Thoughts on YES! 2023 from Thuso Kuali, Standard Bank of South Africa

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.

Contracts signed in April cover a 114km section from Kiffa to Tintane and a 70km extension to Aioun, the first construction under a 1,373km scheme running to 2030. The African Development Fund has committed $302.9 million towards an estimated $888 million cost.

President Adama Barrow announced the commitment at State House in Banjul on the margins of the African Caucus meetings, alongside a fuel storage terminal. The country imported 57 per cent of its electricity in early 2025, and its available generating capacity had fallen below 40MW.

New pledges of $900 million were announced on 9 July at a virtual meeting of the co-chairs, after the Nairobi summit was postponed. A new programme responds to Strait of Hormuz disruption that the IEA says affected 30 per cent of globally traded LPG.

The European Union announced the package in Luxembourg on 15 June, combining an EIB Global loan with Commission grants to carry 22GW of renewable capacity. It is the first project under T-MED, and it deliberately excludes the proposed subsea cable to Greece.

Off-grid systems accounted for 25 per cent of national connectivity against 59.6 per cent on the grid, according to Rwanda Energy Group. A results-based programme backed by the African Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank now stands at $300 million.

Seriti Green signed a further R10bn at Bethal on Friday as the first 155MW of Ummbila Emoyeni entered commercial operation, taking committed investment to R25bn. President Cyril Ramaphosa attended and said the company would reach R40bn, with a second wind development of 600MW planned beside it and 187 turbines between the two.

NTCSA moved the launch from 1 April to the third quarter after an assessment with NERSA found more work was needed on operational and regulatory readiness. The regulator granted the company its Market Operator Licence in December, and only certified participants will be able to trade.