The African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference, Africa’s largest energy event, scheduled for September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town, will feature the highly anticipated ‘Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Closed-Door Summit’.
Led by the Government of Zimbabwe and with Invictus Energy as a partner, the session provides a strategic opportunity for investors, project developers, and global partners to gain direct insight into the country’s energy and mining sectors.
As one of Africa’s last oil and gas frontiers and one of the continent’s largest mineral producers, Zimbabwe presents significant opportunities for companies across both the natural and mineral resource sectors.
Strong political will and an improved business environment have enhanced the country’s attractiveness for foreign investment. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s position as Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community in 2025 reflects a commitment to collaborating with regional partners to advance economic development.
The Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Summit builds on these efforts, offering a platform for global investors to connect with Zimbabwean projects.
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers, and governments, and has emerged as the official venue for signing deals in African energy.
While Zimbabwe’s energy matrix has been dominated by hydropower, forays into natural gas exploration show the promise of a diversified energy portfolio. The country has emerged as one of Africa’s top frontier gas markets in recent years, with ongoing drilling activities led by Invictus Energy yielding positive results.
The company is advancing the development of the Cabora Bassa Project in northern Zimbabwe – one of the world’s largest untested frontier rift basins – following a string of discoveries made in 2023 and 2024. The government is currently in a Petroleum Production Sharing Agreement with Invictus Energy and has recently provided National Project Status to the Cabora Bassa development.
As an Australian oil and gas company with a focus on the Cabora Bassa Project, Invictus Energy is leading Zimbabwe’s gas agenda. The company secured the green light in 2025 to begin pilot production activities in the country, including supplying gas to the Eureka Gold Mine.
This not only underscores the potential for gas utilisation in the country but also reflects opportunities for cross-sector development. As one of the country’s biggest contributors to GDP, the mining industry is a strategic market for Zimbabwe. Through gas, the industry is well-positioned to advance production further.
Looking ahead, Invictus Energy is preparing to drill its next exploration well at the Musuma-1 site in H2, 2025, backed by an agreement signed with Al Mansour Holdings (AMH).
Signed in August 2025, the deal will see AMH acquire a 19.9% stake in Invictus Energy, mobilising up to $500 million in conditional future financing to support exploration activities in Zimbabwe. Musuma-1 targets up to 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas, showcasing the level of potential in Zimbabwe’s onshore basins.
While efforts by Invictus Energy have unlocked a new petroleum province in southern Africa, the majority of the country’s natural gas market remains underexplored. The Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Summit will spotlight opportunities in gas exploration and production.
Beyond natural gas, Zimbabwe continues to cement its position as an emerging energy producer, with projects in coal production, renewable energy development and power infrastructure set to enhance energy access and security. In 2025, the country is on track to increase coal production by 10.5%, with output set to reach 6.3 million tons throughout the year.
In tandem, the country is advancing new hydropower developments, with key initiatives including the Lake Mutirikwi plant, the Batoka Gorge plant and the Osborne Dam Mini-Hydro project. Across these sectors, significant gaps remain, presenting a unique opportunity for project developers and financiers to address.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is consolidating its position as a leading mineral producer, with the anticipated restructuring of the Mines and Minerals Amendment bill supporting mining activities. As Africa’s largest lithium producer, the country has already begun to play a central role in global supply chains and is poised to drive Africa’s energy transition.
Recent investments signal renewed global interest in the country’s lithium prospects. These include a $310 million investment by British and Chinese firms in the Sandawana mine, a $300 million upgrade to the Bikita mine, and a $300 million investment by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt at the Arcadia mine.
