African Energy Week (AEW) (www.AECWeek.com) 2022 – taking place from October 18-21 this year in Cape Town – represents the continent’s premier event for the oil, gas and renewable energy industries. With a mandate to make energy poverty history by 2030, and taking place under the theme, “Exploring and Investing in Africa’s Energy Future while Driving an Enabling Environment,” AEW 2022 unites industry professionals, regional energy leaders and global financiers for four days of networking, dialogue and deal-making. This year, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) is proud to announce the launch of the Just Energy Transition Concert, a large-scale music concert that will take place on October 17 at the Cabo Beach Club in Cape Town.

With AEW 2022 driving the need for an Africa-centric approach to the energy transition, the Just Energy Transition concert will further consolidate this narrative, promoting investment, development and wider participation across the energy industry. Integrating music and culture with energy dialogue, while creating a platform where attendees can celebrate Afrobeats and Amapiano, the concert offers energy stakeholders and music-lovers alike the unique opportunity to engage in dialogue surrounding Africa’s energy future.

In addition to driving the energy transition narrative, the concert reaffirms AEW 2022’s commitment to making energy poverty history and enabling cross-sector collaboration to promote foreign direct investment into Africa. As the African music and events industry grows year-on-year, significant investment will be unlocked, particularly as international artists organize concerts across the continent and African artists become increasingly popular in global markets. Africa’s potential, both as a competitive music industry and attractive events destination, is taking off and leading to a host of large-scale concerts set to attract new players to the continent.

In this regard, AEW 2022 is taking the lead, integrating one of the continent’s fastest-growing industries with a sector recognized as the backbone of every economy – the energy sector. By hosting the Just Energy Transition concert the day before AEW 2022, and at a luxurious beach club venue in Cape Town – one of the top tourism and cultural destinations in Africa – the AEC is committed to making energy poverty history. 

“We have been committed to African energy and Africa’s young people from the get-go. Last year, we didn’t just show up, we didn’t go to Dubai, we didn’t get desperate, and we didn’t give in. We took our blows and we will keep on swinging,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC, adding that, “This year, ahead of AEW 2022, we will be hosting a massive Amapiano and Afrobeats concert. The Just Energy Transition Concert will take place in Cape Town and will drive the narrative of a just energy transition in Africa and for Africa. With great music and great entertainment, we will remain focused on the need to have control of our own narrative and tell our own story. In Cape Town, we will drive our narrative through a concert dedicated to young people and making energy poverty history.”

Eradicating energy poverty history by 2030 will require a collaborative approach, whereby every energy industry is utilized and every energy stakeholder participates. In Africa, representing both the world’s youngest and fastest growing population globally, unlocking the potential of the growing workforce will be critical to electrifying the continent and ending poverty once and for all. The continent’s youth population can be considered its greatest asset. Consequently, promoting opportunities for Africa’s young people in energy, incentivizing investment in human capital development and driving a different narrative regarding the energy transition represents a central point of focus for the AEC and AEW 2022.