Новости за 01.03.2021

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has congratulated South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) for winning awards from the Centre for Public Service Innovation. The CIPC won the Most Innovative Public Service Entity of the Year award for 2020, as well as the Effective Use Of Digitised Services award for its Bizportal online registration system.

In an open letter to financial services provider Standard Bank and 24 other banks, 263 community and nonprofit organisations from 49 countries have called on the banks not to fund the construction of the world’s longest heated crude oil pipeline, namely the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) proposed by oil and gas multinational Total and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). The 263 organisations are demanding that Total provide full and fair compensation to communities already affected by the project... Читать дальше...

Industry body the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) COO Niveshen Govender says the organisation supports the implementation of technology-specific, nuanced procurement programmes based on long-term capacity requirements to facilitate cheaper power. Energy security is a fundamental building block, necessary to achieve higher economic growth and employment levels, and the association welcomed Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's recognition in the budget speech of the role that the... Читать дальше...

In an Africa Energy Indaba panel moderated by Standard Bank renewable energy head Rentia van Tonder, on March 1, she pointed out that a lack of financing remains a major prohibitor for power generation project development in Africa. She said political and credit risks remain prevalent for investors, which necessitates the development of innovative funding solutions toward making projects more bankable. African Developm

The International Air Transport Association’s (Iata’s) Airlines Financial Monitor December 2020-January 2020 has warned that airlines would face rising cost pressures as the global economy recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. This was because of rising oil and jet fuel prices. Iata, which is the representative body for the global airline industry, pointed out that fuel is the largest variable cost for its members. Oil and jet fuel prices have been strengthening since the second quarter of last ...

South Africa's public sector unions want a general salary rise of consumer inflation plus 4% for all workers, according to a labour document presented on Monday, as talks began over a new wage deal. The list of 16 demands, which includes better housing payments and a risk allowance of 12% of basic salary because of the Covid-19 pandemic, comes amid heightened tension between unions representing over 1 million teachers, nurses and police and the state over salaries.

The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) has announced a change in its naming conventions, as it says it represents a wider community of stakeholders than only vehicle manufacturers.  “Traditionally, we were established to primarily represent the interests of local vehicle manufacturers,” says CEO Mikel Mabasa.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) is urging African policymakers to use their limited public resources strategically, and alongside policy and regulatory instruments, to unlock the $105-billion required yearly to install the 1 026 GW of renewable energy needed by 2050 to meet the continent’s growing electricity demand. Speaking at the virtual Africa Energy Indaba on Monday, director-general Francesco La Camera highlighted the disproportionate role of public finance in Africa’s renewables sector.

Nominations are now open for persons to be considered for appointment to the National Planning Commission (NPC) for the next five years. The next commission will serve during the challenging aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, a time during which economic and social recovery and reconstruction are the overarching priorities, to build momentum towards achieving the National Development Plan’s 2030 goals.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) trading and shipping company Petredec has completed the acquisition of Eastern Cape fuels distributor Quest Petroleum, which will now become part of the Petrefuel Business Division in South Africa. Quest will become part of the Petrefuel group of companies, along with the former Jubane Petroleum and Oilco Wholesale businesses and a stablemate of Petregaz, a South African LPG wholesaler.

South Africa has significant work to do in driving its economic recovery despite the forecasted 3.2% gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for 2021, and the encouraging R791.2-billion committed to infrastructure development, says industry organisation the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) CEO Vishaal Lutchman. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni revealed during his 2021 Budget Review on February 24 that the 3.2% GDP forecast follows an estimated 7.2% contraction in 2020.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has set the Petroleum Pipelines System tariff, which will allow State-owned rail entity Transnet to realise an 11.15% decrease in allowable revenue (AR) compared with the 2020/21 tariff period. However, owing to a forecasted reduction in the volumes of petroleum products transported, this translates to a 2.39% tariff increase for the Durban-to-Alrode (JHB) route.

