Natasha Odendaal

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Natasha Odendaal

Natasha Odendaal is Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Telkom invests in solar power solutions for a sustainable future

17th October 2024 Telecommunications group Telkom has installed another 1 MWp of grid-tied PV technology at its Telkom Park head office in Centurion, bringing the total installed PV capacity to 4.2 MWp. This as Telkom continues to deploy green energy solutions to support an always-on network, and reduce its... →

Committee concerned over lack of uptake of WRC innovations

16th October 2024 The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has raised concern over the lack of uptake and exploitation of innovations developed by the Water Research Commission (WRC). Specifically, the committee highlighted legislative and administrative impediments that are preventing government... →

High interest rates continue to weigh on South African households

16th October 2024 South Africa’s high interest rates over the past two years have raised the average debt cost burden to its highest level in 15 years. This is according to the Altron FinTech Household Resilience Index (AFHRI) for the second quarter of 2024, compiled by economist Dr Roelof Botha, who highlighted... →

South Africa’s water security challenge scores highest in study

16th October 2024 South Africa’s low level of renewable fresh water per capita, high water use rates and high levels of both consumption and leakage have resulted in the country having the highest water challenge score in the 2024 BSI / Waterwise Water Security Indicator. With a water security challenge score of... →

Rising 5G adoption driving rapid digital transformation across MEA

15th October 2024 Playing a critical role in future connectivity towards digital transformation, 5G adoption in Middle East and Africa (MEA) expected to reach one in four subscriptions by 2029. While 4G subscriptions are projected to stabilise by 2027, 5G adoption is anticipated to surge dramatically, signifying a... →

MTN’s network quality maintains top spot

15th October 2024 Telecommunications group MTN continues to maintain its top spot as South Africa’s best mobile network. According to MyBroadband Insights’ third-quarter 2024 Mobile Network Quality Report, Vodacom maintained its position as the second-best operator, followed by Cell C, Telkom, and Rain. →

Rand Water warns of worsening, critically low water supply in Gauteng

14th October 2024 Bulk water supplier Rand Water is extracting water at the maximum volumes allowed by its Department of Water and Sanitation-issued extraction licence amid high water demand and is left with no option but to take steps “to protect its system from total collapse”. Despite repeatedly warning... →

Govt considers benefit of entities such as Starlink

14th October 2024 South Africa’s government continues to consider the potential benefits of enhanced attraction of investment, job creation and competition that entities such as Elon Musk's SpaceX Starlink can bring to South Africa, said Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi. In line with... →

SPS selected to provide renewable-energy solution for significant Limpopo water supply project

11th October 2024 The Lebalelo Water User Association (LWUA) has selected asset management company Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) as the preferred bidder to deliver a renewable-energy solution for the first stage of the Olifants Management Model Programme (OMMP), a significant water infrastructure development... →

Gauteng Treasury to tackle financial shortfall with accelerated revenue enhancement

11th October 2024 The Gauteng Provincial Treasury (GPT) is working to prevent potential bankruptcy, pay down e-toll debt, mitigate an underperforming department, and work within a drastically reduced budget. Discussing the finances of South Africa’s most populous province late last month, Gauteng Finance and... →

Vodacom Business teams up with local govts to make South African cities smarter

11th October 2024 Vodacom Business has partnered with local governments to provide technology solutions that help make South African cities smarter as it digitalises critical enterprise sectors. The partnership forms part of a five-year transversal contract with the National Treasury. →

Altron expects half-year earnings turnaround

10th October 2024 JSE-listed Altron on Thursday reported an expected improvement in its earnings for the six months ended August 31. In a trading update, the company said it expected group headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the first half of the year to improve between 209% and 217% to a range of 71c to 76c... →

South Africa positioned well to leverage the benefits of a hydrogen economy

10th October 2024 South Africa has an ideal opportunity, and is well positioned, to leverage the potential of the emerging hydrogen economy and establish an integrated value chain. Amid global hydrogen economy conversations, South Africa has been working to create enabling policies and create an enabling... →

