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Africa's mining sector maintains its role as a key contributor of employment creation, fuelled by rising global demand for critical minerals. According to the Compendium of Africa's Strategic Minerals 2026, released last week by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent holds an estimated $29.5 trillion in mineral wealth - about 20% of global reserves - with $8.6 trillion still untapped. The study highlights a clear opportunity for the continent to accelerate industrialization and job creation by focusing on value addition across downstream industries, including aluminium, fertilizers, battery materials and alloys.

Expanding Production, Expanding Jobs

As African countries advance greenfield developments and expand or restart brownfield operations, mining's contribution to employment is expected to strengthen.

In Namibia, the resumption of uranium production in 2025 and 2026 is supporting renewed sector growth. Speaking in Cape Town, Deputy Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Gaudentia Krohne reported that the country's mining industry directly employed 20,843 people at the end of 2024. With diversification underway into rare earths, copper, lithium and other critical minerals – alongside the finalization of a new minerals bill – Namibia is positioning itself to attract fresh capital and expand workforce participation.

“Namibia is committed to supporting small-scale miners and improving livelihoods. We are focusing on finance support schemes and training support programs to equip our workforce with emerging skills,” stated Krohne.

In South Africa, the government has outlined plans to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to strengthen its critical minerals value chain. The strategy spans exploration, project development, manufacturing and skills training, reinforcing the sector's role in employment and export growth.

The announcement follows stable mining employment levels in 2025, with approximately 468,000 formal workers recorded mid-year.

In Zambia, mining continues to be a key employment driver, supporting over 73,000 jobs in 2025. Planned expansion through greenfield and brownfield copper projects is set to further boost the sector's contribution to national employment. For instance, US-startup KoBold Metals' $300 million development of the Mingomba Mine is expected to create more than 700 jobs. Vedanta Resources is also investing $1.5 billion at Konkola Copper Mines while First Quantum Minerals announced a $1.25 billion investment at Kansanshi S3 Expansion project, generating significant new employment opportunities.

Translating Capital into Jobs

The link between capital investment and job creation is clearly demonstrated by the AFC. At African Mining Week (AMW) 2025, Molebogeng Mazibuko, AFC's Associate Vice President of Investment, highlighted the importance of deepening partnerships between African investors and global financiers to unlock new funding and accelerate employment growth. To date, AFC's $700 million in mining investments has generated over 15,000 jobs, with up to 70% of funding directed toward critical minerals.

Global Critical Minerals Demand and Employment Prospects

The global scramble by the U.S., Europe, and China to secure African minerals presents significant employment opportunities across the continent. A December 2025 agreement between the U.S. and the DRC on mineral extraction, value addition, and trade is expected to boost job creation in the country's mining sector. Already a major employer, the DRC's mining industry supports over 100,000 jobs, according to Minister of Mines Louis Watum Kabamba at AMW 2025. With just 10% of the nation's estimated $24 trillion in mineral reserves currently exploited, and strengthened partnerships with the U.S. and China, the potential for mining-led employment growth remains substantial

Addressing Investment Gaps

Despite mining's growing role in job creation, access to capital remains a constraint, particularly for local operators and small-scale miners seeking to scale projects. Limited financing slows development timelines and restricts employment expansion.

Against this backdrop, AMW 2026, scheduled for October 14–16 in Cape Town, aims to connect global investors with bankable opportunities across the continent. By catalyzing partnerships and facilitating deal-making, the event seeks to translate capital inflows into project execution, industrial growth and sustained employment creation across Africa's mining sector.

