Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE (DPRP) has attracted $2.5bn of fresh institutional investment at a time when it is preparing to more than double its capacity — signalling strong investor confidence in the project and potentially strengthening Nigeria’s ability to supply its own fuel while becoming a major exporter of refined products

Expansion targets energy security

The investment signalled “investor confidence” in the company and its expansion project, according to David Bird, DPRP’s CEO and managing director.

The approximately US$20 billion integrated complex is integral to Nigeria’s economy, and produces petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, LPG, naphtha and other refined products for local, African and international markets.

Its adjoining petrochemical plant produces polypropylene, which is used in packaging, textiles, automotive components, medical products and other manufactured goods.

Dangote and DPRP’s chairman Aliko Dangote described the transaction as “a strategic step to deepen and further institutionalise” the enterprise’s shareholder base, while raising capital to complement internal cash flows and external debt, as DPRP advances its expansion agenda.

"This further demonstrates our profound commitment to developing domestic refining and petrochemical capacity — reducing Africa's reliance on imported refined products and supporting the continent's energy security.”

• The Nigerian company has secured US$2.5bn in new equity funding, led by Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), as the company prepares to more than double refining capacity by 2028.

• The private placement was 3.7 times oversubscribed, attracting international and African institutional investors, sovereign-related vehicles, development finance institutions and strategic partners.

• The Lagos-based refinery currently has a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), but Dangote plans to increase this to 1.4 million bpd by 2028 under its Vision 2030 strategy.

AFC strengthens long-term Dangote partnership

AFC’s investment builds on its long-standing financial involvement with the project.

It previously acted as Co-Coordinating Bank on a US$3bn syndicated loan for the refinery and provided support during commissioning.

AFC has also recently received full repayment of its US$300mn senior term loan to Dangote Industries Limited, which helped advance the refinery from concept to development.

Samaila Zubairu, AFC's president and CEO, said the latest investment reflected the organisation's continued confidence in the refinery as one of Nigeria’s most significant industrial assets.

“This is what long-term partnership looks like: capital that remains engaged as a project develops, becomes operational and matures into a stable, cash-generating industrial platform. DPRP's success is a powerful demonstration of the scale of ambition, execution and value creation that is possible in Africa.”

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XCMG has accelerated deliveries of road and construction machinery and equipment in Angola and Mozambique — reflecting the expanding role of Chinese equipment manufacturers in Africa’s infrastructure and mining sectors

The company announced in a statement that it is also supporting road construction, lifting, aerial access and green mining projects in territories in Southeast Asia and South America, as well as Mozambique.

Deliveries include more than 100 units of integrated road construction equipment in Angola, nearly 300 crawler cranes across Southeast Asia and 80 aerial work platforms in South America.

“In Mozambique, XCMG delivered an integrated road construction solution and deployed a fully electric mining excavator, highlighting its broad portfolio and localised service capabilities,” the statement read.

Its latest deliveries highlight not only commercial growth, but also the broader China–Africa partnership in infrastructure development, while the introduction of electric machinery points to a growing focus on more efficient and lower-emission technologies.

Angola: road construction projects

The announcement is particularly significant for XCMG in Angola given its scale.

“Representing Angola’s largest single procurement order for conventional construction machinery in a decade, the delivery included crushing and screening, earthmoving and road construction equipment, covering the process from aggregate production to road paving,” XCMG noted.

It also marked the first batch introduction of mobile and stationary crushing plants to Angola, it added.

“The equipment will serve key road projects, supporting infrastructure development and China-Africa cooperation.”

The statement reported that XCMG managed manufacturing, quality control, logistics and after-sales support, ensuring on-time delivery for the Angolan orders.

Mozambique: infrastructure and mining

In Mozambique, its integrated solutions will support various infrastructure work and green mining developments.

“In Mozambique, XCMG introduced an integrated road construction solution and deployed a fully electric mining excavator to support infrastructure upgrades and greener mining operations,” the statement read.

“In Beira, a key transport hub facing ageing pavements, equipment shortages and limited asphalt capacity, XCMG delivered a solution covering asphalt production, paving, compaction and rehabilitation,” the company said.

“The equipment, including asphalt mixing plants, pavers and cold recyclers, supports new road construction, reconstruction and maintenance, improving efficiency and road quality.”

It includes the deployment of the XE1350E, which XCMG said marked Mozambique's first introduction of an electric mining excavator.

The zero-emission, low-noise machine features intelligent real-time fault monitoring and combines high productivity with low energy consumption.

