The company's participation comes as Angola advances its Hydrocarbon Strategy 2025-2050, which aims to sustain production above one million barrels per day while driving new investment across the value chain. Speaking to event organizers ahead of the conference this September, Jorge de Morais, General Manager of KAESO Energy Services, highlighted that the strategy is already delivering results by attracting new operators and expanding activity across the sector.

"We really see that this strategy, although it covers 2025 to 2050, has already started working and is already showing results," de Morais said, pointing to increased investment from international and regional operators.

To position itself for this next phase of growth, KAESO has expanded from four to six business lines over the past two years. The company now provides services spanning pre-commissioning and production, drilling and reservoir support, modular systems and rental equipment, specialized oil and gas procurement, digital services and consulting.

"With these six product lines, we feel that we can address upstream, downstream, industrialization and all the sectors covered by this plan," said de Morais. "We have a very strong interest in the onshore fields with the new entrants, so we believe there are very interesting opportunities for local content companies such as ours."

Beyond expanding its own capabilities, KAESO believes Angola must strengthen the competitiveness of domestic service providers by addressing both internal and external constraints.

According to de Morais, continued investment in technical skills, equipment and local manufacturing capacity will be essential, while broader structural challenges - including foreign exchange constraints that affect the ability of local companies to procure equipment - also require attention.

"We need institutions in-country to close that gap," he said, referring to the development of specialized skills capable of matching international standards.

Looking beyond Angola, KAESO sees regional integration as the next step in building globally competitive African energy companies. Having expanded operations into Namibia, the company believes stronger economic integration across Southern Africa would enable local service providers to compete more effectively on the international stage.

"As long as we continue to be seen as individual countries, the markets will be too small for us to build real regional champions," he said.

Central to KAESO's growth strategy has been its long-standing view that local content extends beyond contract execution. Since its establishment in 2013, the company has invested heavily in regional infrastructure, equipment, internationally certified operating standards and local technical expertise.

The company operates a 22,000-square-meter operational base in Angola and a 20,000-square-meter facility in Namibia, supporting offshore operations with specialized workshops, testing facilities and certified equipment. According to de Morais, these investments create the foundation for sustainable local execution rather than temporary service delivery.

"When you have infrastructure, equipment, standards and local expertise, execution becomes sustained by strong local and regional capabilities," he said.

As Champion Sponsor of AOG 2026, KAESO views the conference as an important platform for demonstrating the capabilities of African service companies while strengthening collaboration across the industry.

"We have the opportunity to showcase what local companies are able to do today," de Morais said. "[The conference] brings visibility and awareness of what is possible and breaks old ideas that local companies are unable to operate at this level."

At this year's conference, KAESO will engage operators, investors, technology providers and policymakers with a clear message: local companies are ready to support Angola's next phase of energy development.

"We, as a local company, can address your needs," de Morais said. "We can help operators comply with local content requirements while operating safely and to the highest quality standards. To governments, we are a representation of what can be achieved locally."