Interviews

Before the money moves, someone carries the risk

ATIDI has spent a year behind energy projects across the continent and intends to widen that support, its senior underwriter Annabelle Buzingo told AEF, through greater underwriting capacity, more partners and solutions built for renewable infrastructure, with transmission and local institutions rising up the agenda.

GE Vernova: Africa can leapfrog the grid challenges seen elsewhere.

GE Vernova's Kenneth Oyakhire on why the world is in an electricity investment supercycle, and how Africa can build a resilient grid rather than simply add capacity. Speaking at AEF, he set out the firming technology that lets the continent leapfrog the grid-stability challenges seen elsewhere

The capital is already built: why the secondary market matters for Africa’s energy future

Closing Africa's infrastructure investment deficit will take more than financing new projects. Speaking to ENN at AEF, Ziyaad Sarang of Investec and Revego Fund Managers makes the case for the secondary market, where owning operating renewable assets lets developers recycle their capital into the next wave, and explains why institutional investors are backing African renewables in a way they weren't a decade ago.

Absa’s Shirley Webber on why Africa’s energy story has to be about more than access

Absa's Shirley Webber on why Africa's energy ambitions have to reach beyond access to industrial capacity. Speaking to ENN at AEF, she argues that powering the whole value chain, and going beyond funding into advisory and structured solutions, is what an industrialised African future demands.

DBSA eyes bigger energy sector role as Africa seeks bankable infrastructure projects

The Development Bank of Southern Africa is positioning itself as a key enabler of Africa's energy transition, with executives Phindile Masangane and Greg Fyfe telling Engineering News why bankable projects, stronger transmission and blended finance, including a proposed Credit Guarantee Vehicle, will shape the continent's infrastructure ahead of AEF 2026.

Trinasolar’s Zaheer Khan on bringing next-generation solar to Africa’s industrial future

Trinasolar's Zaheer Khan speaks to ENN at the Africa Energy Forum about the launch of the G3 module range, why the market is moving towards integrated solar and storage, and the biggest opportunities for the technology across Africa.

Finnfund on building a bankable pipeline for Africa’s clean energy transition

Finnfund's Jussi Tourunen on why long-term, patient capital is the missing piece in Africa's clean energy build-out. In an interview for ENN, the Finnish development financier sets out how blended finance and a long investment horizon help bring bankable renewable projects to the communities that need power most.

Copperbelt Energy’s Itimpi II: A Blueprint for Zambia’s Next Energy Chapter?

136MW of solar reached the Zambian grid in 14 months, financed through local capital markets without a sovereign guarantee. Owen Silavwe, Managing Director of Copperbelt Energy, tells ENN whether Itimpi II is a repeatable blueprint for how Zambia builds, how far solar can cut the country's reliance on hydropower, and where battery storage fits next.

Deneys Returns Amid Africa’s Investment Drive

Deneys has returned as an independent South African law firm, reviving a name part of the country's legal landscape for over a century, now with 200 legal staff across three offices and a pipeline weighted towards energy and infrastructure. Jackie Midlane, Head of Banking & Finance, Projects, tells ENN what independence unlocks for clients building across the continent.

Powering Industrial Growth: Why Delivery, Grids and Localisation Will Define Africa’s Energy Future

Siemens Energy's Power Academy trains around 500 learners a year in South Africa, the kind of local capability that turns energy investment into lasting economic value. Ahead of AEF 2026, Hussein Shoukry, Managing Director for the Middle-East and Africa, tells ENN why grid expansion and localisation will decide whether Africa's industrial ambition becomes delivery.#

Why Industrial Energy Infrastructure Matters for Africa’s Growth Agenda

DBSA committed US$100m to the US$325m financing behind Ghana's Kumasi Pipeline, a 105km extension now serving the mining and industrial economy that earns the country much of its foreign income. As AEF 2026 Country Host, Chief Investment Officer Greg Fyfe tells ENN what catalytic financing means in practice, from project selection to community grievance mechanisms.

Africa Energy Forum 16 - 19 June 2026

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Energy news

Mission 300’s map fills in with six new compacts

Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, Gabon, Rwanda and Uganda signed national energy agreements at AEF, carrying Africa's largest electrification drive deeper into Central and East Africa, while the AfDB's Daniel Schroth pointed to a partnership that now counts more than thirty development finance institutions.

