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The African Energy Week will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 4 to 8 November 2024. One of the central sessions of the AEN 2024 business programme is Russia–Africa, which will take place on 6 November. The session will be a continuation of the dialogue between Russia and African countries, whose prospects for cooperation were actively discussed at the BRICS Summit held in Kazan. Roscongress Foundation acts as a strategic partner of the African Energy Week.

“The BRICS summit in Kazan outlined a significant number of growth points and areas for cooperation between Russia and African countries. From this point of view, African Energy Week is a priority business platform, an ideal place for continued communication between Russian and African government officials, CEOs of companies and state corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, experts and opinion leaders in the energy sector. I am confident that the BRICS Summit, the African Energy Week and the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, which will be held on 9–10 November at the Sirius Federal Territory, will continue the close cooperation between Russia and African countries,” said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation.

Effective management of the energy sector is key to utilizing Africa’s energy potential to achieve economic growth and security for the continent, and, among other things, represents one of the key areas of Russia’s cooperation with African partners. Based on the friendly ties between Russia and African states, Russian energy companies are implementing a number of promising projects on the African continent, including the construction of nuclear power plants, the development of hydropower, and the introduction of renewable – wind and photovoltaic – technologies.

The development of energy infrastructure in Africa is an important area of Russian-African cooperation, contributing to the goals of sustainable development – ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy sources. Russia is also a leader among the world’s major energy systems in terms of low-carbon electricity generation, which is particularly relevant for African partners.

The session participants will discuss what public policy measures are being taken in African countries for sustainable energy development, how the activities of Russian companies fit into this context, as well as what prospects are open on this path and what are the possible measures of financial support for projects.

Speakers at the Russia–Africa session of the African Energy Week include Dmitry Khandoga, General Director of Gazprom Export; Evgeny Lyapunov, Deputy General Director and Chief Engineer of ROSSETI; Kirill Komarov, First Deputy Director General for Corporate Development and International Business of Rosatom State Corporation; and others. The session will be moderated by NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.

The motto of the African Energy Week is ‘Invest in African Energy’. This year, the Forum will once again be a meeting place for African presidents, ministers and politicians to meet with regional and foreign investors. The event will take the format of an interactive multi-format exhibition and business event that will bring together international and African energy players on one platform.

The African Energy Week 2023, which took place in Cape Town in mid-October last year, was attended by African presidents, including President Hage Geingob of Namibia, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, as well as energy and petroleum ministers from South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Congo-Brazzaville, Ghana, Mozambique, and other countries. The Forum was also attended by a large number of representatives of international government agencies and non-governmental organizations, including OPEC, the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization, the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, as well as international companies from Russia, the USA, Europe and Saudi Arabia. In total, the platform gathered more than 5,000 participants from almost 70 countries, including government delegations from 24 countries and representatives of oil companies from 55 countries. The Forum was attended by the Russian State Corporation Rosatom, Gazprom, Lukoil, and Novatek.

Dialogue between Russia and African countries will continue during the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, which will be held on 9–10 November 2024 at the Sirius Federal Territory. The event will follow up on the decisions of the second Russia–Africa Summit and will bring together the heads of the foreign ministries of the Russian Federation and the continent's states, the African Union Commission, as well as the executive bodies of regional integration associations.