Cape Town

Jassim Alshirawi, Secretary General of intergovernmental organization the International Energy Forum (IEF), has joined the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference as a speaker. As the world's largest gathering of energy ministers, the IEF accounts for more than 90% of global oil and gas supply, and as such, Alshirawi is well-positioned to lead discussions around Africa's oil market, including trends, opportunities and challenges.

Representing the global home of energy dialogue, the IEF focuses on energy security, data transparency and energy transition, uniting global energy ministers and stakeholders to advance global supply chains. Founded more than 30 years ago, the organization facilitates discussions between producing and consuming countries, offering a neutral and inclusive platform to address supply chain challenges. Alshirawi's participation at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 – Africa's largest energy event – is expected to further strengthen these discussions as Africa's role in global energy markets increasingly grows.

AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

Alshirawi's participation comes as Africa moves to promote Africa-centric energy policies, ones that center around the continent's need to scale-up energy capacity while advancing a just energy transition. Given that over 600 million people currently lack access to electricity across the continent while 900 million people lack access to clean cooking solutions, many countries are advocating for a differentiated approach to the energy transition in Africa, one that prioritizes the development of low-carbon oil and gas. Organizations such as the IEF are uniquely positioned to facilitate energy dialogue, thereby enhancing a better understanding of Africa's energy dynamics.

Beyond energy dialogue, the IEF provides a series of reports and data analysis, with insights supporting investments and decision-making by leading operators and financiers. In the IEF's latest Comparative Analysis of Monthly Reports on the Oil Market, the organization offers a comparison of forecasted market trends by major organizations such as OPEC and the International Energy Agency (IEA). In its comparison, the IEF outlines that OPEC predictions show global oil demand rising 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025, driven predominantly by increased consumption of transportation fuels. The 2026 forecast will see demand rise by a further 1.3 million bpd, sustained by rising demand for mobility and petrochemicals feedstocks. At the same time, the IEA projects global oil demand to rise by 0.7 million bpd in 2025 and 720,000 bpd in 2026. These discrepancies underscore the need to connect under one platform, with AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 emerging as a strategic forum in this regard.

AEW: Invest in African Energies unites stakeholders from the global and African energy landscapes to discuss strategies for accelerating investment and development in pursuit of enhanced energy security. As a continent rich with a variety of natural resources and offering significant untapped opportunities, Africa is well-positioned to play a more central role in global supply chains. Established markets such as Angola, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Libya are rapidly increasing oil and gas production, targeting new exploration frontiers and incremental production projects. Concurrently, emerging markets such as Namibia, Uganda, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Zimbabwe are all driving frontier exploration, with the aim of establishing themselves as future producers. In tandem with advancements in clean energy developments – from large-scale green hydrogen to integrated solar and wind – Africa offers significant opportunities across its entire energy sector and value chain.

Stepping into this picture, Alshirawi's participation at AEW: Invest in African Energies 2025 will strengthen Africa-global dialogue. His participation will not only seek to address challenges and opportunities across the global energy market but foster discussions around Africa's unique strategy to scale-up energy and advance its transition.

“As Africa's energy sector experiences rapid growth, a unique opportunity has emerged for operators, financiers and technology providers to capitalize on global demand and position the continent as a major supplier. Insights shared by the IEF have long-played an important part in de-risking investments in Africa and will continue supporting developments as companies unlock the full potential of the continent's energy resources,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

The WomenIN Festival, Africa's definitive gathering of women from across industries, sectors, and stages of life, is thrilled to announce its official theme for 2025:

LIMITLESS: No Labels. No Limits. No Apologies.

This year's theme is more than a slogan — it's a declaration. A rallying cry for women who are no longer asking for permission. She's not fitting in — she's standing out, showing up, and shaking the world.

The sub-themes set the tone for a celebration of authenticity, boldness, and multidimensional brilliance.
 It's about embracing your full self — in business, in leadership, in creativity, and in life.

Save the Date:
13–14 November 2025
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa

WomenIN Festival 2025 will once again unite trailblazers, thought leaders, creatives, entrepreneurs, and change-makers for a powerful two-day experience filled with:

• Inspiring keynotes and fireside conversations
• Transformative networking
• Immersive activations and curated spaces
• Unapologetic celebration and connection

From boardrooms to grassroots, innovation hubs to social impact spaces — this is where Africa's boldest women connect, collaborate, and thrive.