Catch up on the ENN Daily Newspapers from the Africa Energy Forum 2026 held in Cape Town

Africa's largest electrification drive set out to bring power to 300 million people by 2030. At the opening of the Africa Energy Forum 2026 in Cape Town, the Presidents of the World Bank and the African Development Bank used a joint video message to mark how far it has already travelled, and what is carrying it.

Before the money moves, someone carries the risk

ATIDI has spent a year behind energy projects across the continent and intends to widen that support, its senior underwriter Annabelle Buzingo told AEF, through greater underwriting capacity, more partners and solutions built for renewable infrastructure, with transmission and local institutions rising up the agenda.

Africa’s energy transition is lived in the kitchen

Clean cooking reaches fewer headlines than generation and touches more lives. At AEF, South Africa's Samantha Graham-Maré and the World Health Organisation's Heather Adair-Rohani argued that it is a matter of health and dignity, and that progress should be counted in households reached rather than commitments made.

ENN Book Club: The Black History Month Edit

In October, Black History Month is celebrated in the United Kingdom, and in February, it is celebrated in the United States. Black History is not confined to a single month: it encompasses the past, present, and future, shaping the world we live in today. Through literature, stories, and lived experiences, we gain insight into resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of justice. In this […]

Schneider Electric – the Future is Digital

Ifeanyi Odoh, Country President East Africa, Schneider Electric, spoke to EnergyNet about the new energy landscape, sustainability, the significance of data centres for East Africa, and the importance of digital infrastructure in powering the future. What is the New Energy Landscape, and what does it mean for sustainability? The New Energy Landscape is a new […]

TAQA Arabia – Pioneering CNG Solutions for East Africa

EnergyNet spoke with Adly Kafafy, Vice President Africa & New Ventures, TAQA Arabia, to find out about Tanzania’s first integrated CNG filling station and conversion centre, the country’s new LNG Virtual Pipeline, and the role of natural gas for the future. You have launched Tanzania’s first integrated compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station and conversion […]

PRESS RELEASE: How the East African Community (EAC) is set to Catalyse Digital Infrastructure and Regional Energy Integration

With data centres set to account for 20% of global energy use by 2050, is East Africa on the precipice of a global gold rush as it showcases a wealth of bankable businesses and unparalleled new energy potential? In 2024, following EnergyNet’s Powering Africa Summit in Washington DC, USA, Mara Holdings signalled their intent to […]

Mining & Minerals

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright says clean cooking is a major focus of Africa policy for the Trump administration

Washington DC | 19, March, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright confirmed a major Africa policy focus: partnering with African governments to create the right conditions to solve the delivery challenges associated with clean cooking across the continent. Secretary Wright told the Powering Africa Summit (PAS) 2026 in Washington D.C. on Thursday: “This […]

Mining & Minerals

Guinea and United States Strengthen Energy Partnership During Powering Africa Summit

Washington, D.C., March 19, 2026 — The Minister of Energy of the Republic of Guinea, Mr. Laye-Sékou Camara, expressed his sincere appreciation to the Government of the United States and senior members of the U.S. Administration for their continued engagement and support for Guinea’s development priorities. Minister Camara emphasized that Guinea attaches great importance to the strengthening […]

Sun Africa, EXIM and African Ministers Set Project-Focused Tone at the Powering Africa Summit in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — 19 March 2026 — The Powering Africa Summit opened with a clear shift toward execution, as Summit Sponsor Sun Africa and senior government leaders called for bankable projects, scalable infrastructure and deeper U.S.-Africa investment ties. Adam Cortese, CEO of Sun Africa, framed energy as the backbone of industrial growth and cross-Atlantic partnership. […]

Minister outlines reforms executed in Nigeria’s power sector

By Kabir Yusuf, Accra, Ghana December 2, 2025 According to the Minister, Nigeria now has excess generation capacity, producing only about 6,000 megawatts while capable of generating an additional 8,000 megawatts. Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on Tuesday outlined major reforms undertaken in the last two years to revive the country’s electricity sector, saying […]

West African Ministers push for deeper energy integration, regional power market

By Kabir Yusuf, Accra, Ghana – December 3, 2025 They spoke during a ministerial roundtable themed “Maximising the Power of Regional Collaboration to Scale Up Energy Development.” The Nigerian Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on Tuesday joined his counterparts from Ghana, Liberia, and Ghana to call for deeper regional cooperation to address electricity shortages, secure […]

Nigeria targets power supply for entire West Africa – Minister

By Kabir Yusuf, Accra, Ghana – December 3, 2025 The minister noted that regional energy security is tied to Nigeria’s success, noting that the country holds the largest gas reserves in the region and must play a central role in sustaining the West African power market. Although Nigeria is unable to provide regular electricity for […]

Pele Green Energy’s Jolene on finding your place in the energy transition

Pele Green Energy began as a drive to transform young South Africans' lives, with energy as the conduit. Speaking to ENN at AEF, Jolene Shaw of Knowledge Pele shares what nearly sixteen years has taught her, and why young entrepreneurs should find their place across the whole energy value chain.

