South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa delivers the opening address at the Africa Energy Indaba 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, March 3, 2026.  (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua)

The Africa Energy Indaba 2026 opened Tuesday in Cape Town with a focus on advancing Africa's industrial transformation through energy reform, infrastructure expansion, and regional integration.   

CAPE TOWN, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Energy Indaba 2026 opened Tuesday in Cape Town with a focus on advancing Africa's industrial transformation through energy reform, infrastructure expansion, and regional integration.

The 18th edition of the event is being held from Tuesday to Thursday at the Cape Town International Convention Center under the theme "Igniting the Power Revolution," bringing together government leaders, utilities, regulators, investors, and industry executives to accelerate implementation, infrastructure alignment, and investment mobilization.

In his opening address, South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said the global energy system is being reshaped by geopolitical competition and industrial policy.

"We assemble here at a moment of profound historical consequence," he said, adding that "energy has become the silent architecture of global power." 

People attend a seminar at the Africa Energy Indaba 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, March 3, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Ramokgopa argued that while Africa is structurally central to the global energy transition because of its critical mineral resources, it must avoid repeating a pattern of exporting raw materials without building domestic value chains.

"If minerals are the inheritance of our geology, electricity is the instrument through which we convert that inheritance into enduring industrial strength," he said, stressing the need for reliable, affordable, and regionally integrated power systems.

The program of the three-day event includes a ministerial roundtable and an energy leaders dialogue, alongside specialized forums and side events covering key segments of the power and energy value chain. Closed-door investment matchmaking sessions aim to connect project sponsors with financiers, while exhibition and networking events -- including workshops, seminars, and exclusive receptions -- facilitate strategic engagement.

The 2026 agenda focuses on strengthening regional power markets and cross-border trade, unlocking gas-to-power and domestic gas development, accelerating transmission and grid expansion, mobilizing blended finance and private capital, and advancing regulatory certainty and investment readiness.

People visit the exhibition of the Africa Energy Indaba 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, March 3, 2026. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua)

According to the organizer, the Indaba has drawn 1,662 conference delegates from 37 African countries, including 15 African energy ministers and 173 expert speakers. More than 4,300 visitors are expected to visit the Africa Energy Indaba Exhibition held along with the main conference.

The exhibition features over 100 exhibition stands showcasing cutting-edge technologies spanning gas, renewables, nuclear, transmission, and electric mobility, as well as solutions beneficial to Africa, including services for energy projects, rural energy access, urbanization-related demand, and the renewable and sustainable energy industry.  ■