Новости за 19.11.2021

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu says outstanding matters regarding an investigation into the R3-billion Nandoni dam water project by the Special Investigation Unit should not be the cause for the delay of the project. The Minister was speaking during a return visit to Giyani township, in Limpopo, to address water challenges in the area.

Inflation on food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) for October was 6.1%, a slight moderation from September levels. Among food categories that exhibited the most significant inflation, oils and fats increased by 20.9% year-on-year, meat by 9.1% and vegetables by 7.2%, mainly driven by high global commodity prices and rising input costs, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) says.

The European Investment Bank's (EIB's) 'Finance in Africa 2021' report has shown the resilience of Africa’s financial sector and enthusiastic engagement to embrace digitalisation. However, the report, which included input from 78 leading banks and financing institutions active across sub-Saharan Africa, also highlights future risks that could hinder financing for business growth, renewable energy and recovery from the pandemic, EIB VP Thomas Östros says.

Solar energy equipment company Nexans Solar Technologies’ (Nexans’) Keylios solar trackers have been installed at the La Fenasse site, a former Technical Landfill Center located near Béziers in southwestern France, which is currently being converted to a 1.6 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) farm. The La Fenasse project is being carried out in partnership with Omexom ENR SO, a subsidiary of the Vinci group, which is responsible for installing the trackers and the electrical package.

During this week's intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), multilateral financial institution African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) director and global head for trade finance Gwen Mwaba suggested that improved education was needed to address the intellectual property (IP) challenge in Africa. “Africa has an abundance of ideas, but often does not convert them into viable and profitable businesses, resulting in lost IP.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has denied that the utility is delaying the introduction of new electricity capacity procured under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), as suggested by Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe in a recent television interview. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika this week, Mantashe said that Eskom was “toing and froing” on the 11 RMIPPPP projects, including three powership projects, which was contributing to the delay in the introduction of 1 995 MW of new capacity.

JSE-listed construction materials company Sephaku Holdings (SepHold) continued to meet its bank debt obligations during the interim period to September 30, reducing the burden on its balance sheet. The company plans to reduce this by a further R224-million by the end of its financial year on March 31, 2022, CEO Neil Crafford-Lazarus said in a release on November 18.

Real estate investment trusts (Reits) provided R3-billion in relief support to tenants between April and December 2020, with 69% of this provided between April and August 2020, industry body the South African Reit Association (SA Reit) says. Reits issued a further R500-million in support between January and June this year, bringing the total relief comprising rental discounts and deferrals to R3.5-billion, the organisation's 'Rental Relief Report' shows.

Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Fikile Majola has committed to facilitating strong cooperation between all three tiers of government to fast-track progress in the operation of the OR Tambo International Airport Special Economic Zone (ORTIA SEZ).   Majola visited the SEZ on November 18, leading a delegation of senior officials from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the Gauteng government, to discuss operations with the leadership of the Gauteng Industrial Development Zone (GIDZ)... Читать дальше...

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has temporarily suspended the licensing timetable for the release of the Wireless Open Access Network (Woan) spectrum. Reviewing the licensing timelines, issued on October 1, the authority said that the suspension is to allow the high-demand spectrum permanent licensing consultation process to be completed and enable Icasa to “interrogate the impact of the outcomes on the licensing of the Woan.”

Eskom says load-shedding will be suspended from 21:00 on Friday as seven generation units have returned to service. A unit each at Kendal, Camden and Grootvlei power stations as well as two units each at Majuba and Matimba power stations have returned to service. Overnight, two units at Majuba Power Station tripped and a further unit was shut down for emergency repairs. Furthermore, a unit each at Grootvlei and Tutuka power stations tripped. Of the five units, two units have since returned to service. Читать дальше...

Chinese vehicle importer JAC Motors South Africa has appointed five new dealers, increasing its total number of dealer outlets to 60.  The three new local dealerships are in Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (PRASA’s) board of control on Thursday placed group CEO Zolani Matthews on “precautionary suspension”, says the parastatal in a statement. Exactly why is unclear, with the board noting only that it involves an “alleged sensitive matter of a security breach and other contractual obligations associated with the employment contract of the group CEO”.

President Joe Biden’s top envoy signaled the US’s intent to revitalize its long-neglected relations with Africa, where it has steadily been losing influence to China and other global powers. “Too many times, the countries of Africa have been treated as junior partners –- or worse –- rather than equal ones,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech Friday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. “We want to make your partnerships with us even stronger.”

Business formation Business Unity South Africa (Busa) backs third-party rail freight access with the aim of supplementing State-owned Transnet’s capacity, as a necessary structural reform that will contribute to a strengthening of the logistics network, Busa CEO Cas Coovadia said on November 18. The endorsement by Busa aimed to contribute to the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan by allowing third-party access to the South African rail system to help migrate freight volumes from... Читать дальше...

Packaged goods company Tiger Brands’ results for the financial year ended September 30 reflect steady progress against the company’s strategic priorities with an improved underlying performance from the core business, offset by one-off costs of R732-million (pre-tax) related to a canned vegetable product recall and the civil unrest in July, the company notes. “The year under review can be characterised as a year of two halves, with a solid first half result, driven primarily by a strong first quarter... Читать дальше...

The global shortage of semiconductors, or computer chips, will remain an issue well into 2022, says Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA) CEO Michael Dietz. He confirms that the local truck and bus maker is especially affected by the shortage, as it is a premium brand with sophisticated on-board systems.

Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about load-shedding continuing to present a danger, how the leadership of Eskom is handling the intense pressure it is facing, whether the policy and regulatory environment is supportive of a speedy resolution to the current crisis and the renewed focus on the 4 000 MW to 6 000 MW supply gap.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has confirmed that the collapse of a distribution-line tower providing power to the coal conveyor system at the Lethabo power station, in the Free State, was a “deliberate act of sabotage”. The sabotage occurred at about 18:00 on Wednesday November 17 and was implemented in such a way as to ensure that the tower collapsed on to a second distribution line, providing double redundancy to the conveyor system.

German space-launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has announced that the first flight of its RFA ONE small satellite launch rocket will carry a commercial payload, from Ukrainian company Lunar Research Service (LRS). The two companies signed the launch service contract in Bremen, Germany, on Thursday. The first flight of the RFA ONE will take place late next year, from Andøya in Norway. It will carry a research satellite from LRS, designed, and which will use a deployment system developed in-house, by the Ukrainian company. Читать дальше...

Africa’s biggest pension fund said it may take as long as a year to negotiate a new mandate with South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation (PIC) that will allow it to enter into new unlisted investment deals. The PIC oversees a R70-billion unlisted investment fund for the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), but its mandate lapsed in March, said Musa Mabesa, the GEPF’s principal chief executive. While deals initiated before it ended can be completed, new ones can’t be concluded, he said.

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

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has had a very real impact on the sector, both globally and locally, all signs are that additive manufacturing (AM) – popularly called 3D printing – is set to grow rapidly in the coming years, both in South Africa and around the world. That was a clear consensus at the recent annual conference of the Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa (Rapdasa) – the representative body of the local AM sector – held in Pretoria at the International Conference Centre... Читать дальше...