African Business Energy Series
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Dr Donald Kaberuka
Managing Partner, Southbridge
Paul Eardley-Taylor
Gas Sector Lead, Standard Bank Group
Emma Gordon
Energy and Investment Analyst, International Energy Agency
Dr Amine Idriss
Director of Economy – Infrastructure, Trade, AUDA-NEPAD
Reginald Max
Senior Advisor - Infrastructure and Public Private Partnerships, Trade and Development Bank
Ben Payton
Energy and Infrastructure Reporter, African Business
This January, join African Business as we proudly host the sixth webinar in our African Business Energy Series, looking at the key developments in Africa’s energy sector in 2025, and how they will influence development in 2026.
Key Themes
This virtual roundtable, with a special fireside chat, will explore how our existing resource wealth for domestic industrialisation is not a detour from the energy transition, but, actually, is the only viable path to a truly just and equitable transition, focusing on pivotal areas such as:
- The Future of African Gas & LNG: Upstream production, new LNG projects, and the role of gas as a "just transition" bridge fuel for domestic power and industrial use.
- Grid Stability, Digitalisation, and Energy Storage Beyond Capacity: How can African utilities and governments leverage advanced energy storage, digital grid management, and highly flexible power solutions to ensure grid stability and reliability as variable renewable energy penetration increases?
- Financing the Transition and De-risking Investment: Addressing the $20+ billion investment gap in downstream infrastructure and power, mobilising private capital, the role of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and mitigating political/regulatory risk.
- Critical Minerals, Infrastructure, and Industrialisation: The convergence of energy and mining (e.g., copper, cobalt), the need for modern transmission and distribution grids, and how energy infrastructure supports value-addition industrialisation across the continent.
Africa Energy Outlook 2026: Balancing Transition, Investment, and Access
The energy transition agenda that has been imposed on Africa by the global North has been a source of tension with the African continent. A continent that holds 13% of the world’s proven gas reserves, still has near half its population lacking access to energy. 2025 marked a turning point on how African policymakers approach energy policy, taking a development-first approach as they develop a pragmatic energy transition strategy.
Join us on the sixth episode of the African Business Energy Series, as we kickstart the conversation on Africa’s energy outlook for the year.