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

• EBITDA increased by an impressive 184% to AED 458.5 million in 2025, up from AED 161.4 million in 2024 – marking the company's highest EBITDA performance since ADX listing in 2022
• Revenue rose to an all-time high of AED 13.3 billion in 2025 from AED 8.9 billion in 2024
• Net profit reached AED 227.6 million in 2025, up 37% year-on-year
• Commodity transaction volumes increased by 73% year-on-year to 14.2 million metric tonnes
• Total equity reached AED 1.4 billion in 2025, compared with AED 1.2 billion the previous year
• The Board recommended a cash dividend of AED 40 million for 2025

Invictus Investment Company PLC (http://InvictusInvestment.ae/) (ADX: INVICTUS), a leading agro-food enterprise in the Middle East and Africa, today published its audited financial results for the 12 months ended December 31, 2025. The company delivered its strongest EBITDA performance since listing on ADX, soaring by a record 184% year-on-year to AED 458.5 million – an increase driven by the integration of recent acquisitions, enhanced supply chain capabilities and improved operational efficiencies across the business.

Revenue meanwhile grew by 49% to AED 13.3 billion in 2025, compared with AED 8.9 billion the previous year. This strong top-line performance helped underpin a 37% increase in net profit to AED 227.6 million, up from AED 166.3 million in 2024, while return on equity reached 18%, underscoring the company's success in enhancing profitability while continuing to expand its operations across key markets. The Board has in turn recommended a cash dividend of AED 40 million.

Commodity transaction volumes also reached record levels, expanding 73% to 14.2 million metric tonnes in 2025, up from 8.2 million metric tonnes in 2024. At the same time, total equity increased 17% year-on-year to AED 1.4 billion in 2025 – a reflection of the company's improving financial position as it continues to scale.

The year also saw a significant milestone in IHC's increasing of its shareholding in Invictus Investment to 40% – highlighting continued confidence in the company's strategic direction and growth trajectory. The deal involved the purchase of 196 million shares in a major block trade valued at 419.83 million. In parallel, Invictus Investment has progressed both equity and debt financing structures as part of a diversified and disciplined financial strategy. It most recently secured a financing package from the Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited (MCB) structured as an acquisition finance and revolving credit facility to fund growth across new African markets.

The company continued to deliver on its growth strategy in 2025 through a number of strategic investments. This included the acquisition of Merec Industries, Mozambique's largest flour milling company, and the integration of its operations, as well as an agreement to acquire a 65.25% stake in Angata Limitada, a fertiliser blending company based in Angola, with the transaction being completed in January 2026. These developments, along with the operational consolidation of Moroccan agro-trading leader Graderco, in which Invictus Investment acquired a 60% stake in 2024, have further enhanced the company's sourcing and processing capabilities across Africa. The Board has also approved the issuance of a binding offer to acquire a majority shareholding interest in an agro-food manufacturing company with its primary business in North Africa. 

In addition, Invictus Investment entered 10 new markets during the year, including Iraq, Lithuania, Cameroon, Ghana, Madagascar, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe, bringing its global presence to 65 countries. This was supported by strong organic growth across core markets, particularly in Africa, where demand for staple agro-food commodities continues to be strong. The company's product portfolio was also expanded to more than 30 categories to meet the evolving needs of its global client base.

Commenting on the results, Amir Daoud Abdellatif, CEO of Invictus Investment, said: “2025 was a defining year for Invictus Investment as we delivered significant growth across our key metrics while making strategic acquisitions that have fundamentally strengthened our business. The biggest vote of confidence for us during the year came with IHC's increasing of its stake in the company to 40% – a major development that both validates our growth journey to date and sets the tone for the strategic trajectory before us. Our priorities are clear, and we have a strong pipeline of investment opportunities in midstream and downstream assets across our core markets. All of this places us in a strong position to continue expanding the business and delivering added value for our shareholders as we work towards our goal of becoming a fully integrated agro-food enterprise and reaching AED 25 billion in revenue by 2028.”

In terms of its sustainability commitments, Invictus Investment continues to build upon the progress set out in the 2024 ESG report published in May 2025 across three core pillars: Environmental Stewardship; Social Empowerment; and Ethical Governance and Partnerships – priorities that are only on track to become more embedded across the business, including within the company's newly acquired entities.

Looking ahead, Invictus Investment remains focused on furthering its long-term growth strategy through targeted investments in key African markets, with an emphasis on North Africa and coastal hubs, while advancing its goal of becoming a fully integrated agro-food enterprise that contributes to food security in the region.

