MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

The 2026 edition of African Mining Week (AMW) – officially launched last week – will bring together global mining companies, investors, policymakers and industry stakeholders to explore emerging opportunities across Africa’s minerals sector. The event will examine how Africa – the world’s largest producer of key energy-transition metals including platinum group metals, cobalt, chromium and manganese – is shaping global supply chains and attracting increasing investment from markets such as the U.S., China and Europe.

AMW 2026 will take place under the theme, “Mining the Future: Critical Resources, Sustainability, and Community Development,” aiming to showcase Africa’s strategic role in the global critical minerals market, highlight innovative approaches to sustainable and responsible mining and foster collaboration between governments and industry. Building on the success of the 2025 edition, the event will provide a platform to discuss sustainable market growth, environmental stewardship and socioeconomic development across the continent.

Panels and discussions will highlight Africa’s role as a global hub for critical energy-transition minerals, with countries such as Zimbabwe, Mali, Namibia and Malawi advancing local value-addition mandates and strategically managing raw mineral exports to maximize domestic economic benefits. AMW 2026 will explore opportunities across the continent’s critical minerals sector, from mining and exploration to processing and industrialization, providing insights into how investors and governments can collaborate to strengthen supply chains and unlock the full potential of Africa’s mineral wealth.

Environmental stewardship and responsible mining practices will also be a core focus. Financiers including the Africa Finance Corporation, World Bank, IFC and Afreximbank increasingly tie funding to ESG performance, and panels will examine how renewable energy solutions – from Power Purchase Agreements and Independent Power Producer arrangements to energy wheeling and onsite generation – can reduce emissions, improve energy security and enhance project bankability. The event will also highlight innovative strategies for sustainable resource development that balance commercial returns with ecological and social responsibility.

Community engagement, local content, skills transfer and shared infrastructure remain central to Africa’s mining policies. AMW 2026 will showcase projects that deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits, from job creation and supplier development to gender empowerment and improved community infrastructure. Discussions will also unpack tax regimes, community-benefit frameworks and ESG obligations that shape project implementation, emphasizing how mining can serve as a catalyst for inclusive growth across the continent.

“African Mining Week 2026 will be a showcase of Africa’s potential to power the future,” states Rachelle Kasongo, Events & Project Director at Energy Capital & Power. “The event will highlight how the continent’s critical resources can be responsibly developed, how innovative practices are shaping a more sustainable mining sector and how investments can create meaningful benefits for local communities. It’s a space for leaders to exchange ideas, forge partnerships and explore solutions that drive long-term impact for both industry and society.”

African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference from October 12-16 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

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

Source: APO

A leading actor and influential public figure, Omar Sy has been appointed ambassador of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Committed to supporting young people and closely connected to Senegal, he will lend his voice and image to the first Olympic event ever organised on the African continent, scheduled from 31 October to 13 November 2026.

Omar Sy is one of those personalities who brings people together.

At 47, the internationally acclaimed actor is stepping into a new role – one firmly rooted in real life. 

Already the star of productions that have left a lasting mark on audiences worldwide, Sy will now become one of the faces of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4qoeA42), the first Olympic event to be staged on African soil.

Known for his roles in hit films, the actor first established himself as one of the most popular figures in French-language cinema with The Intouchables in 2011. His global profile grew even further thanks to the Netflix series Lupin, which helped expand his audience well beyond Europe.

His appointment as an ambassador for Dakar 2026 YOG on Monday, 29 December, marks another step in his growing international influence. He shared his feelings upon the announcement of this new role.

“I am proud and honoured to be an ambassador for the Youth Olympic Games that will take place in 2026 in Senegal. These Games represent values that are close to my heart: sharing, solidarity, pushing beyond one’s limits, and intercultural encounters,” he said.

He also underlined the symbolic significance of the event: “Seeing the youth of Senegal and the entire world shine together on the land of Teranga is a powerful symbol of unity and hope.”

Born in France to a father from Senegal, Sy maintains a close personal connection with the country.

This bond has influenced some of his artistic choices, as reflected in his roles in Yao (2018) and Father & Soldier (Tirailleurs, 2022). In January 2025, he was also received by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, further highlighting his commitment to Senegal and its youth.

Omar Sy, committed to youth and sport

Beyond cinema, Sy has built a special relationship with young people and sport.

