Новости за 10.08.2021

The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) says the Polihali dam construction tender process marks the start of the final construction phase of the water transfer component under the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and follows on the tender, issued in May, for the construction of the Polihali Transfer Tunnel. LHDA announced the launch of the tender on August 6 and tender documents were made available for download or collection from the LHDA from August 9. Interested and... Читать дальше...

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reports that, in June, overall South African manufacturing production increased by 12.5% year-on-year as a primary result of positive contributions from the sectors of motor vehicles, metal products, wood products, food and beverage, as well as furniture and other manufacturing. The contributions made by the automotive sector, comprising the manufacturing of motor vehicles, parts and accessories and other transport equipment, increased by 84.1%, contributing 4.9 percentage points.

Roads infrastructure developer Bakwena reports that the civil unrest of mid-July, which placed “chokeholds” on the national roads of the N2, N3 and major roads around Durban, as well as destabilised supply chains in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, are reminders of the crucial role played by road networks in the transportation of goods across Southern Africa. Without the vital road arteries to move food and other basic supplies seamlessly, the concessionaire says South Africa could face a socioeconomic “heart attack”.

Trade union Solidarity says it supports State-owned power utility Eskom's investigation following an explosion at Unit 4 of the Medupi coal-fired power station, in Lephalale, on August 8. Eskom had confirmed on August 9 that the unit generator had been severely damaged in the explosion, which occurred during the displacement of hydrogen with carbon dioxide and air, respectively, for the purposes of finding an external leak.

Hospitality multinational Radisson Hotel Group will build its sixteenth hotel in South Africa – the Radisson Hotel Middelburg, which will open at the end of 2023. The hotel is part of the group’s expansion plan in South Africa. It also places the group firmly on track to reach its ambition of having 150 hotels in operation and under development across Africa within the next five years, the group said in a statement on August 10.

JSE-listed real estate investment trust (Reit) Fortress Reit has launched R900-million in sustainability-linked bonds, aligned to its ongoing strategic environmental, social and governance plan to scale up its renewable energy generation for its own use and potentially also for sale to the grid in future. The JSE has granted Fortress the listing of a three-year sustainability-linked bond of R495-million and a five-year sustainability-linked note of R405-million.

Boikanyo Solar, situated in the Siyancuma local municipality, close to Douglas, in the Northern Cape, started commercial operations earlier this year, having reached grid code compliance on April 9. This project, which took a year to build, is part of a portfolio of six projects owned by the same shareholders and procured under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme Bid Window 4, and is the last of the six to come online.

The findings of a recently released study from scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisation the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) shows that an estimated 10.3-million tonnes a year of edible food, earmarked for human consumption in South Africa, do not reach the human stomach. That is about 34% of local food production; however, because South Africa is a net exporter of food, the losses and waste is equivalent to 45% of the available food supply in the country.

Dedicated air cargo operators Astral Aviation, based in Kenya, and Silk Way West Airlines, of Azerbaijan, announced on Tuesday that they had signed an interline agreement. This will provide cross-selling benefits to both companies and give each access to the other’s network. The two operators’ networks are very complementary, with effectively no overlap. Astral Aviation’s network covers East and Southern Africa and has routes to Dubai, Belgium and the UK. Silk Way West covers destinations in Europe (but neither the UK nor Belgium)... Читать дальше...

Following the death of City of Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo on July 9, an extraordinary council meeting on August 10 resulted in Councillor Jolidee Matongo being elected as the new executive Mayor. Matongo, who is the former Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance in the current term of office, takes over for the remainder of the term held by Makhubo.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE's) Working on Fire programme will deploy 109 firefighters and management to Manitoba, in Canada, to assist with firefighting efforts. This is the fourth deployment of firefighters to Canada and the team will be deployed on the evening of August 10, the DFFE said in a statement.

Stainless steel production has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, resulting in robust demand for ferrochrome and chrome ore and better pricing on both, Merafe CEO Zanele Matlala said on Tuesday when the company reported cash-rich results supported by increased production. Improved efficiencies resulted in record smelting production for the JSE-listed ferrochrome company. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) has appointed a new senior management team for its tyre manufacturing plant in Gqeberha, Continental’s only tyre production facility in Africa. Ahmed Boualam is the new manufacturing GM, with responsibility for overall management of plant operations.

His company may have been operating for 61 years, but that counts for nothing when Second Muguyo, finance manager at Zimbabwean copper and silver goods manufacturer Copperwares, tries to access overseas credit. The problem? Foreign lenders and trade partners don't know the company well enough. So when suppliers or customers demand cash payments or products up front, it locks in precious capital that can only be recouped when the finished goods are delivered - up to 10 months later.

Embraer, the Brazilian aerospace group that is the world number one manufacturer of jet airliners with up to 150 seats, announced on Monday that it had received an order for a further 16 E175 aircraft from US operator SkyWest Airlines. The contract is worth $798.4-million. The E175 can carry up to 88 passengers (in single-class configuration), but the aircraft for SkyWest will have a three-class configuration and carry 76 passengers. The aircraft, although acquired by SkyWest, will be exclusively... Читать дальше...

Digital motoring marketplace AutoTrader saw a 36% increase in searches for used-vehicles in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. However, normalising for lockdown in the second quarter of last year, vehicle-search growth would have been 26%, says AutoTrader CEO George Mienie.

Independent power producer Globeleq and financial services firm Absa have completed the senior debt refinancing of three of Globeleq's renewable energy power plants in South Africa, the companies said on August 10. The purpose of the refinancing is to enhance the projects’ capital structures, allowing for the release of value to shareholders and the reduction of the tariff to the national utility and, ultimately, consumers in South Africa.

State-owned Transnet at the weekend hosted a trolley trip for the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government leadership to observe operations that constitute the Durban-Gauteng, or Natal, rail corridor, also known as Natcor. The corridor is considered the main artery linking the Durban port precinct to the country’s main economic hub in Gauteng, and is receiving priority attention in Transnet’s improvement plans, and as part of the group’s road-to-rail initiative.

JSE-listed information technology services company Adapt IT CEO Sibusiso Shabalala has resigned as a director of the company and its subsidiaries with effect from August 6. Adapt IT announced on August 10 that the board had accepted his resignation.

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has reiterated the organisation’s commitment to supporting government to support policy development that can drive the country’s economic recovery. This follows on the heels of the appointment of South Africa’s new Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, who will be “keenly watched by both local and international business to detect whether it means an improvement or deterioration in the business environment”.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced on Monday that the country’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) had awarded a £9.5-million contract to British company In-Space Missions to build the ‘Titania’ future defence communications technology research satellite. This will use narrow laser beams (which cannot be jammed like radio frequencies) to transmit data. The project is known as the ‘Titania Operational Concept Demonstrator’ and will have two elements – the Titania low Earth orbit... Читать дальше...

Ferrochrome company Merafe on Tuesday reported an after-tax profit of R576-million in the six months to June 30 compared with a loss of R961-million in the prior comparative period. Half-year ferrochrome production rose 66% to 199 000 t, revenue rose 60% to R3 746-million and earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation  (Ebitda) rocketed 422% to R819-million.