Sticking to a varied, balanced diet is important for all of us. For various reasons, this may, however, be easier said than done, not least for women and men behind bars. A kitchen gardening programme in Torit is set to help inmates at the state prison stay healthy.

“The fruits and vegetables growing here makes it possible for us to supplement the meager food given to us, and that is great,” said prisoner Atango James, as she commented on this initiative, brought to her and her peers by Corrections Officers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

For the last six months, these wholesome goodies, which include amaranthus, okra, bean leaves tomatoes and pumpkins, are grown around the perimeter of the prison walls, where they are nurtured and harvested by the inmates themselves.

“We noticed that the health of many prisoners, not least lactating mothers, was poor and seemed to be getting worse. When we talked to the authorities about our gardening proposal, they were very enthusiastic,” said Hillary Sengabo, a Corrections Advisor serving with UNMISS.

The first step of the nutritional project was to provide the prison with rudimentary farming tools and seeds. Once these were in place, inmates were taught basic agricultural skills.

Apart from significantly improving the health of the women and men being detained, the gardening initiative also gives the prison a measure of food security, in case the regular supplier of meals fails to deliver in a timely manner.

Large quantities of food are indeed needed, not least with the prison population, in a facility designed for 150 inmates, having reached more than 370.

“We are working on an improved bedding system to better accommodate all of them,” said Hillary Sengabo, adding that she and her colleagues are also trying to turn a vision of a biogas project into reality.

As for Ms. James and the other farming inmates, their idea of what they want is clear.

“We need more seeds. That way we can grow more, and more diverse produce.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

When the 27th edition of Africa Tech Festival (https://AfricaTechFestival.com) kicks off on 12 November at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa, the spotlight will be on the exceptional women shaping the future of technology and telecoms in Africa. With August marking the celebration of Women’s Month in the host country, the event will proudly showcase many of the women leaders driving growth and innovation across the sector.

Taking place from 12 to 14 November, Africa Tech Festival 2024 incorporates AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite, and The AI Summit Cape Town, which will welcome a cumulative 15,000 visitors, more than 400 speakers, and over 300 exhibitors as it explores enterprise tech innovation and disruption across key sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud and data centres, and green ICT.

As the continent’s leading platform for technology innovators, specialists, and thought leaders, Africa Tech Festival 2024’s agenda includes several prominent female leaders who are making a significant contribution to the industry. Their expertise and insights will provide invaluable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within the sector.

Key speakers include:

Faith Burn, Chief Information Officer, Energy and Utilities, Eskom Holdings SOC (View profile) (https://apo-opa.co/4ddn7Ap)
Nollie Maoto, Group Compliance Chief Data and Analytics Officer, FirstRand (View profile) (https://apo-opa.co/4d5MvYZ)
Kerissa Varma, CISO, Vodacom Group (View profile) (https://apo-opa.co/3Adtmpr)
Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne (View profile) (https://apo-opa.co/3WRoGOR)
Mary Mahuma, CIO, Southern Africa, Philip Morris (View profile) (https://apo-opa.co/4dbGUk3)
Motunrayo Opayinka, Founder and CEO, Womenovate (View profile) (https://apo-opa.co/4dd1iRP)

“Africa Tech Festival provides the continent’s tech ecosystems with a unique platform from which to collaborate and drive positive change. Building a more inclusive, sustainable world means uniting the world’s most inspirational founders, business leaders, policymakers, investors, and rising stars, so we are delighted to see so many inspirational female tech executives featured in this year’s speaker line-up. As we celebrate Women’s Month, we look forward to their unique insights and contributions,” said Informa’s James Williams, Event Director of Africa Tech Festival.  

Organisers are confident that the presence of these female industry leaders at Africa Tech Festival will provide impetus to efforts by the industry to be more inclusive, highlighting the opportunities available to women in various sectors, providing insights for women wishing to embark on tech and telecoms careers, and showcasing the successes and contributions of women making their mark within the industry.

“Events such as Africa Tech Festival provide a platform for women to network and to gain exposure to more accomplished women in tech. These role models provide inspiration to women starting out in their careers that they can break the glass ceiling,” said Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne, who will be participating in the ‘Big Tech and Telcos: Collaborating on Digital Infrastructure Investment’ keynote panel.

