AEW 2026 Workshops Examine the Forces Shaping Africa’s Energy Future

African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 will open with a dedicated program of workshops designed to move beyond high-level debate and provide participants with practical knowledge for navigating Africa’s increasingly complex energy markets.

The workshops come against a backdrop of renewed upstream activity across the continent. Africa’s oil and gas production is expected to reach approximately 11.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2026, while upstream capital expenditure is forecast at around $41 billion.

Against this backdrop, S&P Global Energy will lead a series of Energy Masterclasses examining the forces shaping Africa’s petroleum markets and investment environment. The program begins with Understanding Oil Markets, which will connect the physical realities of the global oil supply chain with the economic drivers of pricing and trade, covering refining economics, crude valuation and trading mechanisms. For African producers seeking to maximize the value of their resources, understanding how these international market dynamics translate into commercial decisions is increasingly important.

The focus then shifts from markets to investment conditions with Understanding Petroleum Sector Risk, providing participants with a practical look at the above-ground factors that influence upstream investment, project delivery and sector development. Government policy, regulatory frameworks, local content requirements and changing investment conditions can all shape the economics and timing of energy projects, making risk assessment a central part of attracting and deploying capital across both established and frontier markets.

The final S&P Global Energy session, Africa’s Multidimensional Energy Future post-Hormuz, broadens the discussion to the geopolitical and supply-security questions facing the continent. Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz in 2026 have demonstrated how quickly developments far beyond Africa can affect shipping, oil and LNG flows, freight costs and energy security.

Technology will form another major pillar of the program. Microsoft will host RENEGADE INTEL: Masterclass – AI & Data Adoption for African Energy Companies, examining how energy companies can begin implementing AI and digital technologies across operations. The session will cover AI-enabled operational excellence, digital platforms, cybersecurity and data governance, responsible AI and practical pathways for scaling adoption.

The focus comes as AI and data centers emerge as a new source of electricity demand. AEW 2026 is introducing its first dedicated AI and Data Center Track, highlighting the growing connection between digital infrastructure and energy investment and positioning reliable power supply as a prerequisite for Africa’s digital expansion.

Another session, The Power Equation in AI, hosted by AICE Africa, will examine this relationship from an investment and infrastructure perspective, exploring how the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is creating new energy requirements and opportunities for African markets. Meanwhile, the ExxonMobil Foundation STEM Africa Finals 2026 will place skills development and the next generation of African energy talent at the center of the pre-conference program.

Additional workshops will be hosted by the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), Copia Group of Companies, Wood Mackenzie and Forvis Mazars, bringing further perspectives on Africa’s evolving energy markets, investment landscape and development priorities. Together, the workshops set the tone for AEW 2026: an emphasis not only on Africa’s resources and investment potential, but also on the technical expertise, digital capabilities, market knowledge and human capital required to develop them.

“Africa does not need more conversations that stop at identifying the opportunity. We need people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to turn opportunity into projects, investment and jobs. These workshops are about putting practical expertise in the hands of African professionals and decision-makers,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.