will share insights into these projects during AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025, while engaging with renewable energy developers and financiers active across the continent.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit http://www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

To date, Africa GreenCo has facilitated the trade of over 1 TWh of electricity and continues to champion the role of market-based solutions in achieving energy security and decarbonization in Africa. Africa GreenCo signed a head of terms for a long-term power purchase agreement with pan-African energy group AXIAN Energy to develop two grid-connected solar PV projects in Zambia. Once operational, the projects will add 25 MW of renewable energy to Zambia’s national grid, helping alleviate electricity shortages, improve reliability for businesses and support the country’s long-term industrial growth. The projects will be developed with support from financial services provider Standard Bank.

Meanwhile, the company’s subsidiary GreenCo Power Services will purchase electricity from Zambia’s 32 MW Ilute Solar Project under a recently signed a power purchase agreement, enabling cross-border trade via the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). This innovative arrangement eliminates the need for sovereign guarantees, positioning GreenCo as a key player in advancing regional integration and private-sector investment in Africa.

In November 2024, GreenGo Finance Solutions – Africa GreenCo’s Zambian subsidiary – signed a $55.5 million facilities agreement with financial institution Stanbic Bank Zambia and Standard Bank to support emergency electricity imports in Zambia. The facility enables the prepayment of over 130 MW of cross-border power supply, easing liquidity constraints for local offtakers and bolstering energy security in the country. The agreement follows Africa GreenCo’s instrumental role in facilitating a 125 MW power import deal between Zambia’s state utility ZESCO, mining major First Quantum Minerals (FQM) and regional suppliers. Jointly financed by Africa GreenCo and FQM, the arrangement delivers 85 MW to Zambia’s national grid and allocated 40 MW to FQM’s operations.

In October 2024, GreenCo Power Services achieved a significant regulatory milestone with the award of a domestic trading and import/export licenses from South Africa’s National Energy Regulator. The licenses enable Africa GreenCo to operate within South Africa’s competitive electricity market and to facilitate cross-border transactions through the SAPP – creating a critical channel for dispatching surplus clean power across the region.

“Africa GreenCo’s model reflects the future of energy in Africa – private-led, regionally interconnected and powered by clean energy. Ana Hadjuka’s participation at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 will offer vital insights into how blended finance, cross-border trade and regulatory innovation can converge to solve Africa’s most pressing power challenges,” states Tomás Gerbasio, VP of Commercial and Strategic Engagement, African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Source: APO

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His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a message of congratulations to President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, on the occasion of his country’s national day.

In this message, the Sovereign expresses His warmest congratulations along with His best wishes of good health and happiness to President Milatović, and of further progress and prosperity to the Montenegrin people.

“I should like to say how much I value the relations based on friendship and cooperation between our countries. I am sure we share a strong desire to strengthen our ties and expand our cooperation to various sectors, for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” HM the King writes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

Source: APO

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A new state-of-the-art laboratory has bolstered Madagascar’s efforts to survey and detect polioviruses and effectively respond to the threat of the disease and protect children from its devastating impacts. 

The laboratory, which is fully accredited by World Health Organization (WHO), was handed over today to the national authorities. Hosted at the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar in the capital, Antananarivo, the laboratory reinforces the country’s position as a regional pillar in rapid poliovirus detection and outbreak response.

“This commissioning symbolizes our collective commitment. It brings us closer to a future where no child in Madagascar—or anywhere—is at risk of polio,” said Dr Nely Alphonse José, head of plague, emerging and neglected tropical disease control department at the Ministry of Public Health. 

Established in 2023, the laboratory has significantly enhanced Madagascar’s ability to rapidly detect poliovirus through both acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance. Between 2022 and 2024, the laboratory detected more than 40 cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 1, enabling immediate and targeted immunization responses. The efforts played a key role in halting an outbreak of circulating variant poliovirus type 1. In May 2025, Madagascar marked two full years without any new detections of the virus, which meant the outbreak was declared closed after a thorough assessment. 

“This laboratory is not only a national asset—it’s a regional resource,” said Dr Laurent Musango, WHO Representative in Madagascar. “With strengthened capacity and cutting-edge technology, Madagascar is now even better positioned to lead the charge against poliovirus transmission in Eastern and Southern Africa.”

The handing over of the laboratory to the government marks a major step towards sustainable, country-led polio surveillance and self-sufficiency in managing future outbreaks and ensures strong measures are in place to sustain the country’s polio-free status and contribute to the global goal of ending polio once and for all.

Thanks to ongoing collaboration between national health authorities, WHO, and with support from the Gates Foundation, the laboratory has also joined pilot projects to deploy innovative tools such as direct detection through Nanopore sequencing – a new technology that boosts the speed and accuracy of viral identification, eliminating previous delays when samples had to be shipped abroad for genomic sequencing.

WHO and its partners provided technical support, training, IT upgrades and environmental site optimization to strengthen the laboratory’s operations—reinforcing national efforts to meet the objectives of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Accredited for viral isolation, intratypic differentiation and environmental surveillance, the laboratory is now a cornerstone in Madagascar’s integrated disease surveillance system. It ensures timely data to guide vaccination campaigns and outbreak responses across the country.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Madagascar.