Deeply involved in social causes benefitting youth, he has long championed the values of openness, solidarity, and excellence that lie at the heart of the Youth Olympic Games.

On the sporting front, Sy recently joined the board of Paris Basketball as a co-owner and was spotted at Roland Garros, posing alongside tennis superstar (https://apo-opa.co/3YjEt9b) Coco Gauff (https://apo-opa.co/45wtWeB) during the 2025 edition.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (https://apo-opa.co/48ZUkQl), he attended several competitions and was even tasked with launching the judo competition (https://apo-opa.co/48ZUlDT) day on 2 August, when his friend Teddy Riner (https://apo-opa.co/3Yes8mL) further cemented his legendary status. The actor also made a point of celebrating Senegal’s continental title after the 2021 AFCON, held in 2022.

As an ambassador for Dakar 2026 YOG, Sy is poised to embody the Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship. He will also help promote the event in all its dimensions: sporting, educational, and cultural.

From 31 October to 13 November 2026, 2,700 athletes under the age of 18 from around the world will gather across Dakar, Saly, and Diamniadio to compete in 35 sports and take part in a historic edition of the Games.

With Sy as ambassador, Dakar 2026 promises to be a celebration of sport, youth, and Africa, as the continent hosts an Olympic event for the very first time.

Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics: Ready to welcome the world

The 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will take place in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together the world’s best young athletes for the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil. Senegal’s sporting culture and practice are rooted in its history and population, especially young people.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Source: APO – Report:

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a pan African Gold Bank. This strategic initiative aims to formalise gold value chains, strengthen Central Bank reserves and reduce Africa’s reliance on foreign refining and trading hubs.

This landmark MoU was signed by the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), H.E. Mr. Hassan Abdalla, and the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Dr. George Elombi during a ceremony held at the Central Bank of Egypt.

The establishment of the Gold Bank programme is in line with Egypt’s vision to expand strategic partnerships and strengthen mutual collaboration with African states across diverse fields, as well as Afreximbank’s focus on promoting and accelerating value addition, and strategic mineral processing.

The partnership also builds on a shared vision between the CBE and Afreximbank to support domestic manufacturing, enhance sustainable development, and deepen regional financial and trade integration, fostering a robust and advanced African economic ecosystem.

Under this MoU, the two institutions will collaborate on commissioning a feasibility study to assess the technical, commercial, and regulatory requirements for developing an integrated Gold Bank ecosystem in a designated free zone in Egypt, with the participation of African countries. This includes the establishment of an internationally accredited refinery, secure vaulting facilities, and associated financial and trading services.

The initiative also targets the expansion of its scope across the continent, the engagement of governments, central banks, mining companies, and industry stakeholders to strengthen institutional collaboration, harmonize best practices, and facilitate the sustainable trade of gold and related services across Africa.

Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Hassan Abdalla emphasized that the initiative serves as a foundation that could progressively expand into a pan-African framework that would engage African governments, central banks, and market participants. He underscored Egypt’s steadfast commitment to driving initiatives that promote economic integration across Africa, noting that the selection of Egypt as a potential hub – subject to the outcome of the study and subsequent approvals – reflects the African institutions’ confidence in its readiness to foster continental mega projects. With its strategic geographic location at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, Egypt is well positioned to serve as a natural hub for regional gold trade and financial innovation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. George Elombi affirmed the joint commitment of both institutions to collaborating closely, aligning efforts and resources to promote financial stability, and contributing to sustainable economic prosperity across Africa.

Dr Elombi said: “Today’s ceremony may appear simple, yet it has tremendous economic consequences for our continent. We make a bold declaration that Africa’s gold must serve African people. This MoU, which is part of Afreximbank’s vision to make Africa’s resources benefit Africans, creates an African Gold Bank that will help us to begin to fundamentally alter the way we extract, refine, manage, value, store, and trade our gold resources, with the primary aim of retaining value on the continent. By effectively building up the gold stock, as other major economies have done, we enhance the continent’s resilience, minimise vulnerability to external shocks, improve currency stability and convertibility, and create wealth within the continent.”

Afreximbank and the Central Bank of Egypt have enjoyed a long cordial relationship, with Egypt being the Bank’s largest shareholder and its host.

– on behalf of Afreximbank.

