Irma Venter

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Irma Venter

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

Electric motorbike powered by the sun to travel from Kenya to South Africa

20th September 2024 An electric motorbike, designed and built in Africa and powered only by the sun, is set to tackle the road from Nairobi, in Kenya, to Stellenbosch, South Africa, in October. Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU) have joined forces with Roam, an electric... →

August new-vehicle sales 4.9% lower as exports nosedive by 34.3%

20th September 2024 August’s negative new-vehicle sales numbers dashed any hope of a sustained upward trend in the market following July’s 1.5% increase. Total new-vehicle sales in August dropped by 4.9%, to 43 558 units, compared with the same month last year. →

BMW SA halts third-generation X3 production, gears up for new model next month

20th September 2024 BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has halted production of the third-generation X3 at its Rosslyn plant, in Pretoria, and will now gear up for production of the new-generation model. The last vehicle in the current series, which has been shipped to a customer in Germany, was produced at the end of... →

Diversification rescues Motus as SA economy struggles

20th September 2024 Motus’s Import and Distribution business took a significant bite out of the automotive group’s profit in the financial year ended June 30, says CEO Osman Arbee. “Minus the importers, we had a great year.” →

Logistics sector under pressure in June, July – Ctrack index

19th September 2024 After moving upwards for three consecutive months, the newest Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (TFI) declined in June and July to reach a level of 119.8 in July – the lowest level since February. The weakness in the South African logistics sector has been broad-based, with five of the TFI’s six... →

Norway’s electric car parc now outnumbers its pure petrol car fleet

18th September 2024 For the first time ever there are more electric cars than pure petrol cars in Norway’s passenger-car fleet. Of the 2.8-million registered passenger cars in the Nordic country, there are 754 303 electric cars (as of 16 September) and 753 905 petrol cars, this according to figures from Norway’s... →

Grindrod acquires rest of shareholding in Matola Terminal

18th September 2024 Ports and logistics group Grindrod will acquire the remaining 35% shareholding in Terminal de Carvão da Matola (TCM), at the Maputo port, from Vitol Mauritius for $77-million. The JSE-listed company already holds a 65% interest in the Mozambican operation. →

The Matola Terminal

Metair to sell its troubled Turkish operations, return its focus to auto parts

17th September 2024 Energy storage and automotive component manufacturer Metair says it will sell its troubled Mutlu operations in Türkiye to Quexco for R1.95-billion in cash. Mutlu forms part of Metair’s Energy Storage vertical. The business manufactures and trades energy storage products, including lead-acid and... →

Protest action outside Rosslyn plant linked to fraud investigation, says BMW

16th September 2024 BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) on Monday confirmed protest action outside its plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria, where the X3 model is produced for the local and export markets. The local arm of the German premium car maker said the labour action was in response to an ongoing fraud investigation within... →

The BMW plant in Rosslyn

Cape Town’s Metal Theft Unit recovers 1.8 t of metal, 54 km of cable

16th September 2024 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says its dedicated Metal Theft Unit (MTU) in the past year (ending June 30) recovered more than 1.8 t of metal and 54 km of stolen cable. “The scary thing is that for all the confiscated items, thousands of kilograms more have made it to bucket shops and unscrupulous... →

A trench dug next to the M5 by cable thieves

Barloworld probes possible Russian export control violations

16th September 2024 Barloworld says it has submitted a notification of “voluntary self-disclosure” to the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on September 5 regarding “potential export control violations that the company is currently investigating, relating to the sales of certain goods... →

Caterpillar dump truck

Cape Town proposes new CBD spatial plan; expects up to 50 000 new inner-city residents by 2040

13th September 2024 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has invited the public to comment on its 2040 local spatial development framework (LSDF) for the central business district (CBD). The LSDF will guide decisions about land use, development, density, transportation and urban design. →

The LSDF study area

NDB approves $1bn loan for SA, inks deal for more billions with Transnet

13th September 2024 The board of directors of the New Development Bank (NDB) has approved a loan of up to $1-billion for the development of water and sanitation infrastructure in South Africa under government’s Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). The MIG is a conditional grant allocated to municipalities to reduce... →

