Новости за 31.05.2021

Free State Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Makalo Mohale has launched the Industrialisation Support Incentives Programme. The objectives of the programme are to stimulate local domestic manufacturing and production; to ensure job retention and job creation within industrial zones; to reduce economic concentration; assisting small, medium-sized and microenterprises to transition to industrial production levels; and to stimulate participation in large business and government supply chains.

The Competition Commission has recommended that the Competition Tribunal approve, with conditions, industrial gases company Air Liquide’s proposed acquisition of the business owning and operating 16 of petrochemicals group Sasol’s air separation units (ASUs). The target assets are 16 ASUs based at the Sasol Secunda site. The ASUs produce both industrial and specialty gases mainly for internal use by Sasol, and also produce a small percentage of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen.

South Africa, which has the wherewithal to provide the value-add consolidation advantage to battery materials that the world’s electric vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) want, is being seriously considered for the role, NextSource president and CEO Craig Scherba said on Monday. Earlier this year, NextSource secured a $29.5-million financing package from Sir Mick Davis’ Vision Blue investment firm for the Molo graphite mining project in southern Madagascar. (Also watch attached Creamer... Читать дальше...

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has rebuffed increasingly vociferous calls for the elimination of safeguard duties to ease ongoing supply constraints and price increases in the domestic market. CEO Kobus Verster acknowledges that some backlogs, which began to emerge in late 2019 and became more acute once lockdowns were imposed in response to Covid-19, remain for some categories of steel, most notably flat-steel products.

Building materials manufacturer and supplier Brikor increased its profit after tax to R12-million for the financial year ended February 28. That compares with the profit after tax of R1.5-million reported for the prior financial year.

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has awarded contracts worth more £2-million to six UK companies and UK-based subsidiary companies of international groups to develop options for the UKSA’s Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing programme (Space-Based PNT programme). The companies are Airbus, CGI, GMV NSL, Inmarsat, QinetiQ and Sirrus Analysis. “The UK is critically dependent on position, navigation and timing information from satellite navigation systems in transport, communications, energy distribution... Читать дальше...

Investment management group Invicta Holdings will sell 51.19% of its Singapore-based machinery parts distribution company Kian Ann Group to entities controlled by Zou Jian Liang and associates and Loy Soo Chew. The transaction will simultaneously allow for share subscriptions in Kian Ann by Invicta Asian Holdings and Zou to facilitate an increase of Kian Ann’s 27.604% shareholding in China-based heavy machinery parts manufacturer Kunshan Kensetsu Buhin (KKB) and its 50.01% shareholding in heavy machinery... Читать дальше...

Independent business community Sakeliga has instituted court proceedings to reverse municipal decline throughout South Africa, proposing a new form of municipal administration, with independent control over electricity and other service charges. In court papers currently being served on two municipalities in the North West, as well as to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and others, Sakeliga is asking the court for far-reaching, “novel interventions” that have never been applied at municipal level, it notes in a statement.

With the completion of the 12-block, 1 440-bed Alice Student Village Phase 2 built over two years, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) has 6 049 available beds in Alice, in the Eastern Cape, which are enough to accommodate 70% of students on its Alice campus. The R419-million greenfield student housing development was unveiled by Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande on May 31.

To strengthen diagnostic capacity and the health response to Covid-19 in Africa, global development institution IFC, private sector financer Proparco and pathology services company Cerba Lancet Africa have announced a partnership to increase patient access to a range of laboratory tests. The entities say that expanding access to diagnostics and laboratory testing is a critical part of tackling Covid-19, which has exposed vulnerabilities in health systems across Africa, as well as demonstrated the... Читать дальше...

Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane on May 31 provided an update on the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF), saying the department intends to defend the matter in court. The R1.2-billion fund was launched in January as part of the implementation of the commitments made during the State of the Nation Address 2020 and the department’s efforts to transform the sector.