*Please refer to https://apo-opa.co/3MADzmw for more information.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invictus Investment Company PLC.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Tales & Heads
E: InvictusInvestment@talesandheads.com 
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About Invictus Investment:
Invictus Investment Company PLC (ADX: INVICTUS), established in March 2022 and headquartered in Dubai, is a leading holding entity specialised in agro-food commodities. Through its main subsidiary, Invictus Trading – founded in 2014 – the company initially offered procurement services that supplied raw materials and finished goods across the MENA region. It has since expanded its business model to include grain trading and commodity exports with a portfolio that now spans over 30 product categories, among them barley, corn, sesame, soya bean, sugar and wheat. Today, Invictus Investment operates across 65 countries with a broad sourcing network and a focus on midstream and downstream acquisitions in the value chain, with the aim of becoming a fully integrated agro-food enterprise in the Middle East and Africa.

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As Africa seeks to capitalize on surging global demand for critical minerals to drive GDP growth and industrialization, regional collaboration is emerging as a strategic imperative to unlock the continent's full resource potential. Holding approximately 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves – including the largest global shares of platinum group metals (PGMs), manganese and chrome – Africa is positioned to play a leading role in global supply chains. However, with intra-African trade accounting for only 16% of total African trade, significant opportunities remain to strengthen cross-border cooperation and build integrated mineral value chains. Enhanced regional collaboration offers a pathway for African countries to address longstanding structural challenges, including limited access to financing and inadequate infrastructure and shortages in technical skills.

Recent Regional Cooperation Deals

Against this backdrop, African governments and mining financiers are accelerating partnerships to enhance geological knowledge, unlock investment and strengthen industrial capacity. A notable example is the agreement between Gabon's Ministry of Mines and Geological Resources and Council for Geoscience of South Africa. The partnership enables Gabon to leverage South Africa's expertise in geological mapping, exploration and resource assessment to improve its national mineral database and support the diversification of its mining sector. With South Africa's extensive experience as the world's leading producer of PGMs, chrome and manganese, as well as its historical position as a dominant gold producer, the agreement provides Gabon with technical support to accelerate the development of its potash, manganese and iron ore sectors. Equally important, the partnership prioritizes local capacity building, workforce development and knowledge transfer, strengthening Gabon's institutional and technical capabilities to support long-term mining sector growth.

“Africa's integration is a strategic economic vision. Harmonizing natural resource laws and aligning with frameworks like the ECOWAS Mining Code and African Minerals Vision is key, but national interests disrupt continental coordination, limiting the continent's mining potential,” Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana's Minister of Lands and Natural Resources said in Cape Town earlier this month.

Financial cooperation is also playing a pivotal role in unlocking regional mineral development. In February 2026, South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)'s Fonds de Promotion de l'Industrie to jointly finance and co-develop projects across the mining, energy and logistics value chain. This agreement brings together two of Africa's most strategically important mineral economies, combining South Africa's financial capacity and industrial expertise with the DRC's vast reserves of cobalt, copper, tin and other critical minerals. By aligning development finance institutions, the partnership reduces funding constraints that have historically delayed project development, while directing capital toward beneficiation infrastructure, processing facilities and transport corridors that enable greater value addition within Africa.

Similarly, several African producers are leveraging South Africa's technical expertise to de-risk exploration and accelerate mineral sector development. Nigeria and South Sudan have signed cooperation agreements with South African institutions focused on geological mapping, exploration and technical collaboration. These partnerships form part of broader national strategies to diversify economic growth away from petroleum dependence and toward mining-led industrialization. By strengthening geological knowledge and improving resource certainty, such agreements enhance investor confidence, reduce exploration risk and position Nigeria and South Sudan to attract long-term mining investment.

Strategic Value of Regional Cooperation

These agreements reflect a growing recognition among African governments that regional cooperation is essential to unlocking the continent's mineral wealth. Many of Africa's most valuable mineral belts extend across national borders, making coordinated infrastructure development, regulatory alignment and investment frameworks critical for efficient resource extraction and commercialization. Regional cooperation enables countries to pool financial resources, share infrastructure such as railways, power systems and ports, and coordinate industrial strategies that support downstream beneficiation and manufacturing.

