Organisers of African Energy Week (AEW) have confirmed that Cape Town will remain the venue for the 2026 edition of the continental energy conference, despite concerns over the treatment of African migrants in South Africa and renewed tensions between Nigeria and South Africa.
The conference is scheduled to hold from October 12 to 16 and is expected to attract government officials, national oil companies, energy executives, investors, financiers and service providers from across Africa and beyond.
The decision to retain Cape Town comes amid concerns that diplomatic tensions and reports of the mistreatment of foreign African nationals could affect business travel, investor confidence and participation in major events hosted in South Africa.
Alternative international destinations, including Dubai, London and Houston, have previously been considered for major African business gatherings when political, health or security concerns have raised questions about hosting them on the continent.
However, the African Energy Chamber (AEC), organiser of AEW, has opted to keep the conference in Cape Town.
The Chamber has acknowledged concerns over the treatment of African migrants in South Africa and condemned violence and mistreatment, while maintaining that disagreements between African countries should not be allowed to undermine trade, investment and business engagement.
The issue is particularly significant for Nigeria and South Africa, two of Africa’s largest economies with extensive commercial ties despite periodic diplomatic disagreements.
Businesses from both countries have substantial interests in each other’s markets, with commercial relationships spanning telecommunications, banking, retail, entertainment, finance, energy and other sectors.
Relations have periodically come under strain over migration issues and attacks involving foreign African nationals in South Africa, raising concerns about the ability of both countries to separate political disputes from broader economic relations.
For the energy industry, the debate comes at a critical time as African countries seek increased investment in oil and gas exploration, electricity generation, transmission infrastructure, refining, renewable energy and regional energy projects.
Many of these projects depend on cross-border financing, technical expertise and cooperation among governments and private-sector operators.
Ahead of AEW 2026, the AEC has called for continued investment and economic engagement across the continent despite political disagreements.
The organisation has also renewed calls for easier intra-African travel, arguing that restrictions on the movement of businesspeople, technical professionals and investors remain a major obstacle to deeper continental economic integration.
Energy is among the sectors where cross-border cooperation is increasingly important. Regional electricity pools, gas infrastructure, pipelines and energy corridors often involve several countries, while oilfield service companies and financial institutions operate across multiple African markets.
The mobility of technical personnel, executives and investors is therefore an important consideration for companies assessing African energy projects.
The decision to retain Cape Town also recalls the controversy surrounding the hosting of major African energy conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Africa Oil Week, which had traditionally been held in Cape Town, moved its 2021 edition to Dubai after the pandemic created uncertainty over international travel and large-scale events.
The organisers at the time cited COVID-19 restrictions, international travel uncertainty and concerns over staging a major international gathering in South Africa.
The relocation triggered debate within the African energy industry over whether major conferences focused on Africa’s natural resources should be held outside the continent.
In June 2021, the African Energy Chamber announced the creation of African Energy Week and scheduled its inaugural edition for Cape Town in November of that year.
The event proceeded under COVID-era restrictions and subsequently developed into an annual gathering, with the AEC making the retention of major energy events in Africa central to its positioning.
The current situation differs from the pandemic, but the latest controversy has again placed the location of major African business conferences under scrutiny.
Delegate confidence will be an important factor ahead of the October event. International conferences depend heavily on governments and companies being willing to approve travel for senior officials, executives and technical experts.
Security assessments, immigration procedures, flight connectivity and perceptions about the host environment can all influence participation.
This places responsibility on both the organisers and South African authorities to address concerns raised by prospective delegates.
South Africa remains one of Africa’s leading destinations for international conferences and tourism, with Cape Town regularly hosting major business and political gatherings.
Concerns over the treatment of foreign African visitors could therefore have implications beyond AEW, particularly for tourism, investment promotion and the country’s conference industry.
The debate is unfolding as African countries compete for substantial new capital to develop their energy resources.
Despite its significant oil, gas, solar and hydro potential, much of Africa continues to face inadequate electricity supply and limited access to modern energy.
Governments are therefore seeking investment in upstream oil and gas projects, power generation, transmission networks, gas infrastructure and refining capacity.
Attracting that capital has become increasingly competitive as global investors weigh African opportunities against projects elsewhere while paying closer attention to regulatory, political and security risks.
Regional cooperation is also becoming more important as governments pursue cross-border power and gas projects.
Against this backdrop, prolonged tensions between major African economies could complicate efforts to expand intra-African investment and regional infrastructure development.
The AEW debate has also revived concerns over the difficulty Africans face travelling within the continent.
Although some governments have eased visa requirements for African nationals, significant restrictions remain across many countries.
Businesses have repeatedly identified mobility as a constraint on expansion, particularly where companies need to move engineers, executives and specialist personnel between projects.
The challenge is particularly relevant to the energy industry, where technical teams and service providers frequently operate across several jurisdictions.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) seeks to expand trade and investment among African countries, but its success will depend not only on reducing tariffs but also on tackling non-tariff barriers, transport challenges and restrictions affecting the movement of people.
AEW 2026 will therefore take place against a backdrop that extends beyond its formal energy agenda.
Attention will be focused on the level of participation by governments and companies, the security arrangements for delegates and whether Nigeria-South Africa tensions have any measurable impact on attendance.
The conference could also provide an indication of whether commercial engagement among African countries can remain insulated from periodic diplomatic disputes.
For Nigeria and South Africa, the issue extends beyond the conference itself. Both countries have repeatedly expressed support for greater African economic integration, while businesses from both sides remain important participants in continental markets.
For AEW organisers, the immediate challenge will be to ensure that Cape Town provides a secure and accessible environment for delegates and that concerns over migration and diplomatic tensions do not overshadow an event designed to mobilise investment for Africa’s energy sector.
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