Angola’s oil sector will host the inaugural edition of PetroFest by Petro Women Talk on 28 November, a festival designed to bring together approximately 1,000 participants, including entrepreneurs, professionals, students, investors and representatives of national and international companies. The event will take place in Talatona, Luanda, with the aim of connecting the various stakeholders across the energy value chain.

The initiative seeks to create a platform for knowledge sharing, the presentation of innovative solutions, and the identification of business opportunities. According to Teresa Augusto, founder of Petro Women Talk and general coordinator of PetroFest, the festival emerges from the need to bridge the oil industry with new generations and facilitate contact between young talent, companies and professionals.

Under the banner ‘Celebrating the Present, Connecting People and Building the Future of Energy’, the event is built on four pillars: innovation, technology, local content, and human capital development. The organisers intend to raise the profile of Angolan companies, national professionals, and locally developed technologies, encouraging the participation of domestic players in the transformation of the industry.

Technological innovation and skills development are also central priorities of the initiative. PetroFest aims to function as a platform for showcasing projects and solutions developed in Angola, connecting their promoters with potential partners and investors at a time of growing demand for technological adaptation within the energy sector.

Youth participation forms another core pillar of the festival, which seeks to bring students, recent graduates, young professionals and entrepreneurs closer to industry companies and leadership. The programme includes Petro Emerging Minds, a project presentation component through which young people can pitch ideas and solutions to sector challenges before entrepreneurs, investors and potential partners.

The programme is expected to include panel discussions with industry leaders, dedicated spaces for local content, innovation and technology, networking activities, a business exhibition and project presentations. Cultural and experiential activities are also planned, in an approach that seeks to differentiate the festival from traditional conferences and to promote learning and business opportunities.

The organisers intend to engage oil operators, service companies, and national and international entrepreneurs and investors, arguing that corporate participation must go beyond sponsorship and brand exposure. The objective is to stimulate company involvement in identifying opportunities for young talent and in building partnerships for the development of the industry.

Although the first edition is focused on Angola, PetroFest has ambitions to reach other African markets and, in time, to achieve an international dimension. The initiative seeks to link the development of the oil sector with the promotion of Angolan talent, the strengthening of local content, and the creation of business opportunities, contributing to an energy industry that is more connected and open to new generations.