Irma Venter

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Irma Venter

Irma Venter is a Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Zero Carbon Charge says it will build 120 off-grid e-truck charging sites

9th April 2024 Electric vehicle charging startup, Zero Carbon Charge, has launched a new subsidiary, Zero Carbon Logistics, which it says will roll out 120 off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) electric truck charging sites on national highways across South Africa. According to Zero Carbon Charge, the project will... →

Shoprite, four global retailers form $125m venture fund aimed at innovation

9th April 2024 Five grocery retailers, including South Africa’s Shoprite group, have established a venture fund called W23 Global. W23 Global brings together Ahold Delhaize (US, Europe, Indonesia), Tesco (UK, Europe), Woolworths Group (Australia, New Zealand), Empire Company/Sobeys (Canada) and Shoprite Group... →

Pieter Engelbrecht

Reforms to cut red tape starting to bear fruit – Ramaphosa

5th April 2024 President Cyril Ramaphosa believes that government’s efforts to cut the red tape holding back infrastructure development are beginning to bearing fruit. Delivering the keynote address at Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2024, held in Cape Town in March, he said that... →

Govt turns to private sector to fix public facilities

5th April 2024 Given the current economic downturn, government does not have the resources to look after all its assets, says Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) property management trading entity head Siza Sibande. “Hence, we want to partner with the private sector to improve public facilities.” →

Infrastructure SA names 12 projects it will unlock in 2024/25

5th April 2024 Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) unveiled 12 “infrastructure projects for preparation” for the 2024/25 financial year at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2024 event in Cape Town, held in March. These priority projects all face one or more obstacles in becoming a... →

Infrastructure SA gets R600m boost from Treasury for project preparation

5th April 2024 The National Treasury has allocated Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) a budget of R600-million over three years to “prepare projects”, says ISA head Mameetse Masemola. Addressing a media conference at Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (Sidssa) 2024, held in Cape Town... →

DP World wins big as bpSA outsources its secondary transport ops

4th April 2024 DP World will take over bp Southern Africa’s (bpSA’s) Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Rustenburg logistics operations as the energy group has opted to outsource its secondary transport. In another deal, Makwande Supply & Distribution – a beneficiary of bpSA’s enterprise development... →

Taelo Mojapelo

PRASA restores five more rail corridors partially

4th April 2024 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it has restored another five Metrorail corridors across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. These rail services were interrupted by Covid-19, vandalism, crime and poor maintenance practices under previous management teams. →

New-vehicle sales plummet 11.7% in March

3rd April 2024 New-vehicle sales plummeted by 11.7% in March, to 44 235 units, compared with the same month last year. Sales for the first quarter of the year are now 5.3% below the same period last year. →

New online portal launched to aid Cape Town’s solar PV boom

29th March 2024 The City of Cape Town has launched a new online application portal for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. More than 5 000 solar PV systems have been authorised to date, totalling 126 MVA, with monthly applications to the city tripling between 2021 and 2023. →

Varsity, private firm in partnership to develop protocol for production of radiopharmaceuticals

29th March 2024 Stellenbosch University (SU) and high-tech company Enlightened Isotopes, a subsidiary of ASP Isotopes, have entered into an R8.5-million research partnership to develop a protocol for the separation of the ytterbium-176 isotope, to be used as a radiopharmaceutical in cancer therapy. Worldwide,... →

Toyota launches expanded accessories programme in SA

29th March 2024 Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has launched a new programme called Associated Accessory Products (AAP). The local arm of the Japanese carmaker says this one-stop-shop offering will complement its existing array of accessories, enabling customers to customise their vehicles as they wish. →

Ctrack transport, freight index shows deterioration in all but one of six sectors tracked

29th March 2024 After increasing somewhat in December, the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (TFI) declined notably in January to a level of 119.3 – a drop of 2.1%, compared with December’s 121.9. The extent of the weakness is almost similar to the pressure the sector experienced during the KwaZulu-Natal... →

Cape Town tables R76.4bn budget; infrastructure spending at R12.1bn

28th March 2024 Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has tabled a R76.4-billion draft budget for the city for the 2024/25 financial year. The budget proposes record infrastructure investment of R12.1-billion for the year, and nearly R40-billion over the next three years. →

City of Cape Town CFO Kevin Jacoby, Finance MMC Siseko Mbandezi, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and city manager Lungelo Mbandazayo

