The African Energy Week (AEW) Conference and Exhibition will return to Cape Town for its next edition on October 4-8, 2027, expanding across both the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) 1 and CTICC 2 venues as Africa’s biggest energy marketplace enters its next phase of growth. The new dates accommodate the event’s expanded venue, creating additional space for exhibitions, networking, deal-making and high-level discussions on the future of Africa’s energy sector.
Representing the largest energy conference on the continent, AEW 2027 will once again place deals, capital expenditure and project executive at the center of its agenda, connecting Africa’s energy opportunities with the global capital, technology and expertise needed to bring them online. As global energy demand continues to grow, technological innovations enhance efficiency and commercial opportunities emerge across the continent, AEW will facilitate the investment and partnerships needed to cement Africa’s position as a future global energy hub.
AEW’s return in 2027 follows a highly-impactful 2026 edition, whereby 12,000 delegates from more than 100 countries, alongside 150+ exhibitors and 450+ speakers, participated. The event generated more than $17 billion in new deals and commitments, with a further $16 billion in bankable projects presented to investors. These milestones not only reinforced the event’s position as Africa’s premier dealmaking platform, but showcased the level of opportunity that lies across the continent’s oil, gas and broader energy markets.
“AEW 2026 proved that Africa is not waiting for investment – we are making deals, mobilizing capital and moving projects forward. In 2027, we are going even bigger. Two venues, more companies, more investors and more opportunities to get business done,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
AEW 2027 builds on this success to once again convene the international energy community in Cape Town. Across a multi-track program, the event will explore challenges and opportunities across the entire energy sector and its value chain. Energy leaders will discuss various themes, from upstream oil and gas to downstream infrastructure to power, renewables, oilfield services and associated technologies. High-level investment forums, technical discussions, country spotlights, exhibitions and bilateral engagements will connect project developers, financiers, technology providers and policymakers around commercially viable opportunities.
This next edition arrives at a pivotal moment for the sector. With OPEC forecasting global oil demand reaching 124 million barrels per day by 2050 and traditional supply routes faced with disruption, international interest has largely shifted toward African oil and gas markets. In response, established markets across the continent – including Angola, Nigeria, Libya and the Republic of Congo – are introducing flexible investment opportunities, restructuring legislation and opening new avenues for deepwater, onshore and brownfield development. Discoveries made in Namibia and Ivory Coast are paving the way for new petroleum provinces while the start of projects in Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique are introducing alternative petroleum supplies to the market.
In the renewable energy sector, Africa expects to add 23 GW of new solar by 2040 alongside 300 GW of wind – if countries are able to capture the requisite financing. Nuclear capacity is projected to rise 5 to 10 times by 2050, led by expansion plans in South Africa and new builds in Egypt. Green hydrogen offers a particularly lucrative avenue for investors, with potential production of between 30 million and 60 million tons per annum by 2050. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, automation and digital technologies are transforming exploration, production, infrastructure management and energy distribution, creating opportunities to improve efficiency and accelerate development.
Beyond conventional energy, the rapid expansion of AI and data centers is also creating a new class of strategic power offtakers, offering developers opportunities to secure long-term electricity demand and unlock investment in generation and transmission infrastructure. Together, these developments are positioning Africa at the forefront of the world’s next energy era.
“The world needs energy, and Africa has the resources, talent and ambition to deliver it. Our focus is on turning that advantage into producing assets, infrastructure, jobs and lasting economic value. Cape Town is where those partnerships happen, and AEW 2027 will take Africa’s energy marketplace to a new level,” Ayuk concluded.