The Angola Oil&Gas (AOG) conference and exhibition ­– Angola’s premier event for the oil and gas industry – will host a pre-conference technical program ahead of the main event this October (2-3). Taking place on October 1, the pre-conference agenda serves as a prelude to the AOG conference and will feature a series of workshops and technical presentations, covering the entire oil and gas value chain in Angola.  

The technical program is designed to provide in-depth strategic insight into the technical aspects of Angola’s oil and gas industry, led by a roster of distinguished industry experts. This platform for knowledge transfer features presentations on a variety of technical topics for professionals across the oil and gas value chain including engineers, lawyers, service providers, logistics companies, financiers, and more. Featured topics include Angola’s onshore prospectivity; opportunities for incremental production; sustaining upstream investment; optimizing infield exploration, and more.

AOG is the largest oil and gas event in Angola. Taking place with the full support of the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas; the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency; the Petroleum Derivatives Regulatory Institute, the African Energy Chamber; and the national oil company Sonangol, the event is a platform to sign deals and advance Angola’s oil and gas industry. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Angola’s oil and gas sector holds significant promise with 9 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 11 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. The country plans to maintain production above one million barrels per day (bpd) until 2027, with 29 block opportunities currently available for exploration. Additionally, Angola aims to increase the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 25% by 2025, leveraging LPG and CNG solutions to improve energy access and reduce fuel costs. These goals are underpinned by national efforts to enhance energy security while creating an innovative petroleum hub in Angola. In tandem with proactive policies and strong fiscals, these goals position Angola as an attractive market for companies looking at expanding their investments both in Angola and beyond.

Currently, Angola is driving a six-year licensing round, offering a total of 55 blocks. To date, 26 blocks have been awarded, with the 2025 bid round set to offer an additional 10 blocks. The country’s rich production history and established infrastructure support new concessions, making it an attractive destination for investment. In 2024, Angola’s oil and gas industry faces numerous challenges, including lack of investment, the energy transition and declines in mature fields. These challenges highlight the need for innovation across the industry, with technology and partnerships at the forefront of project developments.

Stepping into this picture, the AOG 2024 pre-conference technical program will unpack the challenges faced by Angola’s oil and gas industry and the opportunities for investors. Featured speakers include representatives from data acquisition company TGS; global oilfield services provider SLB; pan-African legal conglomerate CLG – formerly Centurion Law Group -; and more. Additionally, global market intelligence firms S&P Global Commodity Insights and Wood Mackenzie will present.

To book your place at the pre-conference technical sessions, consult the program here http://apo-opa.co/3Ycj1ny, or visit https://apo-opa.co/3ShplXl to reserve your spot.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain strategic insights and network with industry leaders. To register for the technical program and the AOG conference, visit www.AngolaOilandGas.com or contact us at sales@energycapitalpower.com.

We look forward to seeing you in Luanda.

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

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has eulogised the late Archbishop Emeritus Paul Bakyenga as a formidable link between the church and government.

Speaking at a memorial mass for the late Archbishop, the Deputy Speaker urged Christians to grow the church just as the late did.

“The church unites us, and its relationship with government is key. We appreciate the support of the church in fighting poverty and we have a duty to enhance this fight,” said Tayebwa.

The memorial mass was held at Nyamitanga Cathedral in Mbarara District on Thursday, 18 July 2024.

Tayebwa commended the Archbishop of Mbarara Archdiocese, His Grace Lambert Bainomugisha for moving the legacy of the late Archbishop forward and promoting more development within and around the Archdiocese.

“I once had a lengthy discussion with the late on serving God and he told me it goes beyond supporting the Church; you ought to help people. We must do development that goes beyond roads, schools and hospitals to improving household incomes,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker also urged Ugandans to take keen interest in the Parish Development Model and Emyooga programmes by monitoring their progress for effective improvement of household incomes.

“These programmes we are doing are aimed at supporting the ordinary person but we have discovered that there are unscrupulous people taking advantage of them,” Tayebwa noted.

In his eulogy, Archbishop Bainomugisha hailed the late for having wisdom to know when to pass on leadership responsibilities, having requested for retirement as Archbishop from Pope Francis in 2019, owing to health limitations.

Rev. Fr. Severinus Ndugwa, the Vicar General for Mbarara Archdiocese led the mass on behalf of Archbishop Bainomugisha reminisced the wise guidance, compassionate heart towards the lowly, and the unwavering commitment to preaching God’s word practiced by the Late Archbishop.

“Now it is you and me to preserve the legacy that should keep inspiring us to live out our faith with love, kindness and service. Our prayer intention is that he is granted internal bliss in the presence of the Lord he served so faithfully,” Fr. Ndugwa said.

Archbishop Emeritus Paul K. Bakyenga served as a priest of the Archdiocese of Mbarara for 52 years and as Archbishop of Mbarara for 34 years.

He passed away at the age of 79, in July 2023.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

The U.S. Mission to South Africa and the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) proudly announce the launch of the 2024 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program in Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. It supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender, Equity and Equality and reflects the United States’ commitment to advancing gender equity and economic prosperity in Southern Africa

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs LESA (Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa) program is centred on the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, an accredited online global management and entrepreneurship certificate consisting of five world-class courses and available to learners across the globe.

The overall goal of the program is to promote economic prosperity, including equitable economic development opportunities for historically disadvantaged groups and individuals. AWE LESA provides a resource for women entrepreneurs to engage in online education with guided facilitation and localization; fosters networks that support participants’ access to peer-to-peer mentorship, business partners, and scaling opportunities with businesses in the region and in the United States; as well as provides access to a range of educational programs tailored to women’s economic empowerment to expand the impact on the participant.