Source: APO

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Africa is gearing up to attract a wave of investment in exploration blocks, with a surge in oil and gas licensing rounds being launched during the 2024/2025 period. According to the African Energy Chamber’s State of African Energy 2025 Outlook Report (https://EnergyChamber.org/), these efforts are part of a broader strategy to unlock the continent’s untapped energy potential, attract international investment and stimulate long-term economic growth. This year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference will spotlight Africa’s licensing rounds, connecting operators to emerging blocks opportunities across the continent.

North Africa

Libya launched its latest licensing round in March 2025, offering 22 onshore and offshore exploration blocks across the Sirte, Murzuq and Ghadames basins. The licensing round has already drawn interest from 37 prospective companies, with contracts with successful bidders expected to be signed by the end of the year. Representing the country’s first licensing round since 2011, the initiative comes as Libya seeks to increase production to two million barrels per day. Algeria awarded five licenses in June 2025 as part of its latest oil and gas bid round. Launched in November 2024, the bid round featured sic onshore blocks for competitive bidding and falls part of a broader multi-year licensing strategy aimed at attracting global investment in exploration opportunities. The blocks span five basins and represents a core component of the country’s strategy to invest up to $50 billion into hydrocarbon projects over the next four years. Egypt launched a new bid round in March 2025, comprising 12 investment opportunities. The bid round includes 10 offshore blocks in the Mediterranean Sea and two onshore blocks in the Nile Delta region and comes as the country intensifies exploration across undeveloped acreage. 

West Africa

Sierra Leone is preparing to launch a new licensing round in 2025 as part of its drive to fast-track exploration and become an oil-producing nation. The country currently has around 50 offshore blocks available for direct negotiation, spanning 63,000 km² and backed by a proven petroleum system. The upcoming licensing round will further entice spending. Nigeria is set to launch a new oil and gas licensing round in 2025, focusing on undeveloped fields. The upcoming round follows the successful conclusion of a 2024 tender, whereby 25 companies were awarded Petroleum Prospecting Licenses. Liberia also initiated a Direct Negotiation Licensing Round in 2024, with 29 offshore blocks available for investment in the Liberia and Harper basins. The licensing round seeks to drive new investment in the country’s frontier basins and is supported by an extensive library of multi-client subsurface data, including over 24,000 kilometers of 2D seismic data and more than 26,000 km² of 3D seismic data.

East Africa

Tanzania is preparing to offer new oil and gas exploration opportunities with a licensing round launching in 2025. A total of 26 blocks will be made available, including three blocks in Lake Tanganyika and 23 in the Indian Ocean. The country’s upstream regulator the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority has already identified the blocks and compiled the necessary data for the process. Following government approval for the Model Production Sharing Agreement, the licensing round will be launched. The round represents the first in more than ten years. Additionally, Kenya is expected to launch its inaugural oil and gas licensing round in September 2025, offering ten blocks for exploration. The blocks were selected using geoscientific data to ensure a transparent allocation process. The licensing round is supported by comprehensive seismic surveys and geological reports, thereby supporting future exploration activities. Primary targets include the Lamu and Anza basins, both of which are known for their hydrocarbon potential. Uganda is also set to launch a licensing round during the 2025/2026 fiscal year, offering new areas for oil and gas exploration.

Southern Africa

Part of its six-year licensing strategy, Angola is expected to launch its next licensing round in 2025, offering ten blocks for exploration in the offshore Kwanza and Benguela basins. The bid round follows the successful conclusion of a 2023 tender, whereby nine companies qualified as operators and five qualified as non-operators. Namibia rolled out an open-door licensing system in 2024 to address its backlog of applications and streamline procedures. The system comes as the country experiences a surge in exploration interest following major discoveries made since 2022.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

About African Energy Week:
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Source: APO

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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, and the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, Mr Xola Nqola, have noted the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a Commission of Inquiry on allegations made by the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

“The announcement of the establishment of a commission will surely enable a process to root out corruption from the SAPS. It is important that the establishment of the commission is not merely cosmetic but facilitates greater reflection and steps to rejuvenate the entire criminal Justice system,” said Mr Ian Cameron.

“The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as well as the Judiciary and Magistracy are pillars of the criminal justice system and constitutional rule of law. They are the guardians of justice and accountability, and we cannot have a question mark hanging over them, causing the public to lose confidence in our justice system,” said Mr Xola Nqola.

While the announcement is welcomed, both Chairpersons highlighted that the process announced by the President does not affect the parliamentary process. “The directive from the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly was clear, and the committees will endeavour to urgently implement the directive. Also, the Constitution mandates the national legislature to ensure effective oversight and accountability over the executive. It is in this context that the parliamentary process continues, especially because the credibility of the entire criminal justice system is at stake,” Mr Nqola said.

Both Chairpersons underscored the importance of having an effective and efficient justice system that is capable of ensuring the safety and security of everyone. Despite the decisions made by the President, the perception of a systematic breakdown remains, and the parliamentary process might assist in ensuring openness and accountability.

As a result, the committees will hold an initial meeting later this week to consider a way forward and report to the National Assembly as guided by the Speaker.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.