Speaking in Cape Town in mid-February, Henry Alake, Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, stated: “Africa must finance strategic mineral corridors such as Lagos–Abidjan and Lagos–Maputo, not just to export raw materials, but to build cross-border processing industries that create jobs and retain value within the continent.”

Platform for Advancing Cooperation

Building on the growing momentum for regional cooperation, African Mining Week, taking place from October 14–16 in Cape Town, will serve as a critical platform for advancing partnerships across the continent's mining sector. The event will bring together policymakers, investors, mining companies and financial institutions to strengthen collaboration, showcase investment opportunities and accelerate the development of integrated African mineral value chains. As Africa positions itself at the center of the global energy transition and critical minerals supply chain, such partnerships will be instrumental in transforming the continent's resource wealth into long-term economic growth and industrial development.

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

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The Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition yesterday laid the foundation for safeguarding jobs and restoring confidence in South Africa's film and television industry.

Following extensive engagements with stakeholders and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) yesterday, the committee has reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating meaningful dialogue aimed at retaining existing jobs, creating new employment opportunities, and advancing inclusive economic development in the industry.

The film and television sector told the committee that it is facing significant funding challenges, due to uncertainty around payments from the Film and Television Production Incentive Programme, including incentives pre-approved in 2021 that were later revoked due to what was described as non-compliance by industry players. These developments have had serious consequences for production companies, investors and workers across the value chain, as it affects the domestic industry's ability to raise commercial capital for projects.

The sector is people-intensive and sustains thousands of South Africans including actors, directors, producers and filmmakers but also small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) providing catering, transport, set design, clothing, and other essential services. It also offers numerous opportunities for youth employment and on-the-job technical skills development.

The committee believes that the value of this sector must not be underestimated in a country with high unemployment. Therefore, supporting a people-intensive sector like film and television is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

After yesterday's meeting, the committee concluded the following:

• It acknowledged the fiscal constraints facing the country. However, it stressed that funding limitations cannot become a permanent barrier to growth. Thus, it called for the exploration of creative and alternative funding solutions.
• It highlighted the need for improved communication and coordination between government, through the DTIC, and industry stakeholders to resolve industry concerns and ensure the creation of a conducive environment for a thriving industry.
• Greater clarity and consistency in incentive guidelines and eligibility criteria are critical to ensuring compliance and preventing future disputes.
• It called on the DTIC and the National Treasury to urgently engage and provide a clear, unified position on the funding of incentives as policy uncertainty undermines investment decisions and places jobs at risk

Chairperson of the committee, Mr Mzwandile Masina, said the committee does not implement policy and does not directly allocate budgets, its responsibility is to ensure that the department, working together with industry, resolves the challenges in the film industry.

“We have consistently advocated that support from the DTIC must go beyond financial assistance. There must also be non-financial support that helps industry players comply with guidelines and eligibility requirements. Our task now is to ensure continuous engagement until solutions are found. We owe it to the thousands of South Africans whose livelihoods depend on this sector to ensure certainty to restore investor confidence” said Masina.

The committee will continue to monitor progress being made by the department and industry players to ensure that the current challenges are resolved and stability is restored to this critical sector of the South African economy.

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

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Across many Western countries, anti-energy activists attack the very oil and gas industry that provides tax revenue to build schools, pave roads and fund universities. Unreasonable limits on oil and natural gas activity do not just target companies – they ultimately harm societies, weaken economies and destroy jobs. Africa cannot afford to follow that path. At the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (http://EnergyChamber.org), we have always believed we must remain organized to defend this industry and fight back when necessary.

The Chamber has personally invested significant effort in this fight because supporting the oil and gas industry is essential to Africa's development and economic sovereignty. At the AEC, we reject the idea that governments should pick energy winners and losers instead of allowing free‑market principles to work. By rallying continued investment into Africa, we defend the same market foundations that built many of today's strongest global economies. That is why regulatory clarity, efficient permitting and consistent enforcement are essential to attracting both domestic and foreign capital – work the AEC advances every day.