Metair to tackle high debt, gauge Mutlu’s future

27th March 2024 Metair is still very much open for business and the group is able to accommodate new clients should they need automotive components or energy solutions, says new CEO Paul O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty, now two months into the job after former CEO Sjoerd Douwenga bowed out owing to health reasons, comes... →

Paul O’Flaherty

China’s LDV launches in the local bakkie, commercial vehicle market

26th March 2024 LDV is the latest automotive brand from China to enter South Africa, with the Asian country seemingly intensifying its efforts to become the world’s new automotive powerhouse. LDV forms part of SAIC, which is the vehicle partner to General Motors and Volkswagen in China. It is also the... →

The T60 bakkie

GAC Motor joins inflow from China; Ramsoomar appointed as MD

25th March 2024 China’s GAC Motor has appointed Salvador Caetano Auto as the distributor and retailer of GAC vehicles, spare parts and related services in South Africa (SA). GAC Motor is a subsidiary of the State-owned GAC Group, and was founded in 1997. The brand joins a rapidly growing number of Chinese... →

Leslie Ramsoomar

Toyota adds Hilux, Fortuner hybrids to its local production line-up

22nd March 2024 Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has added the Hilux double-cab and Fortuner 48 V mild hybrids to its local production line-up at its Durban plant in KwaZulu-Natal. The addition of the new models brings Toyota’s local hybrid production tally to three, adding to the existing Corolla Cross hybrid... →

The Hilux 48 V mild hybrid

BW8 last under IRP 2019, nuclear ambitions not a pipe dream – Mantashe

22nd March 2024 Bid Window 8 of government’s Renewable Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme will be the last bid window under the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019, says Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe. “We’ll then have issued all the bid windows provided for under IRP 2019.” →

Grindrod to spend big at Maputo’s Matola drybulk terminal to grow capacity

22nd March 2024 Ports and logistics group Grindrod is set to invest big in its Matola drybulk terminal in Mozambique. Announcing Grindrod’s financial results for the year ended December 31 earlier this month, CEO Xolani Mbambo said the JSE-listed logistics group would spend the bulk of its R2.5-billion capital... →

‘It’s not all doom and gloom in our space’ – WBHO boss

22nd March 2024 With a total pipeline of work of R240-billion, up from R211-billion in June, Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon’s (WBHO’s) short- to medium-term future “should be okay”, says CEO Wolfgang Neff. “It’s not all doom and gloom in our space. I think it looks pretty good. Our earnings are at their best levels... →

Cape Town completes R2bn Zandvliet Waste Water Treatment Works upgrade

20th March 2024 The upgraded Zandvliet Waste Water Treatment Works has been handed over by the contractor to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Contractors in the city are not named to protect them from extortion attempts by the so-called construction mafia. →

The Zandvliet Waste Water Treatment Works

Cape Town’s MyCiTi Spine Road depot construction 65% complete

20th March 2024 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says construction work on two new MyCiTi depots, located on the corner of Spine Road and Mew Way between Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, is now 65% complete. City officials add that the bus transit project is on track to be concluded by May next year. Construction... →

Red tape reforms starting to bear fruit – Ramaphosa

19th March 2024 President Cyril Ramaphosa believes that government’s efforts to cut the red tape holding back infrastructure development are beginning to bearing fruit. Delivering the keynote address at Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2024 on Tuesday, held in Cape Town, he said that... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Infrastructure SA names 12 projects it will aim to unblock this financial year

19th March 2024 Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) has unveiled 12 “infrastructure projects for preparation” for the 2024/25 financial year at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2024 event in Cape Town, held this week. These priority projects all face one or more obstacles in... →

Govt turns to private sector to fix public sector facilities

19th March 2024 Given the current economic downturn, government does not have the resources to look after all of its assets, says Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) property management trading entity head Siza Sibande. “Hence we want to partner with the private sector to improve public... →

As govt skills falter, Infrastructure SA gets R600m boost from Treasury for projects to reach financial close

19th March 2024 National Treasury has allocated Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) a budget of R600-million over three years to “prepare projects”, says ISA head Mameetse Masemola. Addressing a media conference at Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (Sidssa) 2024, held in Cape Town this... →