“LIMITLESS is not just our theme — it's a mindset. It's about dismantling outdated labels and owning the fullness of who we are, as women leading across industries, cultures, and communities. At WomenIN, we're building a global movement that recognises and celebrates every woman's power to rewrite the rules, reimagine her future, and rise.”
 – Naz Fredericks-Maharaj, Director: WomenIN Portfolio

Whether you're building your legacy, launching your vision, or reimagining your next chapter — this is your invitation to do it limitlessly.

Tickets are now available at www.WeAreWomenIN.com and start at just R1499

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Festival ticket page:
https://apo-opa.co/4kWqGhO

Partnerships & speaking opportunities: 
nazlee.fredericks@wearevuka.com

Hashtags:
#WomenINFestival #Limitless2025 #NoLabelsNoLimitsNoApologies #WeAreWomenIN

WomenIN (WiN): Empowering Women, Breaking Barriers, Creating Impact:
WomenIN is a powerful cross-sector movement that connects, inspires, and uplifts women across Africa through collaboration, leadership, and sustainable development. From energy and mobility to retail, gaming, and the green economy, WiN is driving real change by building inclusive ecosystems where women can thrive.

Through a range of in-person gatherings, digital content, workshops, and sector-specific initiatives, WomenIN provides a trusted platform for female professionals, entrepreneurs, changemakers, and allies to grow together, break silos, and co-create solutions for Africa's future. With a strong focus on capacity building, leadership development, and market access for female-owned businesses, WomenIN is building a legacy of impact for generations to come.

Whether you're a corporate, NPO, SMME, or individual changemaker, there is space for you at the table—because we win when we WiN together.

For more information, please visit: www.WeAreWomenIN.com or contact our team at info@wearewomenin.com.

ABOUT VUKA Group:
VUKA Group brings people and organisations together to connect with information and each other in meaningful conversations that drive growth and transformation across Africa's industries. With 20+ years of experience on the continent, the group delivers sector-leading platforms across Energy, Mining, Smart Mobility, Transport, Retail, and Women Empowerment.

The WomenIN (WiN) portfolio is a flagship initiative of VUKA Group, championing gender inclusivity and creating opportunities for women to lead, influence, and innovate across sectors. With a proudly African team and a commitment to sustainable development, VUKA is creating a future where everyone has the opportunity to rise.

Learn more at: www.WeAreWomenIN.com

South Africa is positioning itself as a premier investment destination in Africa's energy transition, with a strategic push across the entire energy value chain – from oil and gas exploration to renewables and green hydrogen. At African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies, an “Invest in South Africa” Roundtable will bring together top-tier investors, policymakers and energy executives to spotlight the country's evolving regulatory landscape, its new national oil company and a host of bankable infrastructure projects.

This year's roundtable brings together a powerful lineup of speakers driving South Africa's energy future, including Shahrukh Mirza, VP LNG Development at ExxonMobil, Stefano Marani, CEO of Renergen Limited, and senior representatives from both the newly formed South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) and the South African National Energy Development Institute.

South Africa's energy sector is undergoing a critical transformation: years of load-shedding and grid instability has prompted bold reforms aimed at liberalizing the energy market, fast-tracking private-sector participation and diversifying supply sources. As the government unbundles Eskom and opens transmission infrastructure to independent power producers, investor interest in South Africa's power and gas markets is growing sharply. Meanwhile, the Integrated Resource Plan and Renewable Energy Masterplan are paving the way for expanded solar, wind and battery storage deployment, backed by robust public-private collaboration.

The upstream oil and gas sector is also entering a pivotal new phase. The recently established SANPC is spearheading fresh exploration efforts and opening up acreage across frontier basins, including the Orange Basin – an area that has drawn renewed interest following a string of offshore discoveries in neighboring Namibia. Energy major Shell has secured approval for a five-well drilling campaign in the Northern Cape Ultra Deep block, while TotalEnergies is targeting a two-well wildcat campaign in South Africa's portion of the Orange Basin, slated for 2026. With upcoming licensing opportunities, transparent fiscal terms and enhanced data packages, South Africa is well-positioned to attract both new market entrants and experienced independents to its upstream sector.