Africa's Energy Must Deliver for Africans

For many Africans, skepticism about oil and gas has long centered on one question: where are the jobs and opportunities? This is why we remain unapologetic advocates of local content. Expecting the industry to create jobs for Africans is not radical – it is right.

To be clear, the industry has made meaningful progress. It has trained professionals, developed talent and produced African entrepreneurs who are now acquiring assets across the continent. The leadership of companies such as Seplat, Renaissance Energy, Oando, Etu Energias, First E&P, ND Western and numerous service firms reflects careers built inside major IOCs and global service companies. From Angola and Mozambique to Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania and Senegal, few industries have created comparable pathways for African leadership. In many cases, this progress required governments to push firmly for African inclusion – something regulators such as the NUPRC, ANPG, Ghana Petroleum Commission and authorities in Namibia, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal and South Africa must never forget.

Inclusion Is Not Optional

Yet serious concerns remain. Policies or practices that exclude Black professionals from employment opportunities contradict the very principles of growth, fairness and partnership the industry claims to uphold. Frontier Energy Network's hiring practices – widely understood across the industry to exclude Black professionals – are wrong. Full stop. This is not who our industry claims to be, and it is not compatible with partnership in Africa. Frontier's leadership, including Daniel Davidson, has remained stubborn on this issue, and we are prepared to take this fight to the end. An organization that earns the lion's share of its revenue from Africans cannot expect to benefit from African markets, governments and capital while denying fair employment to Africans.

This moment calls for our industry to show moral conviction. Africans are watching. No organization seeking partnership, investment or credibility in Africa can ignore inclusion or dismiss legitimate concerns about discrimination. In 2026, we should not still be confronting barriers rooted in the past. If the Africa Energies Summit wants African support, it must be ready to do the right thing by hiring Black professionals. When Daniel Davidson refuses to hire Black professionals and actively locks them out, the industry feels it – it is like a one‑eyed quarterback seeing only half the field.

The Industry Must Choose

We are therefore considering a targeted, lawful and selective boycott – yes, exactly that – against institutions that refuse to uphold inclusive hiring. Quite frankly, companies that still treat Black professionals as second‑class participants in this industry must face consequences. Inclusion drives growth, and when this industry grows, everybody wins. It is simply good business.

Service companies, investors, conference organizers and partners all share responsibility. One cannot seek licenses, approvals, and government goodwill while tolerating exclusionary behavior. Companies such as TGS – and others participating in platforms perceived by many Black professionals as unwelcoming – must recognize their influence and act accordingly. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” Companies must pick a side. You cannot promise governments local hiring while endorsing exclusion.

African ministers and regulators who attend the Africa Energies Summit cannot claim to value local content while aligning with institutions that refuse to hire Black professionals. The days when Black professionals are merely spectators in Africa's oil and gas development are over. Our industry must remain vigilant. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past or give anti‑oil extremists an opportunity to tell African youth, “We told you so.”

Ignoring local content risks undermining the future of Africa's oil and gas industry. The Chamber takes this position not lightly, but from decades of advocacy, criticism endured and unwavering belief in the sector's importance to the continent. Listening to Black professionals who feel excluded is not optional – it is necessary. Many may come for me because of this stance, but honesty demands that I speak for the Black men and women who have been unfairly treated by Daniel Davidson and the Africa Energies Summit.

In the coming weeks, The Chamber will engage African officials and industry leaders to seek clear commitments to inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Where progress is absent, we will exercise our lawful right to protest. Oil and gas professionals are good people, and this industry remains vital to ending energy poverty and strengthening global energy security. God bless the oil and gas industry – and yes, Drill Baby Drill.

We cannot allow division to weaken our shared mission. The Chamber has consistently been a model of pragmatic leadership, especially when facing distractions such as those posed by Frontier Energy Network and the Africa Energies Summit. Africa's energy future must be built on investment, opportunity and inclusion for all. We shall overcome.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.