By Ajong Mbapndah L. in Cape Town, South Africa
African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 has brought together some of the biggest names in the global energy industry, but amid discussions on oil exploration, gas development, investment and energy security, an unusual South African creation has added a new flavor to the gathering. Aptly named “Drill Baby Drill,” the wine is the product of a collaboration between the African Energy Chamber (AEC) and Lothian Vineyards, bringing together fine winemaking and a spirited campaign for Africa to develop its vast energy resources.
Championed by African Energy Chamber Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk, the initiative reflects the Chamber’s determination to keep Africa’s energy ambitions at the forefront of international conversations while promoting African enterprise. Introduced as an exclusive collection for the AEW community, the wine carries a name familiar to the global oil and gas industry and a message closely associated with Ayuk’s advocacy: making energy poverty history.
Produced by Lothian Vineyards in South Africa’s picturesque Elgin Valley, the collection features Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two varieties for which the estate has earned international recognition. The name borrows from one of the most recognizable slogans in the oil and gas industry, giving a traditional South African product an unmistakable energy identity.
The partnership brings together two personalities with a shared interest in Africa’s energy industry. Lothian Vineyards founder Gavin Wilson spent decades investing in oil and gas ventures across Africa and international markets before turning greater attention to winemaking. His longstanding association with the energy sector made the collaboration with Ayuk and the African Energy Chamber a natural fit.
“Oil and gas has been a huge part of my life, but wine is an equal passion,” Wilson said when the partnership was announced. He expressed confidence in the ability of South African wines to compete with the finest internationally, welcoming the opportunity to introduce Lothian’s products to an influential gathering of global energy executives and investors.
Lothian Vineyards has built a reputation for quality, earning recognition at international competitions, including the Decanter World Wine Awards and the International Wine Challenge. Its 2023 Chardonnay received 97 points at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, adding to the growing reputation of South Africa’s Elgin Valley as a destination for premium cool-climate wines.
For Ayuk, who has become one of the most outspoken advocates for greater investment in African oil and gas, the initiative is another opportunity to promote African businesses and celebrate those investing in the continent’s future. His message has remained consistent throughout successive editions of African Energy Week: Africa must be able to develop its natural resources, attract investment, create jobs and expand access to affordable energy.
“Drill Baby Drill celebrates the African and international investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders who have committed their capital, expertise and careers to the continent’s future,” Ayuk said when announcing the initiative.
The AEC Executive Chairman has repeatedly argued that Africa cannot afford to leave its enormous energy resources untapped while hundreds of millions of its citizens continue to live without electricity. For him and the Chamber, increased investment in oil and gas remains essential to industrialization, economic growth and the continent’s broader development ambitions.
The wine’s appearance at AEW 2026 has come against the backdrop of renewed debate over Africa’s energy choices. While industry leaders are calling for greater investment in exploration and production, environmental campaigners continue to question the consequences of expanding fossil fuel development.
That debate spilled onto the streets of Cape Town on October 13 when Greenpeace Africa and other climate campaigners protested outside the AEW venue. In a direct response to the Drill Baby Drill initiative, campaigners introduced their own “Pay Baby Pay” message, displaying oversized inflatable wine bottles and calling on oil and gas companies to take responsibility for climate-related damage.
The protests highlighted the competing positions surrounding Africa’s energy future. While the Chamber maintains that oil and gas development is indispensable to tackling energy poverty and strengthening African economies, environmental groups argue that further fossil fuel expansion could worsen the climate pressures already affecting communities across the continent.
Away from the controversy, the collaboration has also provided an opportunity to showcase South African winemaking to an international business audience. With AEW drawing ministers, corporate executives, financiers and investors from across the world, the initiative places Lothian Vineyards before potential customers and partners who might otherwise have little exposure to the estate.
The collection was developed for the African Energy Chamber’s event community rather than general retail distribution, adding an element of exclusivity to the venture. The wines were also announced in connection with the Amila Africa Art Soirée, an event associated with AEW that brings together personalities from the energy, finance, business and creative sectors.
For African Energy Week, which has grown into one of the continent’s leading energy investment gatherings, Drill Baby Drill offers an unusual addition to a program traditionally dominated by exploration projects, investment agreements, policy discussions and corporate networking. It also reflects the growing confidence of African businesses seeking to use major international platforms to market their products.
The collaboration has attracted attention well beyond the wine itself, partly because of its provocative name and the wider debate over Africa’s energy future. For its promoters, however, the message is straightforward: Africa has resources, talent and businesses capable of competing internationally, and these deserve greater recognition and investment.
As African Energy Week 2026 continues in Cape Town, Drill Baby Drill has given delegates something different to talk about between discussions on exploration, financing and energy security. For NJ Ayuk and the African Energy Chamber, it is another way of celebrating the people and businesses behind Africa’s energy industry, this time with a glass of South African wine.