Новости за 29.07.2021

UK-based global major aerospace and defence group BAE Systems (BAES) announced on Thursday that it had been awarded a £250-million contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to further advance the design and development of the country’s Tempest Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The signing of this contract marks the formal initiation of the concept and assessment phase for Tempest. The FCAS is being developed by a group of UK companies and UK subsidiaries of major Western aerospace and defence enterprises, collectively known as Team Tempest. Читать дальше...

Air passenger demand remains well below the levels experienced before the Covid-19 pandemic, although there has been a minor improvement in both international and domestic air travel numbers, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) reported on Wednesday. Iata is the representative body of the global air transport industry. Iata expressed disappointment at the latest data. The low demand levels were, it noted, due to continuing restrictions on international travel, imposed to try and contain the pandemic.

During the first half of this year (1H21), the global air cargo market recorded its strongest semester of growth since 2017. This was reported by the International Air Transport Association (Iata), the representative body of the global airline and air cargo industry, when it released, on Wednesday, its latest data on the sector. During 1H21, air cargo grew 8% globally, year-on-year. In 2017, it had registered a year-on-year growth of 10.2%. “Air cargo is doing a brisk business as the global economy... Читать дальше...

The Competition Tribunal has approved the proposed merger between the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings (MMIH). The transaction will see the GEPF gaining sole control over MMIH’s undivided share of Redevelopment Erf 3 and its share of the rental enterprise known as Central Square, within the Menlyn Maine precinct, in Pretoria.

Information technology (IT) multinational IBM has started a new technology unit that encompasses all its brands and technology community, placing its business partners at the forefront of the goal to provide client organisations with access to integrated technology teams to solve their challenges and advance their digital transformation, says IBM Southern Africa technology executive Craig Holmes. As announced by IBM CEO Arvind Krishna in January, the company will invest $1-billion in its partnership ecosystem... Читать дальше...

South Africa is in super cycle stagnation phase and moving into a volatile period and, therefore, diversification of portfolios is certainly justified, FNB Commercial Property Finance economist John Loos said, speaking during hybrid fund Fortress REIT’s webinar on June 29. Loos explained that the country has been in a super cycle stagnation phase since the global financial crisis, with this engendering heightened anger and tension, as seen in examples of service delivery protest and unrest.

Nigerian independent energy company Seplat Energy continues to deliver a robust performance despite the ongoing pandemic, with its second-quarter volumes being significantly higher than that of the first three months of the year. CEO Roger Brown says the company remains “confident of a good outcome” for the full year as it continues to drive improvements across its operations.

Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the R38.9-billion relief packaged unveiled by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to support businesses affected by the recent riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, as well as to support poor citizens and vulnerable workers who continue to be affected by the Covid-19-related lockdowns.

Energy equipment and solutions provider Conco Energy Solutions has been acquired by wholly black-owned DLO Resources Group, which is headed up by 51% shareholder, founder and CEO Linda Mabhena-Olagunju. DLO is a renewable energy developer and strategic investor.

Primary steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has reported its strongest interim earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) in a decade at R3.21-billion. This compares with a loss of R1.2-billion reported for the six months ended June 30, 2020.

JSE-listed Imperial Logistics’ subsidiary Imperial Capital Limited (ICL) has entered into agreements to acquire the J&J Group logistics company, which operates in Africa, for R4.4-billion. Imperial earlier in July announced it is in discussions involving the acquisition of a privately owned group of companies known as the J&J Group.

South African banks said on Thursday that replacing 1 400 automatic teller machines (ATMs) vandalised and looted during recent violent unrest could take about two months. As much as R20-million could have been taken, "however that is a rough estimate," according to Bongiwe Kunene, managing director of the Banking Association South Africa.

Continental’s development and production service provider, Continental Engineering Services (CES), and Siemens Mobility, have announced that they are collaborating in the development and production of current collectors for trucks, or, so-called pantographs, similar to those seen above some trains in South Africa. The aim is to electrify key sections of the European highway network with an overhead line system, thereby reducing the carbon emissions from trucks.

The R640-million Musina ring road project is set for completion in the second quarter of next year, says the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).  The road will serve to alleviate traffic congestion in the Musina central business district (CBD), and reduce the travel time for road users in and around the Limpopo town.

Regenesys Business School on July 28 launched its EdForAll initiative – a technology-driven online higher education initiative delivering internationally recognised degrees, diplomas and certificate programmes from R500 a month to financially disadvantaged students across the world. The students pay the remaining fees once they gain employment or promotion after obtaining the qualification.

South African State logistics firm Transnet has fully restored operations at ports following a cyber attack that forced the firm to declare force majeure at its container terminals, the Ministry of Public Enterprises said. The department said late on Wednesday that the main system responsible for container operations had been restored and that the force majeure was under review with the intention to lift it in the coming days.

JSE-listed Altron has appointed Nicholas Bofilatos as Group CFO, effective July 29, succeeding Cedric Miller, while Stewart van Graan has been appointed chairperson, effective July 28, following Mike Leeming’s retirement. Bofilatos, who joined Altron in 2019 and was finance executive: change management, has more than 15 years’ experience in finance leadership positions and was previously Group CFO at Ctrack Holdings.

The South African Meat Processors Association (Sampa) and the South African Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE SA) have called for an action plan to ensure imported perishable food containers are re-routed to inland cold storage facilities, as KwaZulu-Natal facilities have been severely impacted by the recent unrest. There are currently 290 temperature-controlled reefer containers at the Port of Durban, which require an urgent cold storage remedy, the entities state.

Digital healthcare, which is the use of information and communications technologies and devices to provide medical services, can enable the local use of expert and international resources, as well as augment the capabilities of medical practitioners even in resource-constrained environments. This can be achieved through the establishment of a digital medical services platform and an ecosystem to link healthcare consumers to their doctors and other healthcare professionals, enabling healthcare professionals... Читать дальше...