The Venezuela Global Investment Forum will take place during African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town from October 12 -16, bringing together senior Venezuelan government officials, national oil company leadership, international energy executives, financiers and commodity traders to showcase one of the world’s most significant energy market reopening while creating a direct pathway for global investment into Venezuela’s rapidly evolving hydrocarbons sector.
Organized as a flagship feature of AEW 2026, the Venezuela Global Investment Forum underscores the growing momentum behind the country’s energy sector reforms and its renewed engagement with international investors. More than a traditional conference session, the Forum will connect investors directly with bankable upstream, natural gas, infrastructure and power opportunities by showcasing Venezuelan projects alongside some of Africa’s largest energy developments in the AEW Deal Room.
Following sweeping reforms to the country’s Organic Hydrocarbons Law earlier this year, Venezuela has introduced one of its most comprehensive investment overhauls in decades. The reforms expand opportunities for private operators, establish new production participation contracts, introduce more competitive fiscal terms and strengthen international arbitration mechanisms aimed at reducing investment risk and restoring confidence among international capital providers.
“Venezuela is opening a new chapter for its energy industry. The reforms underway are creating a more competitive and attractive investment environment and the Venezuela Global Investment Forum at AEW 2026 provides the ideal platform for international investors to engage directly with decision-makers and explore the opportunities emerging across the country’s oil, gas, infrastructure and power sectors,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
These reforms are already reshaping the investment landscape. The government is targeting crude production of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2026 after output recovered to approximately 1.2 million bpd during the first half of the year. Beyond oil production, Venezuela is advancing a broader strategy centered on natural gas monetization, offshore development, infrastructure rehabilitation and power sector modernization, creating opportunities across the entire energy value chain.
Throughout the Forum, delegates will hear directly from ministers, senior government officials, national oil company executives, international operators, development finance institutions, commodity traders and technical leaders responsible for implementing Venezuela’s new investment framework. Discussions will focus on expanding upstream investment, accelerating natural gas development, modernizing infrastructure and creating long-term partnerships that support Venezuela’s renewed role in global energy markets.
The forum also reinforces the strategic relationship between AEW 2026 and Venezuela Energy Week, which will take place in Caracas from February 22-25, 2027. Together, the two events form a coordinated international investment campaign that begins by introducing global investors to Venezuela’s reformed investment environment in Cape Town before continuing in Caracas, where commercial negotiations, technical engagement and project execution will move toward final investment decisions.
As global energy markets continue to prioritize supply security, infrastructure investment and new sources of production growth, Venezuela is positioning itself to re-establish its role as a major international energy supplier. Through the Venezuela Global Investment Forum at AEW 2026, investors will gain an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the country’s new investment framework, evaluate commercially attractive projects and build partnerships that support Venezuela’s return to global energy markets while strengthening cooperation between Africa and Latin America.
