Новости за 03.02.2021

Botswana has intensified efforts to digitise and make geoscience information readily available to local and international potential investors in an effort to encourage prospecting for non-diamond minerals, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi told the virtual 2021 Investing in African Mining Indaba on Wednesday. Masisi said that the advent of the electric vehicle had boosted global demand for rare earth elements and battery metals.

The organisers of the Invest Cape Town and the Business Hub GreenPitch Challenge 2021 have identified ten innovators and entrepreneurs with economically viable green economy innovation business ideas to pitch those ideas to a panel of expert judges at a virtual event on February 10. "The entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to interact with potential investors, business incubators, local government decision-makers and green economy experts. The judging panel is made up of local and international... Читать дальше...

To overcome the challenge of a seemingly booming illicit market for cigarettes and alcohol, and to stem the tide of such illicit products in the local economy, requires enforcement of existing laws and adaptation of new ones, says South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) CEO Kurt Moore. He spoke during a February 3 webinar hosted by Business Leadership South Africa on illicit trade, especially within the cigarette and alcohol industry, particularly in light of bans on the sale of these products implemented over the past year.

Ahead of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's 2021 Budget Speech later this month, accounting firm Mazars says the National Treasury is unlikely to implemented significant tax hikes. Mazars tax partner Bernard Sacks told participants in a webinar, held on February 3, that this was traditionally the time tax increases were announced, but that he did not expect significant tax changes to be announced this year, as the economy and people in general were struggling amid the impact of Covid-19 and the related lockdown.

Having received finer pricing details from Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers over the past month, organised business is currently estimating that it will cost about R12-billion to vaccinate 70% of South Africa’s adult population – well below government’s earlier and heavily criticised estimate of R20-billion. Business for South Africa (B4SA) steering committee chairperson Martin Kingston stressed on Wednesday, however, that both business and government were in agreement that, while the cost of the vaccine was a factor... Читать дальше...

Researchers from South Africa, Italy, Norway and the US have jointly written a review article for the prestigious journal Materials Science and Engineering R, in which they argue that concerns about the structural integrity of metal cellular structures created by additive manufacturing (AM), although valid, can now be addressed. AM is popularly called 3D printing, and refers to the creation of objects directly from 3D computer models by means of joining materials, usually by using heat or ...

Entries are now open for the seventh edition of the yearly Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) Awards for Excellence. The awards, aimed at celebrating excellence in the metals and engineering (M&E) industry, honour small and large manufacturers that promote innovation, transformation, skills development, a safe working environment and good business ethics and excellence.

The Competition Tribunal has found two fire control firms guilty of fixing prices, dividing markets and tendering collusively in the market for supplying, installing and maintaining fire control and protection systems. Cross Fire Management has been ordered to pay an administrative penalty, or fine, of R12.9-million and Belfa Fire has been ordered to pay R10.1-million.

South African private sector activity expanded again in January, albeit marginally, as firms completing outstanding orders helped output increase by its most in four years, a survey showed on Wednesday. IHS Markit's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 50.8 in January from 50.2 in December, above the 50 level that denotes expansion for the fourth month in a row.

Diversified miner Exxaro Resources will no longer invest in thermal coal assets, as this forms part of the company’s transition to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 in terms of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, CEO Mxolisi Mgojo said on February 2. Speaking during an environmental, social and governance- (ESG-) focused panel discussion on the first day of this year’s virtual Investing in African Mining Indaba event, Mgojo said the company would “continue in the coalfield” as long as it was viable, and for as long as power stations ... Читать дальше...

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus has been awarded a repeat order by the European Space Agency (ESA) for three service modules for use in the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency’s (Nasa’s) Artemis programme. (ESA is not an agency of the European Union.) This takes Airbus’ order book for the modules, designated the European Service Module (ESM), to six. Artemis is the programme that will take the next man and the first woman to the Moon by 2024. Each ESM will be attached to a Nasa... Читать дальше...

Train-maker Gibela is looking for eligible candidates for the 210 bursaries it is offering this year, for post-matric study in an array of engineering-related fields. Established in 2013 as a black economic empowerment company, the Gibela Rail Transport Consortium comprises French rail company Alstom and South Africa’s Ubumbano Rail.