Multinational specialty pharmaceutical company Aspen has committed to making sterile manufacturing capacity available for equitable Covid-19 vaccine access to Africa, as part of the continent’s efforts to determine how it can expand its manufacturing capacity to establish supply across the continent. Aspen CEO Stephen Saad presented during a high-level seminar on manufacturing vaccines in Africa on May 29, which was hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Namibian power utility Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) has called for bids for the engineering, procurement and construction of the 50 MW Anixas II power station. The power station will make use of dual-fuel technologies to be used in an internal combustion reciprocating engine plant.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that it has awarded contracts, totalling €1.47-billion, for the design and construction of the initial group of the second-generation Galileo navigation satellites. The contracts, awarded after an open competition, went to Germany’s Airbus Defence and Space and Italy’s Thales Alenia Space. The ESA was acting on behalf of the European Commission. The Galileo satellite navigation system is owned by the European Union (EU) and is operated by the EU Agency for the Space Programme. Читать дальше...

Mario Pietromartire, founder, and MD of Bomar Projects, passed away on 11th May 2021, aged 88. Born in Italy, he trained in the Italian military flying school before coming to South Africa to attend the State School of Mines. After a period in the gold mines, aged 36, he was appointed by JCI/Dipenta as underground manager at the Outlet section of the 83 km Orange-Fish project. Mario showed great leadership under the watchful eye of Commentatore Pasquale himself. Involving shallow cover ...

Power utility Eskom will implement Stage 2 load-shedding from 16:00 on Monday afternoon until 05:00 on Tuesday morning. It has also warned that there is a possibility that load-shedding would continue throughout the week. The utility noted that it has had to resort to load-shedding as a result of the cold front setting in earlier than expected, as well as high breakdowns of generation units.

South African National Parks (SANParks) has signed a bipartite agreement with French development agency Agence Française de Dévéloppement (AFD) for funding to preserve biodiversity in South Africa. The AFD is providing €1.85-million biodiversity efforts in South Africa and Reunion Island. SANParks will receive €1.2-million and Reunion Island the balance.

The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) has announced the 23 finalists for the 2021 South African Car of the Year award.  Besides the overall winner’s crown, the finalists can also win in one of nine categories: budget; compact; family compact; family; premium; performance; new energy; adventure sports-utility vehicle (SUV) and double cab.

With the financial year, ended February 28, having been an “exciting” one for natural gas producer Renergen, the company believes it is on a “much stronger footing” towards becoming a significant helium and liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer, despite headwinds presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite a slow start to the financial year, which saw headline earnings for the year decrease by 23% to 36.29c a share, Renergen completed the design of the Virginia gas plant, in the Free State, in June 2020 – 22 days ahead of schedule.

Trade union the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it strongly condemns the ongoing failure by State-owned defence equipment manufacturer Denel Land Systems to pay the salaries of workers. It has sent a demand letter for Denel to pay the outstanding salaries within 14 days or face legal action, NUM metal sector coordinator Mawonga Madolo says.

The South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) says it welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision not to ban alcohol sales with the current tightening of restrictions as Covid-19 infections surge in the third wave. Ramaphosa addressed the nation on May 30, announcing a move to Alert Level 2 restrictions as a means to slow the spread of the virus.

Swedish multinational manufacturing company Atlas Copco will be acquiring specialised vacuum systems and solutions provider Arpuma. The acquisition will enable Atlas to grow its systems and solutions business within the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.

In a weekly Business Leadership South Africa newsletter, CEO Busi Mavuso has unpacked her apprehensions around the Expropriation Bill, as debates continue around amendments to the property rights legislation and the Constitution. She says that was is most disconcerting is the fact the Bill explicitly defines property as “not limited to land”, meaning moveable and financial assets, as well as intellectual property, are up for grabs.

The throaty roar of an eager engine is often one of the main selling points for those who love performance cars, such as the BMW M range. However, this becomes problematic in zero-emission battery electric vehicles that produce no engine noise. BMW is tackling this problem through a collaborative effort between well-known composer Hans Zimmer and Renzo Vitale, creative director sound at the BMW Group, to produce a distinctive driving sound for an electric BMW M car.

Business group Sakeliga is dropping its legal action against Sedibeng Water after the water agency agreed to withdraw its instruction for the cut-off of water supply services in several municipalities in the North West. On May 25, Sedibeng Water issued a suspension notice, effective June 1, for the supply of bulk water and operational and maintenance services in some parts of the province.