Media Contact:
Vincent Musumba
Communications and Events Manager (Media Relations)
Email: press@afreximbank.com

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About Afreximbank:
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank’s total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

Source: APO – Report:

TECNO (www.TECNO-Mobile.com), the Official Global Partner of the Total Energies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (“AFCON”) Morocco 2025, today unveiled a major evolution of its flagship football charity program of DreamOnTheField with the launch of TECNO x CAF “Future Star of Africa” initiative. The announcement represents a pivotal moment in the partnership between TECNO and the Confederation of African Football, expanding beyond infrastructure investment to direct youth talent development.

This launch exemplified the TECNO x CAF partnership’s commitment to community engagement and transparency. TECNO executives joined CAF Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, football legends Yaya Touré and Ahmed Hassan, Nigerian artist and TECNO Power Moment Featured Artist Joeboy, along with customers and key opinion leaders to witness the launch.

The Dream On The Field program, which began as an infrastructure initiative, now has evolved into a holistic ecosystem for African football development. The Dream On The Field program, launched by TECNO, has already made a tangible impact across the continent with eight completed pitch renovations. Seven additional projects are currently underway in different African countries. TECNO has committed to an ambitious target: renewing 100 pitches across Africa in the coming years, creating a continent-wide network of development centers that will serve millions of young players.

Today’s announcement of TECNO x CAF “Future Star of Africa” initiative represents the natural evolution of this initiative. By combining pitch infrastructure with youth player development, the collaboration creates a complete pathway from grassroots participation to professional elite development.

“Our partnership with TECNO goes far beyond renovation, it is about building foundations for dreams,” said Hassan Elkamah, Commercial Director of CAF. “From revitalizing pitches to the launch of the Future Star of Africa initiative, we are creating pathways for the next generation.”

This initiative builds directly on the DreamOnTheField program as a new extension.The initiative will identify young male and female talents aged 12-15 in Africa, providing continuous support and development opportunities until age 18. This long-term commitment addresses a critical gap in African football development: the lack of sustained investment in promising young players during their formative years.

“At TECNO, we believe talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” Jack Guo, general manager of TECNO emphasized. “Through DreamOnTheField, we’ve built the stages. Through Future Star of Africa, we’re ensuring the performers have everything they need to shine.”

The TECNO x CAF partnership approach is deliberately holistic. The renovated pitches provide the infrastructure; the selection process provides the pathway; and the long-term sponsorship provides the sustained support that transforms potential into achievement. The collaboration extends beyond traditional corporate sponsorship. As Official Global Partner of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, TECNO has positioned itself as a long-term stakeholder in African football’s future.

The partnership leverages CAF’s unparalleled expertise in football development and governance with TECNO’s commitment to empowering Africa’s rising generation through technology and social investment. CAF will appoint lead technical scouts, senior youth development experts, to ensure professional fairness in each country, while local jury members will include national football association youth coaches, sports academics, and TECNO representatives.

“Football is Africa’s heartbeat. It unites us, inspires us, and transforms lives,” said Véron Mosengo-Omba. “With TECNO, we are not only improving facilities but also investing in talent, young boys and girls who will carry Africa’s football legacy forward.”

Through joint efforts with CAF, Players will be evaluated across comprehensive and professional criterias; the assessment framework evaluates everything from ball mastery and game reading to resilience, concentration, and leadership potential, identifying not just talented players, but future stars with the character to inspire the next generation. Selection results will remain national, with no cross-border rounds, allowing each country to recognize and develop its own talent while contributing to the broader continental vision.

The TECNO x CAF partnership continues to demonstrate that corporate social responsibility, when executed with genuine commitment and strategic vision, can create a transformative impact that extends far beyond brand recognition, building infrastructure, nurturing talent, and strengthening communities across an entire continent.

– on behalf of TECNO Mobile.

About TECNO:
TECNO is an innovative, AI-driven technology brand operating in more than 70 countries across five continents. Committed to transforming the digital experience in emerging markets, the brand combines contemporary design, cutting-edge technology, and artificial intelligence. Today, TECNO offers a comprehensive AI-powered ecosystem, including smartphones, wearables, laptops, tablets, intelligent gaming devices, the HiOS operating system, and smart home solutions. Guided by its “Stop At Nothing” philosophy, TECNO continues to lead the adoption of advanced technologies and encourages individuals to relentlessly pursue the best version of themselves.