Toyota, Ford and VW come out tops in 2023 AutoTrader report

15th March 2024 In 2023, Toyota took top position as South Africa’s most sold used-car brand with 60 296 units changing hands, while the Ford Ranger reigned supreme as the country's most sold used model, at 20 156 units. This is according to the 2023 AutoTrader Car Industry Report, released this week. →

Cape Town businesses, households get R25.8m for excess electricity fed back into grid

15th March 2024 The City of Cape Town says businesses and households have earned more than R25.8-million under the city’s Cash for Power programme since the start of the 2022/23 financial year. This comes after the city started to buy excess solar photovoltaic power from small-scale generators in exchange for... →

Cape Town aims to invest R43bn in infrastructure over next three years – mayor

15th March 2024 Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city will invest R43-billion in infrastructure over the next three years. The ten-year project pipeline is valued at R120-billion. →

2024 Car of the Year finalists announced

15th March 2024 The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has announced the 18 finalists of the Old Mutual Insure 2024 Car of the Year (COTY) competition. “We eagerly await the upcoming competition phase, where the contenders will undergo comprehensive testing by COTY’s expert juror group in early... →

Standard Bank partners with mobility startup Planet42

14th March 2024 Standard Bank has partnered with Planet42 in a R300-million deal it believes will enable the mobility startup “to shake up the passenger car market by broadening access to personal vehicles and reducing transport inequality in South Africa”. Planet42 offers rent-to-buy car subscriptions. →

Mazda Southern Africa discontinues BT-50 bakkie sales

14th March 2024 Mazda Southern Africa has announced that the Mazda BT-50 double-cab bakkie has reached the end of the line in the local market. Since it debuted in 2008, replacing Mazda’s B-series of light-commercial vehicles (LCVs), the BT-50 has delivered mixed sales results in the South African market, says... →

Toyota launches expanded accessories programme in South Africa

13th March 2024 Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has launched a new programme called Associated Accessory Products (AAP). The local arm of the Japanese car maker says this one-stop-shop offering will complement its existing array of accessories, enabling customers to customise their vehicles as they wish. →

Stellenbosch laser physicists to develop protocol for production of high-tech radiopharmaceuticals

13th March 2024 Stellenbosch University (SU) and high-tech company Enlightened Isotopes, a subsidiary of ASP Isotopes, have entered into an R8.5-million research partnership to develop a protocol for the separation of the ytterbium-176 isotope, to be used as a radiopharmaceutical in cancer therapy. Worldwide,... →

Photo by Stefan Els
Pieter Neethling and Christine Steenkamp/Photo by Stefan Els

New online portal launched to aid Cape Town’s solar PV boom

13th March 2024 The City of Cape Town has launched a new online application portal for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. More than 5 000 solar PV systems have been authorised to date, totalling 126 MVA, with monthly applications to the city tripling between 2021 and 2023. →

Geordin Hill-Lewis

Broad-based weakness evident in the logistics sector – Ctrack index

12th March 2024 After increasing somewhat in December, the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (TFI) declined notably in January to a level of 119.3 – a drop of 2.1% compared with December’s 121.9. The extent of the weakness is almost similar to the pressure the sector experienced during the KwaZulu-Natal looting... →

WBHO’s head office goes green in R20m project

11th March 2024 Construction group Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) is installing large-scale solar panel arrays on the rooftops of three buildings of its headquarters in Johannesburg. The first of the three buildings will be fully operational this month, with the other two to follow between the end of April and... →

Ctrack index points to another year of ‘fairly subdued’ transport-sector growth

8th March 2024 The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) forecasts “another year of fairly subdued growth for the transport sector”. This is based on the assumption of mediocre economic growth in South Africa this year, forecast at 1.3%, up from 2023’s estimated 0.6%. →

'Asian brothers' coming to SA 'with a force', says Motus boss

8th March 2024 Motus’ stable of imported vehicle brands – Hyundai, Kia, Renault and Mitsubishi – all experienced a tough six months towards the end of last year. Speaking at the company’s financial results announcement at the end of February, the CEO of the parts and vehicle importer and retailer, Osman Arbee,... →

VWSA could announce third production model this year, expects uptick in 2024 car market

8th March 2024 Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) will hopefully this year receive the final confirmation on the production of a third model at the Kariega plant, says MD Martina Biene. This third model will add to production of the Polo and Polo Vivo at the Eastern Cape production site. →

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