Speaking on the importance of mentorship for women entering the industry, Mary Mahuma, CIO, Southern Africa, Philip Morris said, “As a female industry leader, I see mentorship as a necessary reminder of our social responsibility to be empathetic, driven, inclusive, and resilient leaders. I am fortunate to have a female mentor who has significantly influenced my leadership style, thinking, and understanding of corporate dynamics and culture.” Mary will be a panellist on the ‘Nurturing Talent and Bridging Skills Gap: Building a Future-Ready Workforce in the Age of AI’ panel.

“Women’s contributions are significantly transforming the telecoms and technology landscape in Africa through innovation, leadership, and advocacy. Their contributions are not only advancing the industry but also driving social and economic development across the continent. By fostering innovation, supporting entrepreneurship, and advocating for inclusive policies, these women are transforming the tech landscape in Africa,” added Motunrayo Opayinka, Founder and CEO, Womenovate. Motunrayo will share her insights on the ‘Educational Equity Through AI: Tools for Advancing Education in Underserved Areas’ panel. 

In addition, EQL:LOUNGE creates a space for women in tech to connect directly, and engage in meaningful dialogue, with high-calibre speakers in intimate settings hosting panel discussions, keynote addresses, and fireside chats. Taking place the evening before the event opens, InspiringFifty Africa is a prestigious awards ceremony focusing on recognising the top fifty women making significant strides within the African tech ecosystem.

Register now to secure your spot and join us in shaping the future of technology in Africa: https://AfricaTechFestival.com

In a special Women’s Day offer, Africa Tech Festival is offering a 15% discount on Platinum Passes until midnight on 16 August. Passes can be purchased via this link, using the code NWD15 – https://apo-opa.co/3SAYyFh

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.

About Africa Tech Festival: 
Africa Tech Festival, including anchor events AfricaCom, AfricaTech, AfricaIgnite&The AI Summit Cape Town is part of the Informa Tech Connecting Africa event series.  

A vibrant celebration of Africa’s diverse community of tech champions, Africa Tech Festival is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, more than 400 speakers and more than 15,000 delegates. 

Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid) (www.Liquid.Tech), a business of Cassava Technologies, a technology company of African heritage, is thrilled to announce the official launch of the first Microsoft Azure Stack in Uganda. This achievement is a significant milestone for Liquid Uganda as it can now enable local businesses to access cloud solutions that meet the local data regulatory requirements.

By investing in the first Azure Stack hub in Uganda, Liquid is not only demonstrating its commitment to the country’s digital transformation but also actively supporting the Uganda Digital Transformation Roadmap. This roadmap aims to connect 90% of Ugandan households to the internet by 2040, a goal that Liquid is dedicated to helping achieve.

According to Michael Mukasa, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Uganda, “The Azure Stack hub in the country will be a game-changer for local businesses. It will provide them with cost-effective access to local cloud solutions, help them meet local data regulatory requirements, and enable them to run latency-sensitive business applications efficiently.”  

With this investment, Liquid has reaffirmed that the organisation recognises that every client is unique and is perfectly positioned to cater to companies of all sizes. The organisation will empower its existing customers with a highly secure cloud solution, reduce latency, and enable real-time business continuity with flexible adoption models.

“This is the fifth country that Liquid has deployed Microsoft Azure Stack in Africa, which is indicative of our expertise in partnering with businesses of all sizes to digitally transform. The Azure stack will not only benefit large enterprises but also accelerate cloud adoption among the Ugandan Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through flexible adoption models,” says Mukasa.

Liquid has been a pioneering force in Uganda’s connectivity and technological evolution for over 15 years. With the introduction of Azure Stack, the organisation continues to trailblaze its way in bringing innovative technology to foster economic and technological advancement in the country and the East Africa region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.

About Liquid Intelligent Technologies:
Liquid Intelligent Technologies is a business of Cassava Technologies, a technology company of African heritage. Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading provider of pan-African digital infrastructure with a 110,000 km-long fibre broadband network and satellite connectivity that provides high-speed access to the Internet anywhere in Africa. Liquid is also leveraging its digital network to provide Cloud and Cyber Security solutions through strategic partnerships with leading global players. Liquid is a comprehensive technology solutions group that provides customised digital solutions to public and private sector enterprises and SMEs across the continent. For more information, visit https://www.Liquid.Tech/

This year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference – Africa’s premier event for the energy sector, taking place from November 4-8 in Cape Town – is set to drive discussions on balancing the priorities of energy security and the energy transition in Africa. The event will feature a number of panel sessions that highlight the imperative of African energy development; a just and inclusive energy transition; the increasing demand for oil and gas across the continent; and how to address the unique challenge faced by African nations in ensuring energy security. 

