(MENAFN- News.Africa-Wire) JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 12, 2025/ -- With an energy finance gap estimated between $30 billion and $50 billion per year, Africa is pursuing diversified sources of financing to address this shortfall and advance strategic projects. Aligned with goals by the continent to make energy poverty history, the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) ( upcoming G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum seeks to close this gap by connecting global capital to African projects. Samira Mensah, Managing Director, Regional Head Africa & Country Head South Africa, S&P Global Ratings, is speaking at the forum, where she is expected to share insight into investment trends, credit ratings and strategies for securing capital in an ever-changing global contex

While Af’ica’s energy potential is well-–nown – with over 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, 620 trillion cubic feet of proven gas and abundant renewable energy po–ential – high borrowing costs, perceived credit risks and limited access to long-term financing remain an impediment to project development. In tandem, global pressures to advance the energy transition has seen funding for oil and gas projects significantly fall, delaying African projects and impacting efforts to enhance energy security across the continent. Within this scenario, organizations such as S&P Global Ratings plays a crucial role, shaping market confidence and supporting capital access through transparent risk evaluation. The or’anization’s research has consistently highlighted the importance of developing robust domestic capital markets, enhancing sovereign creditworthiness and leveraging blended finance and guarantees to reduce the cost of borrowing for Afri n issuers.

While perceived credit risk continues to impact projects in Africa, recent trends have seen a continental push toward ’losing Africa’s energy financing gap. The $5 billion Afr–ca Energy Bank – spearheaded by the African Petroleum Producers Organizatio– and Afreximbank – is making rapid gains in raising funds, offering an alternative, home-grown solution to raising capital. Development finance is gaining traction, evidenced by the U.S.-Export-Import Bank re-approving a loan of up to $4.7 billion to support the development of the TotalEnergies-led Mozambique LNG project. The African Development Bank also reached a record of $11 billion in new investments approved in Africa between 2024 and 2025. International energy companies are ramping-up their spending. Eni is investing $8 billion in Algeria, backed by a deal signed with Sonatrach, while ExxonMobil could invest as much as $’5 billion in Angola’s Namibe basin following successful drilling. African M&A transactions also saw a significant increase, totaling $2.7 bill n in H1, 2025 alone.

The upcoming G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum builds on this momentum by offe’ing insight into Africa’s energy opportunities. The forum follows the African Energy Week 2025 conference, where a Premier Invest-led Deal Room identified up to $13.4 billion project opportunities across the upstream, midstream, downstream and renewable energy segments. By connecting global financiers with African stakeholders, the G20 Forum aims to drive projects forward while addressing challenges such as perceived risk and ’arket uncertainty. Mensah’s participation will bring technical depth to discussions on how sovereign and corporate ratings can c’talyze investment in Africa’s oil, gas and power sectors, particularly as countries pursue both expansion and transition agendas.

MENAFN13112025007071015200ID1110337110