Новости за 20.10.2021

During the closing panel of the Electricity Forum, Manufacturing Circle executive director Philippa Rodseth said municipalities were the missing piece of the energy security puzzle and an elephant in the room in terms of South Africa achieving a just energy transition. From an industrialisation perspective, she said, the rubber hits the road when municipalities start being engaged – they either enable power to operations or compromise on business’ ability to operate, owing to either a lack of electricity infrastructure and maintenance thereof... Читать дальше...

A study, commissioned by Berlin-based science and the environment association Ökomoderne e.V. and executed by Finnish not-for-profit research company Think Atom, has concluded that Germany’s current policy of closing its nuclear power plants early would result in the country releasing no less than a billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Germany still had six operating nuclear reactors, but they were all scheduled to close down next year, despite being a major source of low-carbon electricity for the country. Читать дальше...

Zimbabwe’s State-owned power utility expects to complete the addition of coal-fired units next year, bucking a global trend to reduce reliance on the fossil fuel. The $1.5-billion expansion by Zimbabwe Power Company and China’s Sinohydro will finish one unit next year in September and another in December, adding 600 megawatts. That’s intended to replace 920 megawatts of existing capacity prone to breakdowns, according to Forbes Chanakira, site manager for the Hwange Power Expansion project.

Financial services firm Standard Bank is, this week, hosting a virtual event in which its employees seek to find innovative solutions to consumer problems using technology, with strategies that build on Standard Bank’s digital strategies and value drivers.

In addressing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of many entrepreneurs, Department of Trade, Industry and Competition export promotion director Luke Govender said digital skills need to be bolstered. He spoke during an October 20 webinar, hosted by Trade Forward Southern Africa, on UK export market opportunities and compliance.

The South African railway industry had already been embattled prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, which subsequently exacerbated the industry’s security challenges and led to an increase of 240% in security-related incidents during 2020, Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) chairperson Boy Nobunga said on October 20. “We have seen a significant increase in security-related vandalism and theft of infrastructure, which feeds into the overall performance of the sector,” he commented.

Presented against the backdrop of a world-altering pandemic, Transport Deputy Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga on October 20 said this year’s ‘State of Safety (SOS)’ report published by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic “led to major operators across the country producing significantly fewer train kilometres” when compared with previous years. This has resulted in a net decrease in combined traffic levels, as well as a “considerable rise in theft and vandalism” during the lockdown periods.

The National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa) has recommended that its members in the metal and engineering sector implement a 5% increase, across the board, for employees who are not currently on strike. Although the association’s recommendation is not binding on employer members, such a recommendation carries weight with members and the majority of employers will implement it.

In a blow for the National Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Numsa), the Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that it cannot hear the union's application seeking to have Parliament decide whether State-owned enterprises can be allowed to go insolvent.  According to the apex court, the matter is not within its jurisdiction and mandate to hear directly.

A dispute between JSE-listed Huge Group-affiliated Huge Cellular and Cell C Service Provider Company, a company affiliated with Cell C, has been settled. The duo have concluded an agreement that settles their respective disputes with the other.

Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) says the planting season for South Africa's 2021/22 summer grains and oilseeds started positively in the eastern and central regions. The season has been met with favourable rains that naturally improves soil moisture.

JSE-listed Balwin Properties says it recorded robust financial results for the six months ended August 31, with revenue of R1.3-billion, a 41% increase on the revenue of R929.6-million reported for the prior comparable period, which had been impacted on by Covid-19-related measures. Operating profit for the period surged 44% to R158.6-million, on the back of an increased number of apartments recognised in revenue, which increased from 896 apartments in the prior comparative period to 1 261 apartments.

Money pooled by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the National Empowerment Fund and the Solidarity Fund to address disruption and losses to businesses affected by the mid-July civil unrest has amounted to R1.5-billion. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel says this money will go directly, in 123 separate transactions, towards 320 businesses (some of which involve more than one business site), which support and employ about 13 800 workers.

Vodacom is launching Eco-SIM cards made from recycled plastic in South Africa, as the company works to reduce its impact on the environment by halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. The South African launch of the half-sized format recycled cards, which will progressively replace SIM cards which are currently made from new plastic, also formed an integral part of parent company Vodafone’s roll out in 14 of its other markets.

The UK government released on Tuesday its ‘Net Zero Strategy’, to achieve the country’s objective of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The UK was the first major economy in the world to enshrine in law its commitment to reach net zero by that date. Under the strategy, the UK will support the development, and facilitate to adoption, of a range of green technologies and practices. In alphabetical order, these are – carbon capture and storage (CCS), decarbonising homes and other ...

Industry body the Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) has written to Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel requesting his urgent intervention, at Cabinet level, to ensure that further "irrational" alcohol bans are not imposed, especially over the coming festive season, which is a critical time for the local beer industry and the thousands of jobs it supports. "With the recent media announcement made by Police Minister Bheki Cele that alcohol sales will be banned on November 1... Читать дальше...

Technology and aerospace company Paramount Group has developed a new add-on armour for its next-generation Mbombe 4 Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The add-on armour has resulted in some of the highest levels of protection that can be achieved globally by an armoured vehicle in its class, the company states.

Ford South Africa (Ford SA) is steadily improving built quality at its Silverton plant and it aims to achieve less than ten warranty repairs per 1 000 Ranger bakkies as a yearly average by the end of 2022, says Ford SA quality director Kevin Heunis. This number is seen as the holy grail within the Ford global production system.

Four companies have initiated a nine-month pilot project in The Netherlands, which will see diesel refrigeration systems in semi-trailers replaced by zero-emission battery-electric prototypes.  This is the first time that refrigerated trailers are being run by 100% electric eco-sustainable power.

A resolution for the removal of the MD and CEO of the ASX-listed Jupiter Mines as a member of the board was passed at the company’s general meeting on Wednesday, when mining doyen Brian Gilbertson was not re-elected as chairperson. Jupiter’s focus is on the highly successful Tshipi Borwa manganese mine in South Africa’s Northern Cape. The company holds a 49.9% interest in Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining, which operates the Tshipi Borwa mine. It has disposed of its Australian iron-ore assets.

September inflation rose marginally to 5% from 4.9% recorded in August, data from Stats SA shows. The slight uptick was in line with the expectations of economists and still easily within the target range of between 3% and 6% set by the SA Reserve Bank. The consumer price index increased by 0.2% month-on-month in September 2021. The month of September surveys rental prices (not all items are surveyed every month) and economists had expected these to remain fairly subdued.

Situated in a remote desert wilderness along the banks of the South African side of the Lower Orange River, which forms part of the border between South Africa and Namibia, LOR Diamonds has found a solution to illegal mining in the area. Simone Liedtke, who visited the mineral assets last month, gives us more insight.

The family office for Nicky Oppenheimer and his son Jonathan has set up an outpost in Singapore to boost its Asia exposure and partner with the region’s wealthy. Edoardo Collevecchio, the former chief of staff for Oppenheimer Generations, is moving from London to build and lead its team in Singapore, while Yi Ling Ong joins from Temasek as head of investment for the Asia unit, the company said in a statement.