UK-based global major industrial technology group Rolls-Royce has announced its all-electric technology demonstrator aircraft, named ‘Spirit of Innovation’, has successfully carried out its taxiing tests. These tests are a most important practical demonstration of the integration of the aircraft’s propulsion system. The ‘Spirit of Innovation’ is a single-seat high-performance propellor-driven aircraft intended to set a new world-speed record for all-electric aircraft of 300 mph (483 km/h) or ...

A new industry organisation Cement and Concrete South Africa (CCSA) was launched on March 1 to create long-term shared value and industry growth in South Africa through collaboration, skills development, innovation and the highest standards in sustainable cement and concrete materials and products. The CCSA has been mandated to promote and support the industry, to drive growth and deliver shared value through a unified platform for cement and concrete, says CEO Bryan Perrie.

The Botswana government believes there is an opportunity for the country to participate in the South African automotive sector. “Around 60% of the components used in South African vehicles are still imported from outside Africa. Given Botswana’s proximity to South Africa, we see this as an opportunity to vertically integrate into the ever-growing South African automotive value chain,” says Botswana high commissioner to South Africa Tshenolo Modise.

JSE-listed consumer goods company RCL Foods continued to leverage its diverse portfolio to remain resilient during the six months ended December 31, 2020, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic continued to present hardships and challenges globally. The company recorded a 10.5% year-on-year increase in revenue to R15.7-billion, driven mainly by higher volumes and improved prices in sugar and baking, improved milling volumes and the take-on of new principals in Vector Logistics following its acquisition... Читать дальше...

The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) increased to 53 index points in February from 50.9 in the month before. The further increase was supported by three of the five subcomponents gaining relative to January, while only the employment index moved lower. The supplier deliveries index also ticked down but remained well above the neutral 50-point mark and, therefore, supported the headline figure, financial services provider Absa reported on March 1.

South Africa would be foregoing an “extraordinary opportunity” should it fail to develop local manufacturing capacity around its large-scale and multidecade deployment of renewable energy, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter argued on Monday. Speaking during the opening session of the virtual Africa Energy Indaba 2021, De Ruyter said the country’s transition from a coal-dominated electricity supply industry to one based increasingly on wind and solar should also be viewed as a real industrialization opportunity.

Telecommunications group MTN Nigeria has posted increases across the board during the year ended December 31, 2020. The West African operations achieved a 9.7% increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) to N685.7-billion, however, the Ebitda margin declined by 2.5 percentage points to 50.9% owing to increased operating expenses.

JSE-listed Bidvest delivered a strong operating and financial performance for the six months ended December 31, 2020, with revenue up 3.4% year-on-year to R44.4-billion. Trading profit increased by 3.5% year-on-year to R4.1-billion, off a pre-pandemic base, which was enhanced by the consolidation of UK hygiene service provider PHS.

An ongoing probe by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) to determine the cause of the high levels of air pollution reported in Mpumalanga and Gauteng during the week of February 11 to 17 has determined that sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels were in compliance with ambient air-quality standards across all stations during the week, but that levels of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) had been elevated at times during the week. The probe followed reports of persistent, unpleasant smells in... Читать дальше...

The World Trade Organization's first female and first African director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala began work on Monday, ending a six-month leadership void at the global trade watchdog. After a long campaign that was derailed in the late stages by a Trump administration veto, the 66-year-old Nigerian was finally confirmed as boss last month, pledging to "forget business as usual" at the body which is struggling to strike new deals and whose arbitration functions are paralysed.

South Africa's National Treasury is proposing changing rules governing pension funds to encourage investment in infrastructure projects. Africa's most industrialised nation - the hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic on the continent - has put public works in sectors such as transport, energy and water at the heart of its economic recovery plans.

MTN Nigeria is at an advanced stage in renewing its operating spectrum and licence in Nigeria for another ten years from September, the local unit of South Africa's MTN said on Sunday. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the renewal of the 900 MHz and 1 800 MHz bands due to expire in August 2021.

MTN Group remains committed to negotiating a $65-million sale of its 75% stake in its Syrian unit, the South African mobile operator said on Sunday, despite the business being placed under judicial guardianship last week. MTN Syria was placed under guardianship by a court in Damascus over alleged MTN violations of the terms of its licensing contract, which the state says deprived the government of revenue.