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Energy storage, and its potential to reduce its exposure to grid instability, a key development constraint facing Africa, will be the primary focus for ACTOM when it exhibits at Electra Mining Africa in September

Africa’s largest manufacturer, repairer and distributor of electro-mechanical equipment will use the platform to showcase its fast-growing energy storage capability with lithium-ion batteries.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will form the core focus of its stand at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, from 7 to 11 September, alongside its latest medium-voltage switchgear.

“Energy storage is the fastest growing area and the biggest opportunity for South African industry to reduce its exposure to grid instability,” said managing director of ACTOM Static Energy, Louis Heyns.

For ACTOM, the opportunity goes beyond supplying another generation of energy technology, however.

Energy storage is becoming an key part of building a more resilient African power system — one that can manage an increasingly unpredictable grid while giving mines and industry greater control over how and when they use electricity.

By developing this capability locally, ACTOM is also positioning energy storage as an industrial opportunity: keeping engineering expertise, manufacturing capability and value creation within South Africa while helping customers become less dependent on an unstable grid and imported solutions.

Local expertise

The September event follows a period of significant growth for ACTOM Static Energy, the business unit formed after ACTOM acquired JUEL Batteries earlier this year and integrated it into a complete energy-storage manufacturing ecosystem at ACTOM’s Pretoria West campus.

ACTOM now produces batteries, inverters, transformers and medium voltage integration systems on a single industrial site, enabling it to test complete, integrated systems in-factory before they reach the market.

“What we provide is unique in that these solutions are not generic, imported offerings,”said Heyns.

“They are locally designed and assembled, tested as complete systems and supported by a company with over a century of engineering credibility in South Africa. That’s the kind of assurance our customers, our energy partners, need when they’re making long-term infrastructure decisions.”

ACTOM’s GELPAG MSS H solid-dielectric insulated switchgear (SIS) family, which ACTOM offers through its MV Switchgear subsidiary, is another new medium-voltage (MV) switchgear product that visitors will be able to view.

The GELPAG SIS provides compact, low-maintenance MV solutions appropriate for containerised substations, PV collector substations, and mining installations with limited space by using epoxy resin-insulated pole modules with embedded vacuum interrupters and earth-screening to remove exposed live conductors and do away with the need for gas-based primary insulation.

The series has undergone type testing in accordance with IEC standards, giving it a proven choice for applications requiring compact, high-integrity MV distribution.

Industry showcase

At its Electra Mining Africa stand, visitors will see how ACTOM’s locally manufactured, end‑to‑end capabilities, from design and assembly to testing and commissioning, deliver durable, bankable solutions and measurable value for mines and industry.

According to Heyns, the exhibition is a place to demonstrate how local engineering and integrated delivery shorten project timelines, reduce risk and keep economic benefit in South Africa.

“Electra Mining Africa brings together precisely the customer base that needs bankable, locally manufactured energy-storage solutions at this time,” he said.

“Mines and industrial operations are under real pressure to secure reliable power, manage rising grid costs and reduce diesel dependency and our lithium-ion batteries and BESS are engineered to meet that demand at scale.”

Mervyn Naidoo, CEO of The ACTOM Group, echoed the sentiment to support African-made products and solutions.

“ACTOM's guiding principle — in Africa, for Africa, by Africa — shapes everything we build. It's why we design, manufacture and test our batteries, inverters and switchgear locally, keeping skills, jobs and know-how here. This is how we deliver bankable solutions for mines and industry, while reducing South Africa's reliance on imports.”

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Viaservice-Ke, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Viatrans SA, has partnered with A. P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) to help streamline container management and improve access to digital trade financing for customers in Kenya’s logistics sector

The partnership will make the Viaservice Container Solution (VCS) available to eligible Maersk customers. The digital platform is designed to support freight forwarders and other logistics businesses with financing for container-related transactions while helping them manage cash flow more effectively.

Through the arrangement, eligible customers can have containers released without paying the conventional refundable deposit directly. This can reduce the amount of working capital tied up during container transactions, while also easing administrative processes and supporting smoother cargo movement.

VCS provides a digital platform through which logistics stakeholders can access financing for container-related charges and other logistics transactions.

Reducing working capital pressure

Under the traditional container release process, importers are generally required to provide a deposit to the shipping line before receiving the container. The deposit is returned once the empty equipment is handed back.

For businesses managing several containers at once, these deposits can tie up substantial working capital for extended periods.

Under the VCS arrangement, Viaservice provides an advance payment facility covering demurrage, damage and total loss on behalf of eligible customers, on a reimbursement basis. This enables containers to be released without customers having to provide the conventional deposit themselves.

The model is intended to help businesses maintain liquidity for their daily operations while keeping cargo moving through the supply chain.

