Montgomery Group Africa is expanding its portfolio into the rapidly evolving mining and industrial energy market with the launch of PowerEx Africa, a conference and exhibition focused on the generation, transmission, distribution, storage and management of energy for commercial and industrial (C&I) applications.

Announced on the third day of Electra Mining Africa 2026, the new event was launched with a panel discussion bringing together experts from the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), the South African Independent Power Producers Association (SAIPPA), NOA Group, Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG). The discussion highlighted growing pressure on African businesses to manage rising energy costs and constrained grid capacity, while building greater flexibility and resilience into how power is generated, procured and managed.

The panel also explored the changing relationship between industrial energy users and the electricity market, including the growing role of independent power producers, wheeling and power purchase agreements. Panellists emphasised the importance of collaboration between government, energy providers and industrial off-takers as the market moves towards greater choice and competition, while also recognising the challenges of managing investment, infrastructure and price volatility.

PowerEx Africa is being launched in response to the growing importance of energy as a strategic consideration for African industry. Decarbonisation targets, rising electricity costs, supply constraints and the need for greater energy resilience are driving commercial and industrial organisations to rethink their power strategies.

The expo is specifically focused on the commercial and industrial energy market, bringing technology providers together with the executives, engineers, procurement teams, project developers, investors and other decision-makers responsible for industrial energy and decarbonisation strategies.

Making its official debut from 4 to 8 September 2028 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, PowerEx Africa will be co-located with Electra Mining Africa 2028, creating a dedicated platform for businesses supplying and investing in energy solutions for mining, manufacturing, infrastructure and other energy-intensive industries.

“Energy has moved up on the boardroom agenda. For industry, it's now a factor in resilience, competitiveness and long-term investment decisions,” says Joshua Low, Group Growth Director for Africa at Montgomery Group Africa. “PowerEx Africa has been developed to create a dedicated meeting place for the companies developing energy solutions and the mining and industrial organisations that need to deploy them.”

A natural extension of Electra Mining Africa

The PowerEx Africa launch also builds on an identified demand from the established Electra Mining Africa audience. Feedback from the previous edition of the show highlighted increased visitor interest in seeing a greater number of alternative energy providers, while Montgomery Group Africa has seen an upward trend in energy sector players seeking to engage with its established mining and industrial audience.

Electra Mining Africa attracted almost 40,000 visitors at the last edition of the event, with the show's audience including senior decision-makers and professionals across mining, engineering, manufacturing and related industries. The visitor profile also showed strong commercial relevance, with 72% of visitors identified as making or influencing purchase decisions, and attendees from over 58 countries.  

“Electra Mining Africa has built an exceptionally strong audience across the mining and industrial sectors, and we see significant potential in connecting that audience with the rapidly developing energy market,” says Low. “Co-locating PowerEx Africa with Electra Mining Africa allows us to build on that existing ecosystem while creating a distinct environment with its own identity, proposition and growth trajectory.”

The new event will bring together providers across the industrial energy value chain, including renewable and distributed generation, microgrids, battery energy storage, backup power, generators, energy management and optimisation, power quality, electrical infrastructure, energy consulting, procurement and financing, as well as enabling technologies and components.

Supporting Africa's industrial energy transition

“Montgomery Group Africa has a long-established role in bringing industrial buyers and solutions providers together, as the organiser of the largest industrial exhibitions on the continent across mining, manufacturing and other key industrial sectors,” adds Low. “PowerEx Africa is set to continue this, ensuring that the energy conversation is not happening in isolation, but in the context of the operational, commercial and investment realities facing businesses.”