TotalEnergies Senior Vice President Africa Mike Sangster champions African energy sovereignty, investment certainty and greater electricity access, highlighting flagship projects in Mozambique, Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa.
By Ajong Mbapndah L
Africa must have the freedom to develop its vast energy resources according to its own priorities, Mike Sangster, Senior Vice President Africa at TotalEnergies, declared at the opening ceremony of African Energy Week 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. Delivering a strong endorsement of Africa’s energy potential, Sangster reaffirmed the company’s long-standing commitment to the continent, pointing to major investments in Mozambique, Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa as evidence of its confidence in Africa’s future.
Drawing on his extensive experience living and working across Africa, the Scottish energy executive paid tribute to the continent’s people, resources and growing economic ambitions. Sangster told ministers, investors and industry leaders that his years of engagement across Africa had strengthened his conviction that the continent possesses enormous potential to become a more influential force in the global energy economy.
“I have never been more convinced that Africa is rich. And that wealth starts with its people,” Sangster declared, praising the talent, determination and entrepreneurial spirit driving development across the continent.
With approximately 550 million Africans still without electricity, Sangster argued that African governments must retain the right to determine how best to harness their oil, gas, solar and hydropower resources to meet domestic needs and advance economic development.
“Every country must be free to shape its energy policy and develop its resources. This is a conviction we share at TotalEnergies,” he emphasized.
The message set the tone for an address that combined a strong defense of Africa’s energy sovereignty with a detailed account of TotalEnergies’ investment ambitions and a call for governments, development institutions and private investors to accelerate projects capable of transforming the continent’s economic prospects.
Sangster stressed that Africa’s energy transition cannot follow a single prescription, given the continent’s diverse resources, economic circumstances and development priorities. Each country, he argued, must be empowered to pursue an energy mix that supports its people and national ambitions, with energy access remaining central to the development agenda.
“Energy is a fundamental need,” he said, underscoring its importance for education, healthcare, employment and improving living standards. For Sangster, the challenge is not simply about increasing energy production but ensuring that Africa’s considerable natural wealth translates into tangible improvements in the lives of its people.
He highlighted Mission 300, the initiative seeking to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030, noting that more than 50 million people had been connected since 2024. TotalEnergies participates in the initiative’s Private Sector Council, and Sangster said the company was committed to supporting further progress, although much more remained to be done.
Achieving these ambitions, he cautioned, would require sustained investment, predictable regulations, stable fiscal frameworks and improved access to capital. With major energy projects often spanning several decades, governments must provide the certainty necessary to attract investors willing to make long-term commitments.
The TotalEnergies executive also drew attention to changing global energy dynamics, arguing that recent developments in the Middle East had reinforced the importance of diversification and reliable energy supplies. Africa, with its substantial untapped resources, could strengthen its position as a dependable international energy partner while simultaneously addressing its own development needs.
“Diversification is about building resilience. Security of supply has never been more important,” Sangster said, describing the changing global environment as an opportunity for Africa to expand its influence in international energy markets.
Mozambique, Namibia and East Africa Anchor TotalEnergies’ Investment Ambitions
Turning to TotalEnergies’ operations, Sangster identified three flagship investment areas that he said demonstrated the company’s confidence in Africa’s energy future. Mozambique LNG featured prominently, with the full restart of the project described as a major milestone for both the company and Mozambique’s ambition to become a leading global exporter of liquefied natural gas.
With up to 65 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas resources, Mozambique LNG has the potential to transform the country’s energy industry and generate substantial economic benefits. Sangster disclosed that more than 4,000 local workers had already been trained, thousands of jobs created and approximately $35 billion in government revenues were expected over the project’s lifetime.
Beyond the financial projections, Sangster emphasized the importance of partnerships with Mozambican authorities and communities, noting that local participation and shared economic benefits were essential to the project’s long-term success. The development also positions Mozambique to benefit from growing international interest in diversified natural gas supplies.