In its gas monetization strategy, South Africa is advancing efforts to leverage domestic resources – including those under development by Renergen at the Virginia Gas Project – to support helium exports and the production of LNG for transport and industrial fuel use. The country's Gas Master Plan, currently under review, sets out a roadmap for critical infrastructure, including LNG terminals, pipeline expansions and strategic gas storage, aimed at enhancing long-term energy security. At the same time, public-private initiatives such as the green hydrogen corridor – linking the Northern Cape to key export hubs – are laying the groundwork for large-scale hydrogen production, backed by the region's exceptional solar and wind potential.

“As South Africa retools its regulatory environment and builds momentum behind energy diversification, AEW 2025 stands as the ideal venue to connect capital with opportunity. From the Orange Basin's high-impact prospects to scalable renewables and gas monetization, the country is open for business,” says Oré Onegbesan, Program Director, AEW.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

AEW: Invest in African Energies:
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.

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The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation yesterday successfully launched the People-Centred Oversight Mechanism in the Western Cape where there were traditional leaders, academics, students and representatives from different non-governmental organisations.

The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, said the People-Centred Oversight Mechanism is an initiative of the committee to ensure that ordinary citizens in villages, townships and small towns have a say in foreign policy and international trade relations that impact on their lives.

The committee heard from the Western Cape legislature that no one must be left behind when it comes to international and trade relations and these policies have an impact on job creation and the economy of the country.

There was a call to link trade agreements negotiated by the DIRCO and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition with local governments that are affected by those agreements. That will ensure that municipalities will have a say in these agreements and implementation is at local level.

Student representatives from the universities of the Western Cape, Cape Town and Stellenbosch appealed for opportunities for students to be able to participate in international trade delegations and in the drafting of policies on international relations. They called for inclusion in decision making as the future leaders of the country.

The women's wing of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa welcomed the opportunity to engage with the committee. The role of the DIRCO is significant and the management of the influx of refugees is a challenge that requires engagement with all stakeholders. There is little engagement with traditional leaders in this regard. With the incorporation of the traditional leadership, social cohesion will be enhanced.

With reference to the United States (USA), the opposition parties in the Western Cape Legislature reiterated the need for the province to send a positive message to the international community that South Africa is a united country especially when there are utterances that impact on the economic policy of South Africa.

Labour unions positively viewed the engagement and called for more such dialogues so that workers on the ground can understand what foreign policy is and informed the committee that there is a need for structured platforms so that information reaches the workers. A call was made to the DIRCO to use social media platforms to disseminate information to inform workers and ordinary people on the ground about what is happening internationally.

COSATU representatives called for all international agreements to translate into job creation in the country. The representative called for migrant workers to be protected and there should be a labour impact assessment in countries that export goods to South Africa. The impact of imported goods from the European Union and China have an impact on local jobs.

Africa's Growth and Opportunity Act was passed as part of the Trade and Development Act of 2000 in the USA. It provides duty- free access to the USA market for almost all products from more than 40 eligible sub-Saharan African countries including South Africa. The impact of the 30% increase on tariffs on exports needs to be engaged on.

The committee heard the sentiment among the people about the importance of the oversight mechanism and their hope for its effectiveness. Representatives also called for monitoring and evaluation of the oversight mechanism, transparency and accessibility. The committee will upon the end of the launch proramme at all the nine provinces, develop monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the programme.

The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Supra Mahumapelo said that going forward the DIRCO will provide reports on Trade Agreements and their impact on a quarterly basis. The reports will include the volume of minerals/products produced and released in SA for export. He said: “ Together with the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour we must be able to engage with our counterparts on the trumpeting tariffs of the US.”

Mr Mahumapelo said workers in South Africa must be able to understand how the utterances of the US affect the economic growth of South Africa. The People-Centred Oversight Mechanism has been launched in Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng provinces. The committee strives to complete to launch the programme in the remaining five provinces by early next year 2026.”

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