DWS cautions of presence of cholera in Vaal, Harts rivers

9th October 2024 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on Wednesday cautioned water users along the Vaal and Harts rivers in the North West and the Northern Cape of the presence of cholera. This followed a routine raw water sampling from five sites – Wentzel dam, Schweizer Reneke, Christiana, Barkley West... →

AI embraced, but need to get basics right, says Malatsi

7th October 2024 To truly leverage “every power” that lies within AI technologies in South Africa, there is a need to get the basics right. This included removing the barriers of entry for the most marginalised communities to get connected and empowered with the skills to be able to take up the opportunities and... →

Rand Water to embark on 56-hour water supply disruption to divert pipeline

4th October 2024 Rand Water is preparing to implement a 56-hour project next week to divert its G20 pipeline to enable City Power to expand the Mondeor substation in Johannesburg. The diversion project will start at 06h00 on October 10 and is expected to be completed by 14h00 on October 12. →

AI projected to contribute $19.9-trillion to global economy by 2030

4th October 2024 Businesses’ investment in artificial intelligence (AI), leveraging its use in existing operations to deliver better products and services, is expected to have a cumulative global economic impact of $19.9-trillion and to drive 3.5% of global gross domestic product by 2030. According to new... →

Condra to supply new cranes, refurbish others at new steel premises

4th October 2024 Crane manufacturer Condra Cranes is manufacturing three new cranes and refurbishing 14 others as certified steel round bar, hollow bar and plate supplier Special Steels moves to bigger premises. Each of the 17 machines will be delivered, installed and commissioned according to a specific... →

Coca-Cola, bottling partners to invest $25m in water initiatives in Africa

4th October 2024 The Coca-Cola Company in Africa and its bottling partners – Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) and Coca-Cola HBC – plan to invest nearly $25-million to support water solutions in local communities in Africa. Under the new partner coalition, ‘The... →

Technology can help the water utilities get ahead of deteriorating water delivery systems

3rd October 2024 Technology can play a significant role in empowering South Africa’s water utilities to get ahead of the curve and arrest the accessibility and quality decline brought about by increasingly ageing and inefficient infrastructure. However, despite the various benefits, such as enhanced efficiencies... →

RMB facilitates landmark fibre infrastructure acquisition

2nd October 2024 Open-access fibre network operator Octotel’s acquisition by a consortium has closed under accelerated timelines, says RMB, which acted as the sole mandated lead arranger to fund the acquisition. The landmark transaction formed part of RMB’s commitment to advance investment in South Africa’s... →

Sanral probing historic GFIP e-toll debt options

1st October 2024 While the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) on Tuesday welcomed the first instalment by the Gauteng provincial government of its contribution to the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) e-toll debt, it is mulling its options over historic e-toll debt and payments already... →

DWS launches Vaal anti-pollution forum

1st October 2024 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is preparing to launch a new forum aimed at mitigating the years-long pollution impacting the Vaal river’s water quality. The Vaal River Anti-Pollution Forum, to be launched on October 3, will be a non-statutory forum comprising various stakeholders,... →

Lesotho Highlands Water Project tunnel set for six-month closure

30th September 2024 The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel is set to be closed on Tuesday for a period of six months for critical maintenance. The closure of the LHWP tunnel will affect the Phase I Water Transfer and Delivery Tunnels, resulting in the total shutdown of the water delivery system for six... →

Gauteng pays first GFIP e-toll instalment

30th September 2024 The Gauteng provincial government (GPG) on Monday paid the first of five equal instalments of its agreed R12.9-billion contribution to historical e-toll debt. Of the first R3.8 billion paid to National Treasury, R3.2-billion was allocated to historical debt and R546-million towards the R4-billion... →

Big Lesotho-SA tunnel maintenance vital for water scheme’s integrity

27th September 2024 A major water-transfer tunnel supplying Gauteng’s water and half of Lesotho’s electricity will be closed for six months for critical planned maintenance starting on October 1. The maintenance project, a complex undertaking planned years in advance by the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency... →

New pact to boost telecoms SMMEs

27th September 2024 Digital infrastructure and managed services provider Seacom and ICT SMME Chamber have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster the growth and development of small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) within the telecommunications sector. The MoU, which underscores the... →