“At Viaservice, we are committed to providing innovative digital and financial solutions that facilitate trade and support the growth of businesses operating in fast-growing economies. Our partnership with Maersk marks an important milestone in expanding access to digital trade financing solutions and strengthening the logistics ecosystem in the region. Since introducing the VCS, we have focused on addressing financing challenges faced by freight forwarders and logistics businesses, helping to accelerate cargo movement and improve efficiency across the logistics sector. Through this collaboration, we are extending these benefits to a wider customer base, enabling businesses to improve cash flow, optimize operations, and move cargo more efficiently,” commented John Mathenge, managing director of Viaservice Limited.

Tito Okuku, Area Managing Director for Eastern Africa, said the partnership would provide customers with solutions addressing both financial and operational challenges.

“As Kenya continues to strengthen its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, our customers require solutions that support working capital management, reduce transaction bottlenecks, and facilitate seamless movement of goods. Through our partnership with Viaservice, we are enhancing the value we provide by facilitating access to financing solutions that complement our logistics services and contribute to smoother trade flows.”

Expanding across East African trade routes

The partnership builds on an existing VCS relationship in Tanzania and expands the platform’s reach through Kenya’s Port of Mombasa.

“Welcoming Maersk onto the VCS platform in Kenya marks an important expansion of a partnership already successfully established in Tanzania. Through the Port of Mombasa, a growing share of regional container flows can now benefit from a more efficient alternative to cash deposits. The impact extends beyond Kenya. As a critical gateway for trade corridors serving landlocked markets across East Africa, Kenyan ports plays a central role in regional commerce. By reducing capital tied up in container deposits, VCS helps businesses preserve liquidity, improve operational efficiency and move cargo more smoothly across these corridors. This partnership further strengthens the regional reach of VCS and demonstrates how collaboration between shipping lines and trade-facilitation providers can improve the flow of both cargo and capital across African trade routes,” stated Morgan Lépinoy, managing director of Viatrans SA, Switzerland.

The companies will also conduct customer education and stakeholder engagement activities to raise awareness of VCS, encourage adoption and help businesses across the logistics value chain make use of the platform.

The collaboration is expected to support a more resilient, efficient and digitally enabled logistics sector while contributing to Kenya’s wider trade and economic development objectives.

South Africa's Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has opened an advisory office in Beijing, aimed at strengthening ties with Chinese corporates and supporting growing investment into African markets

The launch of Rand Merchant Advisory Company Limited comes as trade between China and Africa exceeds US$350bn, an all-time high, reflecting deepening commercial links across infrastructure, energy and industrial development.

The Beijing office is expected to provide Chinese companies with on-the-ground advisory support as they explore opportunities across Africa, offering expertise in corporate finance, cross-border banking, foreign exchange and structured capital.

Emrie Brown, RMB’s CEO, said it marks an important milestone in the group’s Africa-China corridor strategy.

“It brings us closer to Chinese corporates to connect them more effectively with opportunity across our African network,” said Brown.

“Our focus is on helping clients navigate cross-border trade, transactional banking, foreign exchange, and investment flows with the benefit of local insight and deep African market expertise.”

For African economies, the move signals continued confidence in the continent as a destination for Chinese investment.

The Africa-China corridor’s growth continues to be anchored by “monumental infrastructure investment”, RMB said in a statement, and a rapidly evolving green energy landscape.

Over the past decade, Chinese enterprises have constructed or renovated over 10,000 km of railway and 100,000 km of highways across Africa.

While Chinese firms have traditionally focused on transport and infrastructure projects, investment is increasingly expanding into renewable energy, manufacturing and other sectors that support broader industrialisation.

As China itself transitions under global climate agreements, “massive opportunities” have emerged for Rand Merchant Advisory to partner with Chinese contractors to lead sustainable finance initiatives across African markets.

The bank said Chinese contractors have participated in around 70% of the renewable energy projects it has concluded in recent years, underlining China’s growing role in Africa’s own energy transition.

RMB said the expansion combines its investment banking capabilities with First National Bank’s (FNB) transactional banking platform, which already serves more than 4,000 Chinese business accounts across South Africa and the wider continent.

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Wastewater is still too often viewed as the end of a process, something to treat and discharge once it leaves a home, business, mine, or industrial site

In a water-scarce country, that linear view overlooks its value and the consequences of returning it to a connected water system.

South Africa’s rivers and water-transfer systems carry water across municipal, provincial, and national boundaries. Water may be abstracted, used, treated, returned, altered, and abstracted again downstream. The performance of wastewater infrastructure therefore affects far more than the site or municipality operating it.

