Новости за 08.02.2021

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) on February 8 launched its new Productive Capacities Index (PCI), which measures countries’ capacity to achieve social and economic transformation and helps them track their ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The new tool will help developing countries improve their development policies, reduce poverty and build economic resilience to negative shocks, such as from as the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated economies across the world.

South Africa’s State-owned Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) announced on Monday that it had sold its stake in Indian company Mumbai International Airport Private Limited (MIAL). This enterprise manages and operates Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. ACSA’s shareholding amounted to 10% of MIAL. The sale brought ACSA an income (net of the relevant taxes) of  6 164 779 140 Indian rupees (or just over R1.26-billion). In its brief statement, the South African company gave no reason for the sale.

South African private sector airline Airlink has announced that it will restart scheduled flights linking Johannesburg with the iron ore mining centre of Sishen in the Northern Cape province. The flights will resume on February 15.  “Airlink recognises the strategically important role that Sishen plays in our economy both as a mining town and sustaining jobs in the Northern Cape province, but also in generating valuable foreign revenue for South Africa through exports of iron ore,” assured Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster. Читать дальше...

The impact of the growth of fifth-generation (5G) telecommunications infrastructure and new and existing applications will add an estimated $1.3-trillion to global gross domestic product by 2030, with health and social set to add $530-billion from productivity and efficiency gains, advisory multinational PwC said on February 8. "More than a faster version of mobile connectivity, 5G's speed, reliability, reduced energy use and massive connectivity will be transformative for businesses and wider society... Читать дальше...

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) have opposed Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s proposal to procure new nuclear power capacity. This follows after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) issued a consultation paper and called for public input, comment and response to a determination by the Minister in terms of the Electricity Regulation Act to procure 2 500 MW of new nuclear power in South Africa.

Manufacturing company Nyanza Light Metals has appointed LSE-listed quality assurance provider Intertek as its quality control and assurance partner for its titanium beneficiation project, which is under construction at the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ). Nyanza is building the R4.5-billion titanium beneficiation plant, which will beneficiate ilmenite and titanium slag to produce titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment, which an important ingredient in the manufacturing of paint and industrial coatings. Читать дальше...

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has called for potential investors, including banking institutions, to assist government’s efforts in meeting the demand for social housing units by investing in social housing projects. Sisulu says the investment opportunities are spread across the country’s metros.

Addressing the current fiscal imbalance in the economy through accelerated and efficient infrastructure procurement and achieving the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) requires a strategic focus on not just the short-term, but the medium- to long-term delivery of basic services in South Africa, says industry body the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE). To revitalise and rebuild the South African economy, the government must focus on five key pillars that are fundamental to service delivery... Читать дальше...

The outlook for platinum group metals (PGMs) is one of constrained supply and very strong demand growth. “You’ve got the entire PGMs suite that is short and that certainly will translate into tight markets,” World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) Director of Research Trevor Raymond told Mining Weekly in a Zoom interview on Monday. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Retail-focused real estate investment trust (Reit) Hyprop has concluded agreements to dispose of Atterbury Value Mart for an aggregate consideration of R1.12-billion − 4.6% below the current market valuation. The company has reached agreements with three private parties who will each acquire a one-third undivided share in the property.

South Africa’s exports have benefitted from the recovery of the Chinese economy and rising global demand for commodities, such as precious stones, which has led to growth exceeding pre-Covid-19 lockdown levels during the third quarter of 2020, Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies' (TIPS's) third-quarter 'Export Tracker' shows. The Export Tracker found that South Africa’s exports for the third quarter of 2020 grew by 9.2% year-on-year and by 40.2% quarter-on-quarter, amounting to R388-billion.

With concerns around fifth-generation (5G) technologies being raised by citizens across social media in recent months, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has put to bed the theories surrounding the new technologies' deployment on human health. Over the past few months, discussions on whether 5G is harmful to citizens' health have accelerated, leading to widespread fear that the new technology is causing the spread and mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as cancer, skin effects... Читать дальше...

To bring about much-needed relief on roads and move goods more efficiently to the ports, Transnet’s Cape Town Container Terminal has piloted an inland operation that will see the haulage of reefer containers from Belcon Inland Terminal, in Bellville, to the port. The collaboration between Transnet’s two operating divisions – Port Terminals and Freight Rail – supports the State-owned entity’s strategy for a modal shift from road to rail, while effecting improvements in the entire supply chain.

The South African German Energy Programme (Sagen), implemented by the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) have launched a new application (app) to improve investment decisions around energy use in lighting of buildings across South Africa. The app has been tailored especially for the local market and will be made available for download later this year.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has postponed the local introduction of its first fully electric vehicle (EV), the EQC. “The market introduction and start of sales of the EQC was set to take place in 2020, but due to the significant disruption of Covid-19 and other contributing factors, we took the decision to postpone the market introduction to early 2022,” says Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa marketing director Selvin Govender.

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) highlighted on Monday that the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Observatory (SKAO) was now active, following the first meeting of the SKAO Council on February 4. The current members of the SKAO are Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa and the UK. The SKA instrument will be co-hosted by South Africa and Australia, while the SKAO head office is based in the UK, at the world-renowned Jodrell Bank observatory (which also hosted ...

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) electricity subcommittee has recommended that the Energy Regulator approves Gold Fields’ high-profile licence application for a 40 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project to be developed at its South Deep mine, in Gauteng. Nersa has confirmed with Engineering News & Mining Weekly that the decision was made at a virtual meeting of the subcommittee on February 5.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that the net is closing in on those involved in corrupt acts, warning those found guilty that they will be dealt with harshly and appropriately. Last week the Special Investigating Unit released a report on public spending on coronavirus in South Africa, which found evidence of political pressure, price inflation, and fraud in many of the contracts, fuelled by an "insatiable pursuit of self-enrichment". Ramaphosa said the SIU’s investigation provided... Читать дальше...

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) expects a few vital aspects to be addressed this week during the President’s State of the Nation Address (SoNA), including the vaccine strategy, spectrum auctions and a fifth round of the renewable energy programme. Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) CEO Chris Campbell and BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso agree the business realm wants to see a clear rollout plan that details when vulnerable groups will receive vaccinations and, in turn, when the need for lockdown measures will dissipate.

South Africa's rand weakened early on Monday after the country's Covid-19 vaccination plan suffered a setback over the weekend as the government put on hold the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine in its programme. At 0635 GMT, the rand traded at 14.8850 against the dollar, 0.32% weaker than its close on Friday. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed after a trial showed the AstraZeneca vaccine did not significantly reduce the risk of mild... Читать дальше...

Telecommunications group Telkom has posted increases of 0.9% and 8.5% respectively in revenue and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) during the nine months to December 31, 2020. Telkom Group CEO Sipho Maseko attributed the results to a robust mobile growth, the service revenue of which expanded 40.7% during the nine months under review, as well as solid sustainable cost management and strong free cash flow generation.

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) will increase the stake held by employees and black empowerment investors in the company to 20%, it said on Friday, in a bid to meet merger conditions laid out by competition authorities. In 2014, the Coca-Cola Company and SABMiller Plc reached an agreement with the majority shareholder of a company which bottled Coca-Cola's products to combine the bottling operations of their non-alcoholic beverages businesses in Southern and East Africa, which led to the creation of CCBSA's parent company.

Any unilateral step by Ethiopia to fill its hydropower project, called the Renaissance Dam, in July would directly threaten Sudan's national security, Sudanese Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Yasser Abbas said on Saturday. Sudan is also proposing a mediation role for the United States, European Union, United Nations and African Union as a way of breaking the deadlock in talks about the dam between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Abbas told Reuters in an interview.