)
)
)
bp SA Joins AEW 2026 as Platinum Sponsor as they Double Down on African Gas, Namibia Exploration
Energy major bp’s regional southern African subsidiary will participate as a Platinum Sponsor at African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, scheduled for October 12–16 in Cape Town. bp SA is actively reshaping its portfolio, accelerating upstream gas and deepwater exploration while modernizing downstream retail and mobility operations, positioning itself at the center of the continent’s investment and energy transition agenda.
Their participation at this year’s even underscores the company’s expanding strategic importance across Africa’s energy landscape, from deepwater gas developments in Angola and Namibia to downstream initiatives in southern Africa. With the continent emerging as a critical pillar in bp’s global hydrocarbon growth strategy, their Platinum Sponsorship at AEW 2026 is expected to strengthen investment dialogue, advance upstream partnerships, accelerate regional infrastructure development and reinforce long-term energy security and commercialization opportunities across the continent.
In April this year, bp accelerated its frontier expansion strategy in southern Africa as it prepares to acquire a 60% participating interest and operatorship of offshore blocks PEL 97, PEL 99 and PEL 100 in Namibia’s Walvis Basin from Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas. The move significantly strengthens bp’s position in one of the world’s fastest-growing offshore exploration regions ahead of a major 2026 drilling campaign.
bp has simultaneously deepened its exposure to Namibia’s Orange Basin through Azule Energy, its 50:50 joint venture (JV) with Eni. During 2025, the partnership capitalized on the basin’s exploration momentum through the Volans-1X and Capricornus-1X discoveries, reinforcing industry expectations that Namibia could emerge as a major new Atlantic Basin oil and gas hub over the coming decade.
In Angola, bp continues to leverage Azule Energy as a core upstream growth platform and cash-generating asset. Through 2025, the JV recorded several significant hydrocarbon discoveries, including the Algaita-01 oil well and the Gajajeira-01 gas discovery. These developments strengthen bp’s long-term production outlook in Angola while expanding regional gas monetization and export potential.
A major milestone for bp SA arrived in September 2025 when South Africa’s state-owned Transnet National Ports Authority awarded bp SA a 25-year lease at Durban’s Island View Precinct, a national key point handling roughly 70% of South Africa’s fuel imports. The agreement secures long-term import capacity as bp SA transitions toward an import-and-distribution-focused operating model supported by localized logistics infrastructure.
“bp’s participation at African Energy Week 2026 reflects the growing confidence global energy majors have in Africa’s long-term upstream and downstream opportunities. From deepwater gas developments to frontier exploration and downstream modernization, they’re playing a critical role in strengthening regional energy security and investment momentum,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.