The Digital Energy Festival for Africa kicks off on 20 October when four of Clarion Events’ leading energy brands join forces with an unprecedented six-week tour de force of quality content and engagement from one point of entry, making it the largest ever energy event for the African continent.

The organisers of Africa Energy Forum, African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa and the Oil & Gas Council’s Africa Assembly and the leading energy journal ESI Africa will jointly host the Digital Energy Festival from 20 October to 26 November 2020.

Several other Clarion Events' market-leading trade publications are also partners in the digital offering, including Smart Energy International, Power Engineering International, Renewable Energy World, Hydro Review and Mining Review Africa.

Over 5,000 attendees are expected to register for the festival, which will employ AI technology to match attendees with relevant content and networking opportunities for a personalised event experience over the six-week period. As well as over 120 programme experiences the event will also feature an online marketplace of products hosted by sponsors and exhibitors. The event will be marketed to a combined energy database of over 200,000.

Inspired by 5th Industrial Revolution
Amidst the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy sector in Africa, the organisers of the Digital Energy Festival seek to address critical issues such as pivoting to digital, new financial models and innovative power generation sources to allow attendees to make decisions and formulate recovery plans.

Africa Energy Forum organiser EnergyNet’s MD Simon Gosling says he was inspired by Pratik Gauri’s vision of the 5th Industrial Revolution as the overriding theme for their sessions. Gauri is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper.

“We are looking at the role of energy in social economic development,” EnergyNet MD Simon Gosling explains, “and how we can be more profitable by being more responsible and so attract new investors. That is what we are trying to look at through the past 22 years of hosting Africa Energy Forum: focusing on profit and purpose.

“In a continent that is so polarised by energy access, we want to highlight the new ways of seeking investments, which will come out of the private sector and the multilaterals who are investing in the purpose of investments. Looking at it through a gender lens, new technologies and efficiencies so decreasing carbon footprints, trying to marry that purpose and profit balance.”

The show will go on
Chanelle Hingston is the Group Director, Power & Energy at Clarion Events Africa, the organisers of the award-winning African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Future Energy East Africa, Future Energy Nigeria and the Utility CEO Forums for the last 20 years.

“It is inspiring to be part of such a unique joint venture with two other leading players in the energy events sector. Each one of us as event organisers has a strong team with a different and distinctive focus on the many-faceted energy sector. For example, we are well known for always gathering world-class experts for our water-focused discussions as part of our event.

“Since the start of the pandemic we have had to postpone our live event twice but, along with our partners and customers, we have fully embraced the digital tools available to us to keep the conversation going. As we proclaimed recently: ‘The show will go on,’ and being part of the Digital Energy Festival is a continuation of celebrating and supporting our continent’s power and energy professionals, projects and pioneers. We look forward to engaging with our long-standing partners online again and also welcoming new faces to our platform.”

Unique partnership
Iain Pitt is the founder of the Oil & Gas Council’s Africa Assembly: “Reflecting the significance of Africa to our membership, we have developed a unique partnership that offers the opportunity for valuable connections, which are as close to the real world as possible. Building integrated energy businesses with production, cash flow and development pipelines has never been more important in Africa.

“The Digital Energy Festival will replicate many of the live event experiences our members have come to expect from the Council, whilst giving exclusive access to an additional four premium African energy networks simultaneously.”

DIGITAL ENERGY FESTIVAL FOR AFRICA programme highlights
The extensive Digital Energy Festival programme will comprise a variety of formats, including interactive boardrooms, country spotlights, video networking, high-level roundtables, digital dialogues, industry masterclasses, fireside chats, technology presentations, energy marketplace, VIP coffee mornings, TV interviews, webinar recordings, industry awards, women in power sessions, virtual keynote sessions, a quiz programme for attendees and student initiatives.

The African Energy Forum topic and speaker highlights include:

Ministers Roundtable with confirmed attendance from ministers from Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Morocco, Uganda, and São Tomé & Príncipe.
Fireside chat with Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and UN Special Representative to the Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All.
South Africa Country Spotlights with Eskom & the IPP Office
AfDB “Utility of the Future” Competition
African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) Solar Awards

For more information on and to book for Africa Energy Forum’s sessions, click here.

The Oil & Gas Council’s Africa Assembly session and speaker highlights:

Digital Dialogue Investment Focus – what next for African Oil & Gas?
Digital Dialogue: There is no future for frontier exploration
Fireside chat: Ayotola Jagun, Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary, Oando
Fireside chat: Fathima Hussain, Managing Director, Oil & Gas Corporate Finance, Standard Chartered Bank
Digital Dialogue: Exploration & Production - is it too late for Africa to profit from its resources?

To view and book for the Oil & Gas Council’s sessions, click here.

African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa’s programme and speaker highlights:

The virtual opening keynote will focus on private sector participation in the African power sector.
Fireside discussion with Gwede Mantashe, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, South Africa.
Utility CEO Forum: Pan-Africa and Municipal Leaders Forum.
“Women in Energy” panel of CEOs sharing advice and discussing the challenges on their journey to C-level.
“Doing Business in Africa” series with special focus on Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Senegal, opened by Dr. Albert Butare, Former Rwandan Minister of State In Charge of Energy, Water and Communication and CEO, Africa Energy Services Group Ltd, Rwanda.

Click here to view this programme in more detail and to register. Registration for Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa is free.

ESI Africa’s programme and speaker highlights:

Digital Dialogue: Unpacking South Africa’s 2,500MW “no regret” nuclear decision
Digital Dialogue: The Role of Nuclear in the Green Energy Future
Digital Dialogue: Guide to Wheeling Frameworks as a Realistic Energy Solution
Digital Dialogue: The African mini-grid market - Progress and obstacles
Digital Dialogue: Balancing Act - Negotiating Tenable PPAs for IPPs and Private Buyers

Clarion Energy
The UK-based Clarion Events Group’s Clarion Energy Series runs over 40 events that cover the oil, gas, power and energy sectors, making it one of the group’s largest portfolios.