“Some by-products of wastewater treatment can be used to generate energy that is fed back into the treatment infrastructure, reducing its demand on the grid,” says Kosikee Emma-Iwuoha, associate and water civil engineer at WSP in Africa. “Treated effluent can also be reused for irrigation or, with further treatment, in industrial processes.”

Wastewater is already part of the water system

Discharged water does not disappear from the resource system. Lee Boyd, technical director and water resource scientist at WSP in Africa, says return flows already form part of the water available to downstream users in South Africa’s connected catchments.

“South Africa’s water is reused extensively. Return flows can be abstracted again downstream, where their quality affects domestic users, agriculture, industry, and aquatic ecosystems. Water quantity and quality are connected and should not be managed separately,” says Boyd.

Return flows are incorporated into reconciliation planning in all catchments. However, Boyd cautions that return flows do not always meet the required quality after treatment, and sewer failures can prevent it from reaching treatment works.

Emma-Iwuoha’s earlier career experience includes extending a treated-effluent pipeline to potential users in the Western Cape where he saw firsthand that effective reuse ultimately hinges on reliable collection, treatment, monitoring, and clear end‑use planning.

A disposal mindset sends risk downstream

When the objective is simply to move wastewater through the system and dispose of it, less attention may be paid to the condition of the material entering the receiving environment.

Emma-Iwuoha says poorly managed discharge can overload natural systems, contribute to eutrophication, affect downstream water quality, and create environmental and health risks. The linear model also loses economic value that could support monitoring, maintenance, and further treatment.

The bulk network is central to this problem. Treatment capacity has limited value if sewers leak, surcharge, or release wastewater before it reaches the plant. Upgrades therefore need to cover collection, conveyance, treatment, monitoring, and discharge as one system.

Boyd says investment must also be matched by operational capability: “A treatment works can be upgraded, but the wider question is who will run it, whether there are enough people, and whether they have the skills and support to monitor performance.”

Design should begin with the catchment

Catchment assessments and water quality management plans help define what wastewater infrastructure needs to achieve before the physical solution is selected.

A catchment assessment identifies the downstream communities, industries, ecological systems, risks, and reuse opportunities that may be affected. It helps establish the required capacity and which receiving environments need protection.

“A suitably detailed catchment assessment gives us a better understanding of the risks, needs, and opportunities. The water quality management plan provides the benchmarks for choosing treatment processes, monitoring performance, and responding under normal and emergency conditions,” says Emma-Iwuoha.

Boyd adds that site-level wastewater and surface-water decisions should reflect the condition and objectives of the broader catchment. That depends on reliable evidence, yet monitoring information is often fragmented across government departments, municipalities, mines, industries, laboratories, and other water users.

Consolidating and verifying that information would improve treatment planning and allow problems to be identified sooner. A report received months after a pollution incident may explain what occurred, but it cannot reduce the impact while contaminated water is still moving downstream.

Resilience depends on people as well as assets

Wastewater systems need to be designed for expected growth rather than present demand alone. Government plans, municipal budgets, industrial expansion, urbanisation, and long-term operating requirements influence how much capacity is needed and how soon another upgrade may be required.

Emma-Iwuoha says coordination between government and industry can help prevent infrastructure from reaching capacity shortly after commissioning. Community involvement is equally important because acceptance cannot be assumed simply because a solution is technically sound.

Residents may have concerns about location, odour control, downstream river use, and the implications for health and livelihoods. Engagement needs to address these concerns while explaining the sanitation, environmental, and economic benefits.

Shared data requires similar trust. Boyd says a credible platform that verifies and protects monitoring information where necessary could strengthen catchment-wide planning without duplicating work.

Innovation has to reinforce the fundamentals

Waste-to-energy is one of the most promising opportunities identified by Emma-Iwuoha.

As treatment processes improve, organic material from wastewater can contribute to energy generation and, in suitable applications, create synergies with solid-waste management. It can reduce the energy burden of treatment where the scale, feedstock, economics, and operational capacity support it.

WSP has built capabilities in solid waste management and is expanding its capacity in wastewater treatment and process engineering, supported by expertise in water science, environmental assessment, and civil engineering.

Bringing these disciplines together allows teams to define what needs protection, set the required water quality targets, and translate those requirements into infrastructure that can be funded, built, operated, and adapted over time.

South Africa will not unlock the resilience value of wastewater through technology alone. Functioning bulk networks, skilled operators, verified data, appropriate treatment, credible governance and community support must be considered together.

Planned as a single system, wastewater can support the country’s water security rather than remaining an obligation at the end of a pipe.

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