CAPE TOWN --&nbspAfrican Energy Week (AEW) 2026 has officially kicked off with over 10,000 attendees convening in Cape Town for Africa’s biggest energy gathering of the year. Dubbed Africa’s premier dealmaking platform, the event has transitioned from a conference into a movement capable of reshaping the continent’s energy future. From government leaders and global energy majors to investors, financiers, national oil companies and technology providers, the industry has arrived in Cape Town to chart a new course for Africa’s energy development. Technical Workshops Kick Off AEW Discussions The AEW program has officially begun with the start of this year’s technical workshops. The 8th Meeting of the APPO NOCs CEOs’ Forum will bring African national oil companies together, while the Deal Room will give project sponsors and developers an opportunity to present active oil, gas, energy and infrastructure opportunities directly to investors and lenders. The African Farmout Forum will showcase available acreage and farmout opportunities, while dedicated workshops and masterclasses will provide targeted engagement on markets, project finance and industry capacity. The Global Energy Leaders Forum will also put energy security, geopolitical realignment and investment at the center of discussions, examining how Africa can convert changing global energy flows into long-term contracts, final investment decisions and greater energy security. Looking Ahead at AEW 2026 Over the coming days, AEW 2026 will explore opportunities emerging across the entire energy value chain in Africa. The AEW Townhall will bring governments and industry together around the strategic issues defining the continent’s energy future, while the Upstream E&P Forum will tackle licensing, exploration, drilling, M&A and production growth. The Energy Finance Forum, meanwhile, will put capital at the center of the conversation. The Energy Additions Forum will examine the infrastructure and resources required to expand reliable energy supply and support industrialization, while the Downstream & Petchem Forum will explore refining, fuels, petrochemicals and opportunities to capture more value from African resources. A Global Conversation in Cape Town Alongside its commercial program, AEW 2026 will convene some of the most consequential global energy discussions taking place this year. Targeted sessions include the OPEC-Africa Roundtable; the Russia-Africa Energy Investment Forum; and the Global Energy Leaders Forum. A series of roundtables will drill further into issues affecting project development. These include the Local Content Roundtable as well as ministerial and country-focused discussions that bring governments directly into conversations with investors and operators. AEW will also expand beyond traditional energy discussions through two dedicated conferences. Renegade Intel will explore the convergence of energy, artificial intelligence, data centers and digital infrastructure, while Power Africa Today will tackle power-sector investment, transmission, storage, grid modernization and the reliable electricity supply required to support African industrialization. Celebrating Music and Energy Progress AEW 2026 goes beyond conference dialogue. The first day of the event will close with the Just Energy Transition Concert, the event’s official pre-conference networking icebreaker and cultural showcase. The African Energy Awards & Gala Dinner returns on Tuesday to celebrate the companies, projects and individuals helping drive the continent’s energy industry forward. Technology and Innovation Take the Exhibition Floor Running alongside the main conference, dedicated technical stages – The Drill Room and The Innovation Hub – will host specialized presentations on exploration, subsurface technologies, LNG, infrastructure, asset integrity and other operational challenges. The exhibition will serve as another commercial hub throughout the week, connecting operators, service companies, technology providers, governments and prospective partners. “Ten thousand delegates have come to Cape Town because Africa is ready to move projects forward. AEW is Africa’s energy movement – where governments, investors and industry come together to turn resources into projects, projects into deals and deals into development. This week is about action, investment and building Africa’s energy future on African soil,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.