This year’s Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) will focus on the growing need for energy access throughout Africa, says exhibitions company Siyenza MD Liz Hart.

The event will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from March 1 to 2, 2022.

“Africa’s energy landscape is positively shifting while creating more opportunities for Africa to benefit from new employment opportunities and improving accessibility to energy.”

She adds that South Africa’s potencies regarding renewable energy can assist other African countries in establishing the necessary infrastructure to facilitate and support the energy transition in Africa.

Topics to be covered at the Indaba include: African energy – the next 25 years, Energy policy – enabling energy transition, sustainable communities and flourishing businesses, African off-grid potential – the new frontier for business, funding – the moving target of investment readiness, and The future of oil & gas in Africa in the energy transition.

“Africa needs to look at the future. Amid the rise in cost-effective renewable energy solutions, the decentralisation of energy production and advancements in energy storage, smart metering and various other ground-breaking digital technologies, the advent of digitalisation is set to transform how power is generated and consumed, thereby priming Africa for a thriving energy landscape well into the future,” explains Hart.

AEI Going Hybrid

For the past two years, the AEI has been hosted as a virtual event, owing to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, consequently, forcing organisers to adopt technological means to overcome the constraints of travel restrictions and comply with social distancing measures.

However, with South Africa having moved to lower levels of lockdown restrictions, the AEI team confirms that this year’s indaba will be a hybrid event where a maximum of 750 delegates will be permitted to attend the Indaba’s in-person exhibition.

Hart states that the hybrid event is expected to bring together more stakeholders in Africa’s energy landscape with investors and global associates to foster industry growth and promote Africa as the prime investment destination for energy.

This expectation comes after the virtual hosting of the event, which has redefined the events and exhibitions industry. Hart mentions that a new generation of hosting events has rapidly gained traction, and combining virtual and traditional forms of events has become more beneficial.

Virtual platforms allow for the reaching of wider, global audiences, and for providing access to data from delegates in new ways, including broader coverage of the event “whereby anybody from anywhere may join, which has made it possible for keynote speakers from across Africa to attend without having been physically present”.

Hart expects hybrid events to remain a relevant aspect of the events industry going forward.

“We anticipate this year’s indaba to be transformative for the African energy sector and the regional economy by promoting tourism, driving job creation and initiating a necessary economic recovery.”

“Strict Covid protocols will be in place at the venue to ensure the health and safety of all participants and staff entering the venue,” she concludes.