Africa is home to some of the world’s most significant untapped energy resources. From the established hydrocarbon giants of West and North Africa to the fast-emerging frontier markets of East and Southern Africa, the continent’s oil and gas sector is attracting record levels of international investment and generating sustained demand for skilled energy professionals.
In this guide, we profile the leading oil and gas companies operating across key African markets – Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Namibia – as well as the major international operators with a continent-wide presence. We also look at what this means for workforce demand and how WRS supports energy companies building and scaling their teams across Africa.
Oil and Gas Companies in Uganda
Uganda’s oil and gas story is one of the most significant in East Africa. Large-scale commercial discoveries in the Albertine Graben region have identified recoverable reserves of over 1.4 billion barrels, making Uganda one of the most substantial landlocked oil provinces in Africa. After years of development planning, the country’s upstream and midstream projects are now moving into active execution, with major capital investment flowing in from international operators and development finance institutions.
Leading oil and gas companies in Uganda:
Operator of the Tilenga upstream project, one of Uganda’s two major oil development schemes, and a key driver of the EACOP pipeline project.
Operator of the Kingfisher development in the Albertine Graben, Uganda’s second major upstream project.
A pioneer of oil exploration in Uganda with a long-standing presence in the Lake Albert region.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) – a 1,443 km heated pipeline connecting Uganda’s Albertine oilfields to the Tanzanian port of Tanga – is one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the region and a major source of employment for engineering, construction, HSE, and project management professionals across both countries.
Oil and Gas Companies in Tanzania
Tanzania is steadily establishing itself as one of East Africa’s most important natural gas producers. The country holds some of the largest offshore gas reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, with discoveries in the deep waters of the Indian Ocean opening the door to a potential LNG export industry that could transform Tanzania’s economic trajectory. While the development timeline has extended over the years, investment interest from international majors remains strong.
Key oil and gas companies in Tanzania:
Holds a significant stake in Tanzanian deep offshore gas blocks and has been a consistent investor in the country’s LNG development planning.
Active in Tanzania’s offshore gas sector, with interests in blocks that form part of the broader LNG development framework.
A partner in deep offshore gas development, contributing technical expertise and capital to Tanzania’s LNG ambitions.
Tanzania’s potential as a global LNG exporter has attracted sustained interest from Asian buyers and development finance institutions, with the country’s gas reserves positioned to support long-term supply agreements once infrastructure decisions are finalised.
Oil and Gas Companies in Mozambique
Mozambique holds some of the largest natural gas discoveries made anywhere in the world in the past two decades. The Rovuma Basin, located offshore in northern Mozambique, contains estimated recoverable gas resources that place the country among the top ten globally for proven natural gas reserves. Despite project delays caused by security challenges in the Cabo Delgado region and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mozambique’s LNG development trajectory remains one of the most closely watched in global energy.
Major oil and gas companies in Mozambique:
Operator of the Coral South FLNG project, which achieved its first LNG cargo in 2022 and represents the first offshore LNG production facility in Africa.
Operator of the Mozambique LNG project, a 13.1 mtpa onshore LNG development that represents one of Africa’s largest single energy investments.
- Following a temporary suspension, the project is expected to resume construction as security conditions improve.
The original developer of the Area 1 block in the Rovuma Basin, whose asset was subsequently acquired by TotalEnergies.
When both major LNG projects are in full execution, Mozambique is expected to become one of the world’s leading LNG exporters, creating thousands of jobs across engineering, construction, operations, and support services.
Oil and Gas Companies in Namibia
Namibia has emerged as one of the most exciting new oil frontiers in Africa. A series of major offshore discoveries in the Orange Basin, located in Namibia’s deep waters, have confirmed the presence of world-class oil resources that could position the country as a significant producer within this decade. The scale and quality of these discoveries has attracted substantial international attention and elevated Namibia into one of the most actively discussed upstream opportunities in the global industry.
Key companies active in Namibia’s oil and gas sector:
Operator of the Orange Basin blocks where the major Graff and La Rona discoveries were made, representing some of the most significant offshore oil finds in recent years globally.
Operator of the Venus discovery in Block 2913B, one of the largest oil and gas discoveries made anywhere in the world in 2022, with estimated resources of over 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
Holds significant interests in Namibian offshore blocks alongside Shell and TotalEnergies, with a growing strategic focus on this frontier market.
Namibia’s transition from exploration success to production will require substantial investment in offshore infrastructure, creating major employment demand for subsea engineers, floating production specialists, offshore project managers, and marine operations professionals.
Other Major Oil and Gas Companies Operating Across Africa
Beyond the specific country profiles above, several international majors and national oil companies have a broad, continent-wide presence that makes them among the most significant employers and investors in African energy:
Active across North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa with upstream, trading, and low-carbon investments spanning multiple countries and asset types.
A long-established operator in Angola and other West African markets, with deepwater assets that continue to generate significant production and employment.
Algeria’s national oil company and one of the largest energy companies in Africa, with operations spanning upstream production, LNG export, pipelines, and international E&P.
Nigeria’s state oil company and a cornerstone of the continent’s largest oil-producing nation, involved in joint ventures with virtually every major international operator active in the country.
Nigeria and Angola together account for the majority of sub-Saharan Africa’s oil production, and both countries continue to attract significant investment in deepwater exploration and brownfield development.
Talent Demand Across Africa’s Energy Sector
The simultaneous advancement of major projects across Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, and established markets like Nigeria, Angola, and Algeria is creating significant and sustained demand for energy professionals. The combination of frontier market development, large-scale LNG investment, and ongoing deepwater operations requires talent across a broad range of disciplines.
Roles consistently in demand across African energy projects:
- Project managers and project engineers for large-scale EPC and EPCM contracts
- Subsea engineers and ROV professionals for offshore and deepwater operations
- Drilling engineers and well site supervisors for exploration and development campaigns
- HSE advisors and managers with major hazard and international project experience
- LNG process engineers and commissioning specialists for Mozambique and Tanzania projects
- Pipeline engineers and construction managers for infrastructure, including EACOP
- Offshore installation and marine operations professionals for Namibia and West Africa
- In-country national staff across technical and support disciplines, reflecting local content requirements
How WRS Supports Energy Companies Across Africa
WRS has a long-established presence in the African energy market, with dedicated offices and consultant teams supporting clients across East, West, and North Africa. We understand the specific challenges of recruiting for African projects: in-country hiring requirements, visa and work permit complexity, remote site logistics, and the need to balance international expertise with local content obligations.
Our Africa-focused workforce solutions include specialist recruitment across all upstream, midstream, and downstream disciplines, rapid mobilisation for project-critical roles, in-country compliance and payroll management, and employer of record services for international contractors. We work with operators, EPCM contractors, and service companies on projects including EACOP, Mozambique LNG, and deepwater programmes in West Africa.
Find out more about our Africa offices and how we can support your next project.
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