Seriti Green’s Chabisi Motloung on the careers waiting for young Africans in renewables

Four months after leaving smelting for renewables, Seriti Green's Chabisi Motloung has a message for young Africans: this is where the careers are. Speaking to ENN at AEF's Youth Energy Summit, the COO makes the case for reinvention, problem-solving, and the dream of a single interconnected African grid.

Battery Storage

IPP Office Highlights Storage and Grid Expansion as Critical to South Africa’s Next Energy Growth Phase

South Africa’s energy sector is entering a new phase of its transition, with increasing attention focused on battery energy storage, transmission infrastructure and the reforms required to unlock further investment. As the country continues to expand renewable energy capacity and modernise its electricity market, questions around grid resilience, system flexibility and long-term energy security have […]

The ZimZam Pulse

The Zimbabwe Zambia Energy Projects Summit 2025 took place on the 26 – 28 November 2025 at the Radisson Blu Mosi-Oa-Tunya, Livingstone Resort. A luxurious resort located in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia, with views of the Zambezi River and is closely located to Victoria Falls. The summit, held under the theme “Mines and Energy: How Stakeholders have Fast-Tracked Private Sector […]

Zambia and Zimbabwe Throw Open Their Energy Sectors as Private Capital Rushes to Light Millions

Mozel Chimuka, Agora Village, AfricaWorks | LUSAKA, 27 November 2025 — Nearly ten million Zambians have never switched on a light in their own homes. Across the border, Zimbabwe’s national utility connects 50,000 households per year; its new binding commitment demands 320,000. Both nations have now staked billions on pledges to achieve universal electricity access […]

Unlock the Billion Dollar Vault Hidden Inside Zimbabwe’s Energy Liberalisation

Mozel Chimuka, Agora Village, AfricaWorks | LUSAKA, 27 November 2025 — Zimbabwe currently generates significantly less electricity than required to keep basic lights on, yet the government audaciously demands that private investors triple available capacity within six short years to feed a voracious mining beast that never sleeps. This paradoxical mandate requires the state to […]

Tour of Rare Earths in the Energy Transition

Mining & Minerals

Tour of Rare Earths in the Energy Transition

Tour of Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition – Andy Calitz and Mary Hemmingsen

Mining & Minerals

Tour of Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition – Andy Calitz and Mary Hemmingsen

Take a look back: aef 2019 Country Spotlight, Zimbabwe

Southern Africa

Take a look back: aef 2019 Country Spotlight, Zimbabwe

The Africa Energy Forum 2025

The Africa Energy Forum 2025

The Energy Post Podcast | Green Energy Transition | Transitioning Kenya and the Region

The Energy Post Podcast | Green Energy Transition | Transitioning Kenya and the Region

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Keynote Speech & Fireside Chat with Rajiv Shah | Powering Africa Summit 2026

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright Keynote Speech & Fireside Chat with Rajiv Shah | Powering Africa Summit 2026

Sarah Lane, Denham Capital | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Sarah Lane, Denham Capital | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Michael Konadu, GE Vernova | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Michael Konadu, GE Vernova | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Eunice Biritwum, Energy Commission | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

Eunice Biritwum, Energy Commission | West Africa Energy Cooperation Summit (WAECS) 2025

The Energy Post Podcast | Green Energy Transition | Transitioning Kenya and the Region

Financing a Just Energy Transition in Africa

From Cables to Clean Energy: Elsewedy Electric’s Footprint Across Africa

How JA Solar Is Scaling Solar Across Africa

Maximising The Power of Regional Collaboration to Scale Up Energy Development

Is Solar Enough? Rethinking Off-Grid Energy in West Africa

DFIs, Local Capital and Financing West Africa’s Power Transition

Strategic Vision for National Electricity & Energy Policy

Youth Powering Africa’s Sustainable Future

Beyond the Grid: Financing Southern Africa’s Energy Revolution with Standard Bank