Новости за 20.09.2021

Western Cape Human Settlements Minister Tertuis Simmers last week presided over three sod turnings as part of the development that forms part of the Integrated Residential Development Programme (IRDP). The Blompark housing development, in Gansbaai, which has a budget allocation of just over R78-million, will deliver 539 top structures. It is expected to be completed by the end of March 2023.

South Africa is experiencing more maximum temperature records than expected – a trend which appears to be accelerating, a study by a University of Pretoria (UP) Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology PhD student Charlotte McBride shows. McBride, of the South African Weather Service (SAWS), had her paper, titled “Trends in probabilities of temperature records in the non-stationary climate of South Africa” published in the International Journal of Climatology.

The North West provincial government says the Bojanala Special Economic Zone will create an estimated 2 500 jobs and attract about R8-billion of investment. High on the agenda is mineral beneficiation; the creation of an industrial zone and a logistics park; and investment in information and communications technology.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) launched its Integrated Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme (iREREP) by opening its request for information (RFI) on September 20, saying its 30-year lead time is aligned with government’s National Infrastructure Plan 2050 and will be rolled across various DPWI-managed buildings up to 2050. The iREREP’s RFI is intended to test the market for additional ideas and information which comprehensively looks at ways to deliver mutual... Читать дальше...

Cabinet has approved an extension of the Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM) to 2030, with the aim of shifting its focus from research to commercialisation. “The HSRM builds on what has been achieved in the past 10 years to prepare South Africa to move from research and development to manufacturing and commercialisation,” Cabinet said in a statement.

For businesses to reach their emissions targets, the global trading system needs to adapt and businesses are calling for that change, the World Economic Forum (WEF) states in its 'Delivering a Climate Trade Agenda' industry insights report. Action on trade is necessary for businesses to unlock net-zero targets. The study also finds that businesses are actively pursuing or ready to accelerate emissions reduction programmes, and trade policy action can accelerate that shift.

Giant US aerospace and defence group Boeing announced on Monday that it had been awarded a $1.6-billion sole-source service contract by the US Air Force (USAF). Under the contract, the corporation will service and maintain the guidance systems of the USAF’s land-based Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The duration of the new contract is 18 years. Boeing has been maintaining the Minuteman III guidance systems, without a break, since 1996.

Cabinet has approved a revised – and more ambitious – Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) carbon mitigation target range for 2030 ahead of the upcoming COP26 gathering, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. In a statement, Cabinet announced that South Africa had revised its 2030 climate change mitigation target range to 350 - 420 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt Co2-eq) for submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

By investing in operating manganese, bauxite and copper assets, the new Exxaro Minerals business could represent 50% of expected coal earnings within ten years, Exxaro CEO-designate and MD Minerals Dr Nombasa Tsengwa stated on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed coal company’s website on Monday. Exxaro outlined its strategy in response to climate change while hosting a virtual Capital Markets Day.

Europe-based global giant aerospace group Airbus announced on Monday that it had been included on the Deutsche Börse’s (German stock exchange’s) new DAX40 index, effective immediately. Early this month, the Börse expanded its previous DAX30 index to the new list of 40 enterprises. Airbus is listed on three European stock exchanges – Paris, the German, and the Spanish. The group has been part of the CAC40 index on the Paris Stock Exchange since Airbus was created as a company in 2000.

Cabinet has approved the setting up of the multi-purpose nuclear reactor project to replace the current SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor, owned by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa). The research reactor, located at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria, is a leading global producer of medical radioisotopes used to treat cancer.

Construction materials company PPC on September 20 announced that all conditions precedent for the disposal of PPC Lime and PPC Aggregate Quarries Botswana (PPC AQB) have been met. The completion of the sale of PPC Lime and PPC AQB is an important and positive step in the ongoing capital restructuring and refinancing project.

Glencore is the leading major mining company when it comes to its portfolio of transition metals, says Deutsche Bank Research. The bank’s research analysts afford Glencore a top 1-to-5 position in copper, cobalt, zinc and nickel – metals they describe as being central to world’s decarbonisation efforts.

Vodafone Group and the United Nation’s (UN’s) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have partnered to launch an initiative aimed at identifying policy, commercial and circular-economy interventions to increase smartphone access. Of the 3.7-billion not connected to the Internet, 3.4-billion that live within range of mobile networks are currently not accessing the Internet in part owing to a lack of smartphone ownership, which the multistakeholder initiative aims to change by 2030.

South Africa’s cabinet adopted the lower greenhouse gas emission target recommended by a panel set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The target, known as the country’s nationally determined contribution, is to keep annual emissions at between 371 and 420 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, according to a cabinet statement on Monday. The environment department had earlier recommended a less ambitious target. It comes ahead of the COP26 international meeting on climate change. The cabinet... Читать дальше...

Production of the new-look Polo has started at Volkswagen’s manufacturing plant in Kariega. Vehicle models typically receive a make-over in the middle of their lifecycle.

Vehicle-recovery and fleet-intelligence company Netstar has appointed Clifford de Wit as its new chief technology officer. De Wit will take over from Francois Stols, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has appointed its statutory reporting senior manager Suretha van Wyk as interim CFO with effect from October 1. Van Wyk is currently part of the finance team and reports to outgoing CFO Desmond Maharaj, who has resigned as CFO and executive director effective from September 30.

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) is the main awards sponsor for industry organisation the South African Institution of Civil Engineering's (Saice's) 2021 industry excellence awards. Saice has long been aligned with Sanral in supporting a strong civil engineering sector in South Africa, says Saice CEO Vishaal Lutchman.

In this week’s Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) newsletter, CEO Busi Mavuso bemoans the UK authorities’ decision to keep South Africa on the “red list” for travellers. The UK imposed a traffic light system to determine the correct Covid-19 precautions related to travellers, which is reviewed by the government every three weeks.

Talks about reducing the South African state power utility’s R402-billion debt to a manageable level are taking too long, its CEO Andre de Ruyter said. Eskom Holdings, which produces most of South Africa’s power, can’t meet its running and debt service costs and is dependent on government handouts to keep operating. It also needs to borrow more money to help it transition away from the polluting coal-fired plants used to produce the bulk of its electricity.

Dams supplying water in the City of Cape Town may be overflowing, but water tariffs will not be lowered to what they were before the drought. "It's ridiculous," said ratepayer Domonique Parker.

The mayor of Johannesburg died in a car accident Saturday after appearing at a campaign event with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, News24 reported, citing sources who weren’t identified. Jolidee Matongo was elected mayor of South Africa’s economic hub last month, following the passing of Geoff Makhubo, who succumbed to Covid-19 complications in July.