Consulting Engineers South Africa believes that visible progress on a select number of high-profile infrastructure projects in 2021 could serve as an “immune booster” for South Africa’s ailing economy and provide impetus for a much-needed recovery in investor confidence. Presenting CESA’s yearly presidential message on Wednesday, Sugen Pillay argued that breaking ground on some of the 50-plus Strategic Integrated Projects already announced and gazetted by government could also build public trust and boost service delivery.

Industrial technology multinational Siemens South Africa and research organisation the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on February 3 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster technical vocational education and training (TVET) in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) critical technical and digital skills to contribute to the employability of the local workforce and enhance the quality of job profiles. The cooperation will also focus on piloting digital industry solutions in sectors such as food and beverage... Читать дальше...

Business organisation Business Unity South Africa (Busa) applauds the statement made by Eskom CEO André de Ruyter during a webinar on February 2, in favour of lifting the licencing exemption threshold for electricity generation. "Busa Energy structures have considered the analysis conducted by Meridian Economics and the survey conducted by EE Business Intelligence. We support the findings that up to 5 000 MW potential of private distributed generation could be unlocked if the licencing exemption threshold is lifted to 50 MW. Читать дальше...

Kenya Airways and Canadian aerospace company Avianor have converted the passenger cabins of some of the airline’s Boeing 787 airliners to carry cargo. Kenya Airways is a public-private partnership (with the State as the biggest but not the majority shareholder) and is the country’s national flag carrier, while Avianor is a Canadian enterprise specialising in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul and the integration and completion of cabin interiors. This was the first time, anywhere, that passenger... Читать дальше...

The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) and Bombela concessionaire have cancelled two tenders related to the procurement of around five pre-owned trains from the UK, says GMA CEO William Dachs. The tenders were first issued in 2019.

Paper and packaging giant Sappi has reported a recovery in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) from a low of $26-million in the quarter ended September 30, 2020, to $98-million in the quarter ended December 31, 2020 – the first quarter of the company’s 2021 financial year. CEO Steve Binnie says that, as a group, the company outperformed the guidance provided at the end of the September quarter, with profitability across all reporting segments exceeding expectations.

Independent organisation the Inclusive Society Institute has released a new report showing the correlation between lower population growth levels and reduced unemployment levels. ISI CEO Daryl Swanepoel explained that between 2011 and 2019 South African’s population grew by an average of 1.65%, which translates to 898 000 people a year. On average, there are also 600 000 new entrants into the labour market each year.

PPC Southern Africa MD Njombo Lekula says it is largely owing to strong relationships with its people that the company has managed to not only pull through Covid-19, but also been able to continue with its restructuring and refinancing project. Lekula says the company’s social impact has always been at the forefront of its sustainability strategy and that its focus on people has helped the company to achieve 128 years of existence.

Healthcare workers are encouraged to register on the Department of Health’s Electronic Vaccination Data System Self Enrolment Portal, as part of government’s phased approach to the vaccine roll-out. More than 34 000 health workers have already registered on the system, which forms part of government’s plan to lay foundations for digital health information systems. All active health workers can self-register on the portal: www.vaccine.enroll.health.za. South Africa has received its first consignment... Читать дальше...

Development finance institution, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has announced the launch of its first green bond of €200-million, which was issued through a private placement with the French development finance institution, the Agence Française de Développement. The bond will be structured in alignment with the DBSA's recently released Green Bond Framework which reiterates the institution's commitment to playing a role in the just transition to a low-carbon economy. The framework... Читать дальше...

Law firm Baker McKenzie reports that deal-making activity in sub-Saharan Africa dropped in the second half of 2020, when compared to the second half of 2019.  Deal-making for the full year were also down in terms of both volume and value compared with 2019.

Industrial parks developer and operator Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms’ co-founder Gagan Gupta has announced the creation of an advisory board, which includes former Goldman Sachs sub-Saharan Africa CEO Colin Coleman. French diplomat Bruno Delaye, African economist Carlos Lopes, former Total executive Momar Nguer and former Amethis executive Laureen Kouassi-Olsson are also serving on the advisory board.

The Mdluli Safari Lodge, built as part of a community and private sector sustainable tourism initiative, has been awarded a AA+ grade by independent investment advisory firm Impact Capital Africa for having an impact across four of the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reports Impact Capital Africa (ICA) CEO Brett Wallington. The project led to inspiring positive payoffs across a core and wide range of SDGs, quantified through the application of ICA's +Impact SDG Investment Grading Tool.