Новости за 10.02.2021

Information and communication technology (ICT) market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) says there are positive opportunities in Ethiopia as the government focuses on liberalising the telecommunications sector and allowing for foreign investment. This move creates space for organisations and investors to explore opportunities in this changing ICT ecosystem, which will have long-term benefits for the country, the IDC says in its ‘Ethiopia ICT Landscape and Future Market Opportunities’ market perspective insight analysis.

Technology solutions provider Abengoa Innovations has completed the construction of the demonstration plant for the Grasshopper project. The project is aimed at generating sustainable power using hydrogen fuel cells.

A leading bank economist expects fixed investment in South Africa to remain muted in 2021, weighed down by ongoing power shortages, political uncertainty and the Covid-19 pandemic. Standard Bank chief economist Goolam Ballim forecasts that investment levels will pick up in 2022, however, spurred by a recovery in global economic growth, as well as a rise in consumer confidence as the health and economic impacts of the pandemic taper in line with mass vaccination campaigns.

The US space agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), has chosen renowned private-sector space company SpaceX to launch the core elements of the agency’s Moon-orbiting space station, Lunar Gateway. SpaceX was founded by South African-born engineer and entrepreneur Elon Musk in 2002. (He is also SpaceX’s chief engineer). Including mission-related costs, this will cost Nasa about $331.8-million.        The Lunar Gateway, or just Gateway, is an essential part of the Artemis crewed space exploration programme. Читать дальше...

The International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) has reportedly received a policy directive from Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel to investigate the creation of a rebate facility of customs and safeguard duties to cover imported flat steel products used by the downstream steel industry. The Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) says receiving this notification is good news, since the downstream sector has been complaining about shortages of steel.

After almost a year of dealing with Covid-19-related shutdowns and disruptions, public sector tenders and contracts still do not include any clauses that deal with the pandemic, construction and technology law firm MDA Attorneys said on February 10, following a review of the contract conditions of several tender packages posted for public sector work. “The pandemic can no longer be deemed unforeseen and treated as a force majeure event, which is the provision most claims have relied upon during the significant disruptions of the past year. Читать дальше...

South Africa's health minister said on Wednesday the government may sell or swap doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine it may not need, as it scrambles to start inoculating its citizens with an alternative US shot next week. The unusual move comes just days after South Africa paused the rollout of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University following a small clinical trial that showed it did not protect against mild to moderate illness from the 501Y.V2 variant dominant in the country. Читать дальше...

The Road Freight Association (RFA) says it is “shocked and deeply concerned” about the suspension of Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) CEO Japh Chuwe, amidst allegations of maladministration. “This has a severe impact on the implementation of the highly controversial Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO), which is scheduled to be implemented in July,” says RFA CEO Gavin Kelly.

There are significant changes on the horizon for the local automotive industry, and they will affect every South African seeking to buy, repair or service a car, says AutoTrader. The changes, effective July 1, are owing to a series of guidelines published by the Competition Commission last year, regarding the local auto industry.

The Integrated Vaal River System (IVRS) looks set to reach the 100% mark as heavy downpours continue to fall throughout the country, with major dams within the system rapidly rising to full capacity, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) said on February 10. "Being the biggest of the systems in the country, with 14 dams, the IVRS is at 89.4%. Last week, the system stood at 82% while, at the same time last year, it floated at 65.1%."

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus is now engaged in large volume manufacturing of radio frequency (RF) components for satellites using additive layer manufacturing (ALM). Also known simply as additive manufacturing, ALM is popularly called 3D printing. RF components are of course fundamental for telecommunications satellites. Airbus has now manufactured 500 such components, comprising multi-waveguide blocks and switch assembly networks. Produced at Airbus Defence and Space’s facility in Portsmouth in the UK... Читать дальше...

Renewable energy leasing solutions company Solarise Africa has announced its expansion into Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia after signing a partnership agreement with turnkey energy services company Centennial Generating . The partnership adds seven projects in Rwanda, spread across the education, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality and agriculture sectors; two projects in Zambia; and one upcoming project in Uganda to the Solarise Africa portfolio.

The success of the One Altron strategy has set the base for the Altron 2.0 strategy; however, some “tough” choices had to be made to reposition the company for its new growth path amid economic turmoil and a global pandemic. The group, which has over the past few years focused on a vision of One Altron, is targeting a growth pace faster than that of gross domestic product (GDP), and has had to structurally adjust the company in order to set itself on a path to achieve its new targets.

Power utility Eskom say sit will implement Stage 3 load-shedding from 13:00 on February 10 to 06:00 on February 11. This is necessary as the power generation system is still severely constrained as a result of high generation unit breakdowns during the past three days, as well as the need to replenish diminishing emergency generation reserves, it states.

Black-owned investment company the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) has committed $10-million to venture capital firm Knife Capital’s new African Series B expansion fund − Knife Fund III. The fund’s aim is to invest in the aggressive expansion of African innovation-driven companies and fill a critical follow-on funding gap, says MIC.

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has announced that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for each ordinary hour worked has been increased from R20.76 to R21.69 for 2021, effective March 1. The NMW legislation came into effect on January 1, 2019, starting with R20 an hour, which is the floor level below which no employee should be paid.

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased to 94.5 index points in January, in line with the slow upward pace seen over the last few months. The BCI measures 94.3 index points in December, which was 0.9 index points higher than in November.

Diversified miner BHP has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japanese steel producer JFE Steel to jointly study technologies and pathways capable of making material reductions to greenhouse gas emissions from the integrated steelmaking process. BHP on Wednesday said that it was prepared to invest up to $15-million over the five-year partnership, which builds on the strong history of technical research and collaboration between the two companies.

South Africa's tourism industry has lost billions of rand and more than 300 000 jobs due to the hard lockdown since the outbreak of Covid-19. Deputy Tourism Minister Fish Mahlalela said the impact of Covid-19, accompanied by the hard lockdown, severely affected the tourism sector both locally and internationally.

The digitalisation of construction companies' processes and tools and the introduction of sensors and connectivity on project sites are driving deep changes in the construction and engineering industries. This will improve efficiencies across the supply chain, including the design, development and operation of built assets, construction and engineering software solutions firm RIB CCS CEO Andrew Skudder tells Engineering News.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata), which is the representative body of the global airline industry, has announced that it is offering a free online training course for airline cabin crew who have lost their jobs because of the crisis in the commercial aviation sector. The crisis has been caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and governmental actions to try and contain it. Iata decided to create the course after a survey of 800 unemployed cabin crew established that 78% of them desired... Читать дальше...

For South African winemaker Vergenoegd Löw, the pandemic could have been a disaster but a bitter trade war between China and Australia has thrown the 325-year-old estate a lifeline. Bottles of its reds, whites and roses piled up when South Africa banned alcohol sales under a strict lockdown and visitors who once flocked to the vineyard near Cape Town to sip wine and snap photos of its famed Indian Runner ducks vanished.