South African MVNOs focus on lifestyle value and personalisation

27th September 2024 As South Africa’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market braces for explosive growth, emerging players are moving beyond competing on price towards delivering clear, lifestyle-driven value propositions. This shift comes as the global MVNO subscriber base outpaced traditional mobile network... →

Global mobile subscriptions topped 8.7bn in second quarter

27th September 2024 The number of mobile subscriptions globally has reached nearly 8.7-billion, after 60-million subscriptions were added during the second quarter of this year, with global mobile subscription penetration now at 107%. According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report second-quarter update, China... →

Big Lesotho-SA tunnel maintenance vital for water scheme’s integrity

27th September 2024 A major water-transfer tunnel supplying Gauteng’s water and half of Lesotho’s electricity will be closed for six months for critical planned maintenance starting on October 1. The maintenance project, a complex undertaking planned years in advance by the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency... →

Just Water Partnerships a viable mechanism to unlock water investments, says Majodina

26th September 2024 The Just Water Partnerships (JWPs) initiative is a viable mechanism to enable investments in water resilience and sustainability in low- and middle-income countries and contribute to national development goals and the global common good, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said. “There... →

Gauteng balancing finances, as first e-tolls debt due

25th September 2024 It is a balancing act as Gauteng Provincial Treasury (GPT) works to prevent bankruptcy, pay down e-toll debt, mitigate an underperforming department, and work within a drastically reduced budget. Speaking to media during a roundtable on Wednesday to discuss the finances of South Africa’s most... →

Modernisation will boost Southern Africa rail

20th September 2024 Modernisation and digitisation will be critical to driving the future growth of Southern Africa’s railway industry. Key technological developments that will be central to creating interconnected rail services in the region include broadband, cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI), which... →

Surging municipal water debt threatens stability of entire water value chain

20th September 2024 Urgent action is required to arrest South African municipalities’ ever-rising debt to water boards, which has increased 151% since 2019, highlighting a severe financial crisis within the water sector. As at June 2024, the municipal debt to water boards was R22.36-billion, a significant surge on... →

New biomass plant in Pretoria in the offing

20th September 2024 Bio2Watt Energy Holdings (BEH) has appointed SRK Consulting as the independent environmental consultant to undertake the environmental permitting processes for a new biogas plant near Pretoria. The BEH organic waste-to-energy biogas plant, located on a 5 ha site at Sunderland Ridge, west of... →

MTN, ZTE achieve Africa's first 5G ultra-range maritime coverage in South Africa

19th September 2024 MTN South Africa and ZTE Corporation have collaborated to develop Africa's first 5G ultra-range maritime offshore coverage at Mossel Bay, in the Western Cape, South Africa. The deployment of ultra-range 5G network will enable high-speed, reliable Internet access in previously hard-to-reach... →

Cell C assures licence control transfer to TPC meets criteria, not anti-competitive

19th September 2024 Cell C on Thursday assured rivals that it will maintain its holding of its Individual Electronic Communications Network Service and Individual Electronic Communications Service licences, and that only its control thereof is to be transferred to Blue Label Telecom’s The Prepaid Company (TPC). Cell... →

Cell C CEO Jorge Mendes

DWS needs workable plan to resolve debt to water boards – portfolio committee

18th September 2024 The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has raised concern over the lack of tangible plans to resolve increasing debt owed to water boards by municipalities. To resolve this, it has mandated the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative... →

MTN modernisation increases network availability score, 5G network coverage

18th September 2024 Telecommunications group MTN South Africa has increased its network availability score to more than 98% as it modernises its network for resilience. More than 400 site have been modernised this year, with an another 25% of sites planned during the final months of the year. →

Tetra Pak ups liquid board packaging recycling to over 20%

13th September 2024 Food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak Southern Africa had increased the recycling rate of liquid board packaging (LBP) to more than 20% by mid-2024, bringing it closer to its recycling collection rate target of 28% by the end of the year. The company aims to increase this to... →

Digital platforms could boost South Africa’s economy by R91.4bn over next ten years

13th September 2024 Digital platforms could provide transformative growth for South Africa’s economy, with projections indicating the addition of R91.4-billion into the country’s economy over the next ten years. A new research report by Naspers and the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) reveals... →

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