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Investment in exploration and production (E&P) activity is increasing around the continent, with emerging resource holders in the south and east of the continent now often attracting more international interest than the more established arenas of northern and west-central Africa, writes James Gavin.

Lagos-headquartered multilateral the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has set out its stall as a financier and partner for the continent’s energy transition, with a strategy to support renewable energy and critical minerals projects around the continent, as well as the development of battery manufacturing supply chains. The AFC also plans to continue supporting short- to medium-term energy needs by backing upstream and midstream gas projects and gas-to-power (GTP) developments. Marc Howard spoke to AFC executive director and chief investment officer Sameh Shenouda during the recent Africa Energy Forum in Nairobi.

Netherlands-based investors are setting up $1bn funds in both South Africa and Namibia, in partnership with local investors, to accelerate the development of green hydrogen projects in the two countries.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly and Central Bank of Egypt governor Hassan Abdalla face an imminent decision on whether to allow the operators of solar power projects at the Benban Solar Farm to convert Egyptian pound profits into dollars so they can meet a mid-July debt repayment deadline. At stake are both short-term financial stability and long-term credibility.

The pioneering Ghoubet wind IPP, which is nearing completion, will bolster Djibouti’s grid and supply electricity to an associated desalination project, in a pilot project that may point towards a potentially huge Power-to-X offtake demand.

Not since the Cold War have countries in the Global South featured so prominently in the thinking of the world’s major powers – something clearly visible in the shifting patterns in energy markets and renewable investments. For many, that presents an opportunity. Angola’s President João Lourenço has sought to position his country as an investor-friendly environment and to convince critics he is serious about tackling corruption and other ills that flourished under his predecessor José Eduardo dos Santos. This is a calculated effort to win support from donors and has already received a positive response in Washington and other capitals.

As Cairo seeks buyers for its prized power generation assets, it may have to accept lower prices than it wants, as investors shift away from gas-fuelled plants in light of climate change concerns. Potential buyers from the Gulf and elsewhere also recognise Egypt is under pressure to sell as a result of the country’s debt crisis. Complicating matters still further is the enmity between key arms of the state which could delay any deals, writes Moataz Khalil with John Hamilton.

The dispute over Savannah Energy’s assets in Chad and Cameroon has intensified, amid claims that Chad orchestrated an illegitimate general meeting of shareholders in the Cotco pipeline company – drawing a rebuke from Yaoundé, writes James Gavin.

Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is facing a domestic political backlash against a proposal to reduce its stake in the offshore Jubilee field by offloading part of its equity to Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA) – whose credentials as an investor are questioned.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that 69% of Madagascar’s population live in ‘multidimensional poverty’, a metric that uses ten health, education and standard of living indicators. The UNDP categorises 55.6% of the population (around 30m people) as living in ‘monetary poverty’, with income below $1.90/day at 2011 prices.

Despite vigorous opposition from a number of quarters, the South African government’s recently appointed electricity minister – who has been given new powers – still wants to procure 2GW of emergency electricity in a revised contract with Turkish-owned Karpowership. Meanwhile, generation is not the only factor causing difficulties, as the grid reaches its limit in some parts of the country.

The signing of a land agreement for a 10GW wind project by Masdar, Infinity Power and Hassan Allam Utilities is a major step forward for one of the huge renewable energy projects announced last year at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Exim) has approved a $900m loan to build two solar PV plants for the Ministry of Energy and Water (Minea).

The Mphanda Nkuwa Implementation Office (GMNK) said on 8 June that the European Union and its European Investment Bank (EIB) lending arm would provide finance for the 1.5GW Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric power (HEP) plant development and its 1,300km high-voltage line from Tete province to Maputo.

The Africa Infrastructure Development Association (Afida) has invited up to 30 early stage developers to a workshop in Cape Town in October, in what the Mauritius-headquartered group said was part of efforts to address issues around long development times for power projects, which can pose particular difficulties for newer and smaller developers.