AWE LESA 2024 will empower 100 young women entrepreneurs in seven cities – five in South Africa and one each in Lesotho and Eswatini. The program will host cohorts in Bloemfontein (10 participants), Cape Town (10 participants), Johannesburg (15 participants), Polokwane (15 participants), Manzini (20 participants), Maseru (20 participants), and Pietermaritzburg (10 participants). The participants will attend in-person training sessions and events at designated American Corners and partner spaces in each location.

AWE LESA 2024 activities will take place between August 2024 and January 2025, and this edition will bring the total number of women entrepreneurs trained through the U.S. Mission to South Africa and AWIEF partnership to more than 700.

What do you gain from participating in the AWE LESA program?

Free entry to the program;
Enrolment in the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners platform for online learning;
Expert-facilitated in-person business management training and mentorship sessions at American Spaces;
Networking and peer-learning opportunities with like-minded entrepreneurs;
A collaboratively developed and refined draft of your business plan;
A 100 Million Learners certificate after completing the program;
Access to the U.S. alumni network’s robust network of support, including business opportunities, potential seed funding and a vast, global network of like-minded and highly regarded entrepreneurs;
Membership to the AWIEF Community which provides ongoing peer learning and support; and
Free delegate pass to AWIEF2024 Conference, Exhibition and Awards scheduled to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town on November 28 and 29, 2024.

What are the criteria to apply?

Young women (aged 21 – 35);
Early-stage entrepreneurs (with businesses in operation for 1-3 years);
Citizens/legal residents of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini;
Read, write, speak and listen to the program in English;
Reside within 40km of one of the seven program cities: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Polokwane, Maseru, Manzini, and Pietermaritzburg;
Commit to weekly in-person training sessions at a designated American Space of the U.S. Missions to Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa;
Commit to up to 5 hours of weekly programmatic assignments; and
Basic computer skills, access to a computer with a data plan to access program content and activities.

Applications Open Now!

Academy for Women Entrepreneurs applications are officially open for highly motivated and self-driven young women entrepreneurs from Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa. THERE IS NO COST TO APPLICANTS AT ANY STAGE.

To submit your application, please follow this link:  https://apo-opa.co/3WvSAIa

The deadline for submission is August 4, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. South Africa Standard Time (SAST).

For more information email: info@awieforum.org

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF).

From July 23 to 28, the 39th Luanda International Fair (FILDA) (www.FILDA-Angola.co.ao) opens its doors in the Special Economic Zone of the Angolan capital with a focus on internationalization. Angola’s main business showcase is attracting more and more global markets and investors as the country invests in strategic infrastructure for global trade and industry, such as the Lobito Corridor and the Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport. More than 1300 companies from 18 countries have already confirmed their presence at the forum.

Luanda, July 22, 2024 – A few days before the opening of the 39th edition of FILDA, registration is still open for investors from all over the world to participate in one of Africa’s oldest and most important multisectoral fairs.

For six days, at least 1300 Angolan companies and 254 from 18 countries in Africa, Europe, America, and Asia will gauge the national market in industries and services from more than 30 sectors, particularly commerce and distribution, food and beverages, and extractive and manufacturing industries. Under the theme “Food Security and International Partnership: The Binomial of Economic Diversification,” FILDA also aims to give special focus to the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and marine resources.

As the main showcase of Angola’s potential, FILDA will host the “Angola – Portugal” business forum, which will feature the presence of Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, as well as the “Macau and Portuguese-speaking Countries” event. The Industrial Association of Angola and the Portuguese Business Confederation will sign a memorandum during the international fair.

All participants will also be able to attend conferences on commercial and industrial activity licensing and on tourism, the most recent addition to the Angolan government’s strategy for economic diversification.

The participation of more than 1300 national and foreign companies from the private sector, as well as from the banking and insurance sectors and public institutions at FILDA, not only allows international investors to identify possible partnerships but also to learn about the Angolan government’s strategic plans for different sectors, in addition to regulations, laws, and public programs to encourage private investment.

Facilitating B2B contacts is particularly relevant at this current moment in the Angolan economy. Last year, the concession of the Lobito Corridor, a railway that crosses the country’s main productive areas and links the copper and cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Angolan port of Lobito on the Atlantic, positioned Angola again as a highly strategic logistics piece in international trade.

To strengthen this global position, this year also sees the operation of the new Dr. António Agostinho Neto International Airport in Luanda. In the coming years, this infrastructure could become the most important passenger and cargo hub in the region with intercontinental connections and the annual flow of millions of passengers and hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo.

In this context, Bruno Albernaz points out, “FILDA is clearly established as a highly relevant international business exchange where investors from all over the world can get to know the Angola brand.” According to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grupo Arena, which organizes the event, “international entrepreneurs want to get to know the real Angola in a practical and simple way. They want to be informed about existing solutions and the technology we have. They want direct contact with partners and institutions to understand what they need to make possible investments profitable and generate new business areas. At FILDA, that’s exactly what we offer – a space that shows the country as it is, with its real potential and concrete opportunities where the hundreds of Angolan companies present showcase all their experience and capacity to establish solid and future partnerships,” indicates the responsible. “Join us, let’s do business, let’s formalize partnerships, strengthen our relationships, and create new investments and solutions for Angola,” he invites.

This year’s edition of FILDA is preparing to surpass all the numbers of last year, which received 75,000 visitors and gathered exhibitors from 10 countries.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Luanda International Fair (FILDA).