R50-billion in tenders out to market, another R1.8bn to follow – Sanral

13th September 2024 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) says it is currently evaluating 96 tenders worth R35-billion, while 86 contracts worth R15-billion have already been awarded since the start of the 2024/25 financial year on April 1. →

Expansion of Infrastructure SA central to DPWI’s strategy, Telkom Towers deal to be probed – Macpherson

13th September 2024 The expansion and capacitation of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) is central to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s (DPWI’s) strategy for increased infrastructure investment, says Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson. ISA was established in 2020 to be a... →

N2 Cape Town to get R2bn upgrade, R7bn to be spent on N1, Huguenot Tunnel – Sanral

12th September 2024 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has a number of multibillion-rand projects in the pipeline in its Western Region, which includes the Western and Northern Cape. On a project-by-project basis, Western Region regional manager Randall Cable says a 12 km upgrade to the N2 in... →

Afrimat Construction Index bounces back in second quarter

12th September 2024 The Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) has managed to bounce back in the second quarter of this year. The ACI is a composite index of the level of activity within the building and construction sectors and is compiled by economist Dr Roelof Botha on behalf of the JSE-listed midtier mining and... →

We all feel a lot better about South Africa, says WBHO boss

11th September 2024 Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) is currently in “a good space”, says CEO Wolfgang Neff. “We all feel a whole lot better about South Africa.” →

Wolfgang Neff

East London port gets two new tugs, TNPA wraps up fleet renewal programme

10th September 2024 The Port of East London has taken ownership of two new tugboats, marking the end of the Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA’s) R1-billion marine fleet renewal programme, aimed at boosting tugboat availability and, thus, enhancing shipping operations at its facilities. This renewal programme... →

Tugs Kganya and Lentswe

Sanral awards R1.4bn in contracts in the Eastern Cape; another R3.8bn to follow

9th September 2024 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has awarded 12 road infrastructure contracts to the value of R1.4-billion in the Eastern Cape since the start of the 2024/25 financial year, with R3.8-billion more to be awarded by the end of the year. The awarded tenders include the... →

Construction work on the N2 Wild Coast project

Demand for used cars outpacing new cars; Asian newcomers big new-car winners

9th September 2024 The prolonged economic downturn experienced across multiple sectors in South Africa has resulted in markedly depressed sales in the new-car segment over the past 12 months, says finance group WesBank. Also, as consumers continue to seek more affordable mobility alternatives, a noticeable trend... →

City Logistics tests the electric Canter; DTSA to roll out leasing once trials wrap up

6th September 2024 City Logistics says it has been “pleasantly surprised” by the load-carrying performance of its trial electric Fuso Canter (eCanter) small truck. Earlier this year, Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) announced that it would launch a comprehensive line-up of battery-electric trucks, ranging from... →

Macpherson signs two declarations of intent with Chinese groups

6th September 2024 Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson concluded his visit to China this week by signing two declarations of intent with the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), as well as ASI Global. Macpherson travelled to China as part of an official State visit by President... →

UK govt financier pledges $35m towards construction of DRC deep-water container port

6th September 2024 British International Investment (BII) says it has committed up to $35-million for the construction of the initial phase of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) first deepwater container port. BII is the development finance institution of the UK government. →

Challenging trade environment dents Grindrod’s profit

6th September 2024 Grindrod encountered a “very challenging environment” in the first six months of the year, says CEO Xolani Mbambo. “It’s been difficult.” →

Sanral announces start of new R2.2bn phase of the N2 Wild Coast Road project

6th September 2024 South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) CEO Reginald Demana has announced the start of Package 4 of the N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project in the Eastern Cape. The R2.2-billion phase of the project will be rolled out by the WBHO-Edwin Construction Joint Venture. →

Ogihara SA breaks ground on new R1.2bn auto body-part plant in Durban

6th September 2024 CFAO South Africa (SA) subsidiary Toyota Tsusho Africa and Ogihara Thailand have started construction of a new R1.2-billion plant that will produce vehicle body parts for Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM). The JV will be known as Ogihara SA, with the plant located in the Dube TradePort (DTP), in... →

Cape Town Mayco okays 7 ha land release for mixed-use development; must include affordable housing