Home to over 125 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and 620 trillion cubic feet of gas, Africa’s resource wealth stands at the intersection of global energy security. As such, scaling up energy security through the exploitation of the continent’s entire energy resource base represents a top priority for Africa in the current energy transition context. Meanwhile, the continent is also well-positioned to leverage its vast wind, solar and hydro resources to ensure the transition to sustainable development is just and inclusive for the entire population. 

AEW: Invest in African Energy 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. 

Despite being home to an abundance of energy resources, approximately 600 million people – or 43% of the total population – in Africa lack access to electricity, while over 900 million lack access to modern and clean cooking solutions. Africa’s energy sector is presented with a prime opportunity to develop its own industry while tackling energy poverty and strengthening its stake in the global energy supply chain. As such, AEW: Invest in African Energy will feature a panel session, titled: Global Energy Security, The Imperative of African Energy Development, which will address challenges and opportunities while providing recommendations for industry stakeholders and investors to collaboratively build a secure energy future for Africa and the world. Set to feature a strong ministerial lineup – with delegations from Angola, Namibia and Senegal – the session will also host representatives from energy supermajor Chevron, financial institution Afrexim Bank as well as integrated energy company Oando CEO Wale Tinubu. 

In December last year, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals plant in Nigeria successfully acquired one million barrels of Agbami crude grade from petroleum distribution company Shell International Trading and Shipping, supplying the plant’s initial processing capacity of 350,000 barrels per day (bpd). Meanwhile, in November, limited liability company the West African Gas Pipeline Company commissioned the interconnected West African Gas Pipeline to the Sentuo Refinery project in Tema, Ghana, representing a key step towards starting operations at the 120,000-bpd plant. These developments are poised to address Africa’s future energy needs while providing significant investment across the downstream value chain to supply cleaner fuels and value-added petroleum products to its expanding population. Set to showcase the importance of downstream development, AEW: Invest in African Energy will feature a panel session – Just Energy Transition and the Role of Cleaner Fuels – that invites leaders to share insight into accelerating African refining capacity and meeting primary energy demand. The session will be led by Anibor Kragha, Chief Executive of pan-African organization the African Refiners&Distributors Association. 

The increasing demand for oil and gas across Africa, driven by the continent’s growing population and rapid industrialization, is driving exploration and the growth of domestic oil and gas markets. As countries look to their significant resource potential to provide reliable and affordable energy to fuel economic growth, international focus on reducing emissions underscores the need to develop low-carbon fuels to ensure sustainable development and positive contributions to each nation’s energy evolution. As such, the Advancing Exploration in Africa and the Energy Trilemma session will explore these themes and the importance of geoscience in supporting the discovery and development of resources to meet current and future demands. The session features a strong lineup of speakers, which include representatives from energy supermajors ExxonMobil and Chevron – including Chevron’s Vice President of Global Exploration Liz Schwarze and Nikki Martin, President and CEO of EnerGeo Alliance, a strategic partner to AEW. The panel will also include the CEO of energy analytics company TGS ASA Kristian Johansen and the Director of Exploration Data and Geosolutions at global technology company SLB. 

Ahead of this year’s 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), leading policy experts, government officials and African and international energy companies will come together at AEW: Invest in African Energy’s flagship session, Words into Action: Advancing African Priorities in the Just Energy Transition. This session will discuss the critical role of COP29 in advancing the global energy transition while addressing the unique challenges faced by African nations in ensuring energy security, poverty reduction and industrialization. This flagship panel includes an impressive lineup of ministerial delegates including Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas Mohamed Aoun and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri, among others to be confirmed. 

“The significance of AEW: Invest in African Energy 2024 lies in its ability to catalyze change in the African energy sector. With rising demand for energy and the need for sustainable development causing significant implications for countries, African nations are at a crossroads. This year’s event and its diverse and all-encompassing sessions and discussions will serve as a catalyst for sustainable development and economic growth across the continent,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. 

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