Новости за 10.09.2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a spike in price gouging and complaints from customers, and the Competition Commission of South Africa had to, and continues to, focus efforts on mitigating this situation, and has learnt several lessons from this. This was indicated during the a webinar hosted by the commission on September 10.

The Association Of Southern African Travel Agents (Asata) is optimistic about the announcement by Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla that South Africa will roll out digital vaccine certificates for vaccinated South Africans. The Minister announced that vaccinated South Africans will be able to upload their digital certificate on their smartphones and print their certificates if needed.

Automation company ABB has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Canadian engineering consultancy MEDATech to jointly explore solutions to decarbonise mining operations through charging solutions and optimised electric drive systems in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for heavy-duty applications. The two companies will share expertise and collaborate in bringing solutions to market that will reduce the greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions associated with heavy machinery in mining.

Following the resumption of scheduled flight operations on September 1, Comair reached another milestone in the business rescue process with capital inflows of R270-million.  Flights were resumed at the start of this month after a temporary suspension as a result of Level 3 Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Nonprofit organisation the Green Connection believes the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) has failed in its objective to get power onto the grid. Green Connection strategic lead Liziwe McDaid says the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ought to scrap the programme.

Sustainability is not a function of compliance but rather a strategic imperative to change the role that mining plays in society and in economies, says Sibanye-Stillwater senior vice-president and head of sustainability Loyiso Ndlovu. “We do this by sticking to the knitting in being miners, and then supporting the growth of new economies in a manner designed to build legacies," says Ndlovu, who was speaking on environmental, social and governance (ESG) during the Sibanye-Stillwater Investor Day, covered by Mining Weekly. Читать дальше...

The National Treasury is inviting members of the public to participate in pre-budget consultations in an effort to return public finances to a sustainable position through ongoing restraint in expenditure growth and implementation of structural reforms to support economic growth. This forms part of a Fiscal Openness Accelerator (FOA) project, of which South Africa is one of five pilot and participating countries.

The National Treasury has noted, in a preliminary quarterly report, that municipalities spent 91.9% of the total adjusted expenditure budget that was afforded to local government in the 2020/21 financial year. Municipalities spent R446-billion of the allocated R485-billion for the financial year.

South African construction company Motheo Construction has appointed Gregory Mofokeng as a nonexecutive director. Mofokeng is currently involved with voluntary industry associations such as the Black Business Council in the Built Environment and the Construction Alliance South Africa, as well as regulatory bodies such as the South African Council for the Landscape Architectural Profession.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has announced that co-CEO and Mercedes-Benz Cars executive director Johannes Fritz will be moving back to Germany to head up Mercedes-Benz Cars and Vans in Bavaria, one of the largest sales regions in the German market.  “Fritz, who spent four years in South Africa, believes firmly that the brand’s biggest differentiators in a highly competitive market is an innovative retail experience, an unwavering focus on customer care and a strong partnership with its agent partners,” says MBSA.

The Department of Health has announced the development of a digital vaccination certificate, which will show proof of vaccination. Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said this initiative is in line with the World Health Organisation-initiated vaccination certificate, which the WHO is using in an attempt to standardise vaccination proof across the world. Phaahla said that in the coming weeks the certificate should be available to all those who are vaccinated. He emphasised that the certificate will not be required to access public services. Читать дальше...

China's Sinovac Biotech is in talks about setting up a vaccine production facility in South Africa with its local partner, the chief executive of Numolux said on Friday. Hilton Klein made the comments at the launch of the South African leg of a global Phase III trial of Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine in children and adolescents.

Want proof of how hard it is for some oil-producing countries to lift supply? Look no further than the west African nation of Angola. State Secretary for Petroleum and Gas Jose Barroso said Thursday that the country aims to keep production above 1.1-million barrels a day in the coming years.

Bell Equipment will launch its first autonomous articulated dump truck (ADT) on the global market next year, says Bell Equipment CEO Leon Goosen. The truck will also be available in South Africa.

In this opinion piece, law firm Bowmans head of banking and finance Shamilah Grimwood-Norley, writes about the power supply challenges in Africa and how governments are increasingly looking to private sector investment to improve electricity supply.

Engineering News Senior Deputy Editor Irma Venter tells Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn about the progress Ford South Africa is making at its Pretoria plant in preparation for the start of production of the next-generation Ranger bakkie, as well as about how German car manufacturer BMW has prioritised production at its South African plant, in Rosslyn, as the global semi-conductor (computer chip) shortage continues to impact on vehicle manufacturers across the world. She also gives some insight into... Читать дальше...

Iron-ore futures in top steel producer China dropped on Friday to head for a second consecutive weekly loss, with the benchmark Dalian price hovering near its lowest in seven months on fears of more steel production curbs. The most-traded January iron-ore on the Dalian Commodity Exchange ended daytime trading 0.3% lower at 732.50 yuan ($113.66) a tonne. It touched 717.50 yuan a tonne on Thursday, the weakest since February 4.

Industry body the South Africa Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) says in a statement that it has received confirmation from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) that the new regulations regarding Petroleum Products Specification and Standards have been gazetted. These Petroleum Products Specification and Standards mandate the use of ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel products from September 1, 2023.

Engineering company Rolls-Royce and South African airline Airlink have signed a TotalCare service agreement for the AE3007 engines that power the airline’s fleet of Embraer ERJ135 aircraft. The agreement, which covers 28 aircraft, is an extension of service for a further ten years, continuing the airline’s drive to maximise aircraft availability.

NYSE-listed construction machinery and equipment company Caterpillar will begin offering Cat generator sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen, including fully renewable green hydrogen, on a design-to-order basis from later this year. More immediately, however, the company says, it will soon launch commercially available power generation solutions that can be configured to operate on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen.

Emerging African phosphate explorer and developer Kropz says the Water Tribunal has dismissed an appeal against the granting of an integrated water-use licence (WUL) for the Elandsfontein project. Following the granting of the WUL by the Department of Water and Sanitation in April 2017, an appeal was lodged by a group calling themselves the West Coast Environmental Protection Association in June 2017.

A video round up of this week’s magazine, highlighting our cover story, features and Business Leader.