5th September 2024 Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee has greenlit the release of 7 ha of land for a mixed-use development in Rondebosch East, roughly 10 km from the city centre. The committee will now seek council approval to start with a public participation process for the proposed sale of the city-owned land. →

BMW SA ends production of third-generation X3, gears up for new model in October

5th September 2024 BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has halted production of the third-generation X3 at its Rosslyn plant, in Pretoria, and will now gear up for production of the new-generation model. The last vehicle in the current series, which has been shipped to a customer in Germany, was produced at the end of... →

The last third-generation X3 produced at the BMW plant in Rosslyn

PRASA welcomes 15-year sentence handed down to former engineering head

4th September 2024 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) says it welcomes the 15-year prison sentence handed down this week to Daniel Mthimkhulu, the agency’s former head of engineering. Mthimkhulu, appointed at PRASA in 2010, was charged with fraud and forgery in misrepresenting his qualifications to... →

August new-vehicle sales drop by 4.9%, exports down 34.3%

3rd September 2024 August’s negative new-vehicle sales numbers dashed any hope of a sustained upward trend in the market following July’s 1.5% increase. Total new-vehicle sales in August dropped by 4.9%, to 43 558 units, compared with the same month last year. →

Diversification strategy saves the day for Motus as SA economy bites

3rd September 2024 Motus’s Import and Distribution business took a significant bite out of the automotive group’s profit in the financial year ended June 30, says CEO Osman Arbee. “Minus the importers we had a great year.” →

Osman Arbee

NDB approves $1bn loan to SA; Godongwana urges speedy disbursement

2nd September 2024 The board of directors of the New Development Bank (NDB) has approved a loan of up to $1-billion for the development of water and sanitation infrastructure in South Africa under government’s Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). The MIG is a conditional grant allocated to municipalities to reduce... →

R50-billion in tenders out to market, another R1.8bn to follow – Sanral

2nd September 2024 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) says it is currently evaluating 96 tenders worth R35-billion, while 86 contracts worth R15-billion have already been awarded since the start of the 2024/25 financial year on April 1. The tenders currently in evaluation are spread across the... →

NDB signs R5bn loan agreement with Transnet

30th August 2024 The New Development Bank (NDB) on Friday signed a R5-billion loan agreement with State-owned freight transport and logistics group Transnet. The agreement was signed during the NDB’s ninth yearly meeting, held in Cape Town. →

NDB member country flags

Developed-country debt draining international market liquidity – NDB president

30th August 2024 Enacting the just transition in emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs) requires “a huge amount of resources and long-term financing”, says New Development Bank (NDB) president Dilma Rousseff, who is also the former President of Brazil. Mobilising more investment for sustainable... →

Akademia unveils R3.2bn plan for private higher education campus

30th August 2024 Privately owned Afrikaans, Christian higher education institution Akademia has announced the development of a R3.2-billion campus in Pretoria East. The campus will be developed by real estate development group Kanton, which will seek funding from investors and banking institutions, while Akademia... →

PRASA terminates Matthews’ contract, sticks with Emeran as CEO

30th August 2024 The board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has terminated Zolani Matthews’ employment with immediate effect. PRASA fired Matthews as CEO in 2021 for failing to disclose that he held dual South African-UK citizenship, which would have disqualified him from obtaining the... →

Golden Arrow, Eskom in electric bus deal

30th August 2024 Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) and power utility Eskom have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) which sets out the terms for ongoing engagement related to GABS’ planned introduction of electric buses into the public transport sector. GABS in July signed a deal to acquire 120 electric buses... →

WesBank introduces residential solar finance of up to R500 000

30th August 2024 WesBank has added residential solar finance to its portfolio, extending its product mix beyond vehicle and leisure finance products. The new addition gives personal clients in South Africa access to credit to finance the installation of home solar solutions. →

MBSA appoints new co-CEO as Raine departs for Germany

29th August 2024 Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has announced that Mark Raine will step down from his role as co-CEO and Mercedes-Benz Cars executive director on August 31. Raine will be taking up the responsibility for direct sales, omni-channel commerce and data management at the luxury car maker in... →

Claudius Steinhoff

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