Namibia emerged as another major focus of the address, with Sangster describing the country’s offshore discoveries as among Africa’s most exciting energy developments in recent years. The Venus and Mopane discoveries, alongside additional exploration opportunities in the Orange Basin, have placed Namibia firmly on the international energy map and raised expectations that the country could emerge as a significant offshore producer.
TotalEnergies, he said, was proud to contribute to Namibia’s energy journey and remained committed to working with government authorities and project partners toward final investment decisions. Successful development of the discoveries could open new opportunities for employment, infrastructure investment, local businesses and government revenues.
In East Africa, Sangster highlighted the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil developments in Uganda and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline connecting Uganda to Tanzania as examples of how major energy projects could contribute to broader economic development.
According to figures presented in his address, approximately 90,000 direct and indirect jobs are being created during construction, while $2 billion has been spent with local companies. More than 200 young Ugandans are also enrolled in the Tilenga Academy’s training program, preparing them for technical and operational roles in the country’s emerging petroleum industry.
For Sangster, these investments demonstrated that developing Africa’s energy resources could go hand in hand with building local skills, strengthening domestic enterprises and creating opportunities for younger generations. He also emphasized the company’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its projects, reflecting TotalEnergies’ wider strategy of delivering more energy with fewer emissions.
South Africa’s Renewable Investments Reflect Multi-Energy Strategy
South Africa provided another illustration of TotalEnergies’ expanding energy portfolio, with Sangster highlighting the company’s involvement in oil and gas exploration, fuel supply, renewable electricity and battery storage. He also used the occasion to make a pointed appeal for a more efficient permitting environment, suggesting that smoother approval processes would help accelerate investment and project development.
Particular attention was given to Hydra, the solar and battery storage project inaugurated in July. Sangster said the project’s expected annual electricity output was equivalent to the consumption of approximately 200,000 South African households, demonstrating the potential of combining renewable generation with storage technology to strengthen electricity supply.
The project, he argued, reflected the practical benefits that Africa’s energy transition should deliver, particularly reliable electricity, stronger local partnerships and new investment opportunities. Rather than viewing conventional and renewable energy as competing alternatives, TotalEnergies is pursuing a diversified strategy that accommodates different energy sources according to market conditions and national development priorities.
The company’s approach, summarized by Sangster as “more energy, less emissions,” seeks to expand energy availability while reducing the environmental footprint of new developments. He maintained that Africa’s energy transition must be grounded in practical solutions that support economic growth and respond to the continent’s immediate energy needs.
Turning Africa’s Energy Ambitions Into Investment and Opportunity
Beyond TotalEnergies’ individual projects, Sangster’s address carried a wider message about the importance of translating Africa’s natural resource wealth into lasting economic progress. With international competition for investment intensifying, he urged governments to create predictable operating environments while encouraging stronger cooperation between policymakers, energy companies, financiers and development institutions.
His remarks reflected one of the central themes of African Energy Week 2026, which brings together government officials, international and national energy companies, investors and industry stakeholders to advance projects, attract capital and strengthen partnerships across the continent.
For TotalEnergies, whose presence in Africa stretches across generations, the continent remains a major part of its international investment strategy. From Mozambique’s natural gas reserves and Namibia’s emerging offshore industry to Uganda’s petroleum developments and South Africa’s renewable energy projects, Sangster presented a picture of a company seeking to deepen its role in Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
He also emphasized that Africa’s greatest advantage extends beyond its natural resources to the people capable of developing them. Having spent years working across the continent, Sangster expressed confidence in the skills, ambition and determination of Africans to build businesses, advance major projects and create new opportunities.
As African Energy Week got underway, he challenged participants to move beyond declarations and use the gathering to forge partnerships, confront obstacles and accelerate investment decisions.
“The momentum is building. Now, let’s make it happen,” Sangster declared, before closing with a reference to TotalEnergies’ association with African football and a familiar line from the 2010 FIFA World Cup song, “This Time for Africa.”
It was a fitting conclusion to an address that placed African ownership, energy access and long-term investment at the center of the continent’s development agenda. For Sangster, Africa’s energy future must be shaped by Africans themselves, supported by international partnerships that respect national priorities and deliver lasting economic benefits.