Leandi Kolver

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Leandi Kolver

Leandi Kolver is Creamer Media Deputy Editor Features for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Tel: +2711 622 3744

Email: newsdesk@engineeringnews.co.za

SMME funding not responsibility of govt alone – Zulu

7th November 2014 Government could not take responsibility for radical economic transformation and small business development on its own, Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu asserted on Thursday. Speaking at the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) 2014 Convention, she said all South... →

Municipalities to bid for small business infrastructure support

7th November 2014 The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) would soon invite applications from local municipalities for incentives to cover the building or renovation of infrastructure that could support small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs), DSBD acting director-general Pumla Ncapayi... →

Shell hands over exploration data to universities

7th November 2014 Energy company Shell has handed over rare, high-quality three-dimensional (3D) seismic data, collected off the west coast of South Africa, to the universities of the Western Cape and Cape Town to be used for the advancement of research and skills development relevant to the oil and gas industry.... →

Motsepe Foundation, ARM donate $1m to Guinea Ebola fund

7th November 2014 JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Motsepe Foundation founder and African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) executive chairperson and founder Patrice Motsepe has donated $1-million to Guinea’s Ebola Fund on behalf of the organisations. This donation, for which regulatory approval was received on Friday,... →

DRA awarded first phase of Exxaro’s Belfast coal implementation project

7th November 2014 JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Engineering and project delivery company DRA has been awarded the $4.5-million first phase contract of JSE-listed Exxaro Resources subsidiary Exxaro Coal’s Belfast implementation project, in Mpumalanga. The first phase of the project would include the detailed... →

Bloodhoud high-speed communications tests deliver promising results

6th November 2014 High-speed communications testing at the Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) land-speed record attempt site at Hakskeenpan, in the Northern Cape, had delivered promising results, Bloodhound information technology head Sarah Covell said on Thursday. Speaking to Engineering News Online following a test... →

Edenville commissions Rukwa power plant PFS

5th November 2014 African coal explorer Edenville Energy on Wednesday commissioned the feasibility study for the establishment of a 100 MW clean coal thermal power plant at its Rukwa coal project, in Tanzania. Edenville said the feasibility study, which was expected to be completed within the first quarter of next... →

Yaoure PFS expected to confirm robust project economics

5th November 2014 West Africa-focused gold mining company Amara Mining’s Yaoure gold project, in Côte d'Ivoire, is one of the few West African projects that will still be able to generate robust returns at a gold price of $1 000/oz. This was according to Amara chairperson and CEO John McGloin, who pointed out that... →

Sacci BCI declines in October, business climate calls for interrogation of negative factors

5th November 2014 The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) Business Confidence Index (BCI) declined by 0.4 index points to 88.8 in October, reaching its lowest October level since 1999. The BCI was also 2.3 index points below the October 2013 level of 91.1, which Sacci said stemmed mainly from... →

Centamin reduces full-year Sukari production forecast

5th November 2014 Dual-listed Centamin on Wednesday reduced its production guidance for its Sukari mine, in Egypt, for 2014 to between 370 000 oz and 400 000 oz, compared with the previously forecast 420 000 oz. However, the revised production figures still represented an increase of between 4% and 7% on the 356... →

PPC increases its stake in Ethiopia’s HCSCo to 51%

5th November 2014 Cement producer PPC on Wednesday said it had successfully acquired the Industrial Development Corporation’s 20% stake in Ethiopia-based Habesha Cement Share Company (HCSCo) for $13-million, increasing PPC’s shareholding in the company to 51%. PPC pointed out that HCSCo had begun construction on a... →

PPC executive chairperson Bheki Sibiya

New higher-yield Siemens wind turbine to be available early 2017

5th November 2014 Electronics and electrical engineering company Siemens launched its new model SWT-3.3-130 wind turbine at the 2014 WINDaba, held in Cape Town this week, stating that the first of these units would be available in early 2017. This wind power unit, of which the rotor would measure 130 m in... →

Harmony narrows Q1 2015 loss

5th November 2014 Gold miner Harmony Gold narrowed its losses by 78% quarter-on-quarter to R226-million, on the back of higher production, in the first quarter of the company's 2015 financial year, ended September 30. The company’s output increased 6% quarter-on-quarter to 303 341 oz, while revenue rose 18% to... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs

Committees recommend NT, NCOP ratify DoE Grand Inga report

4th November 2014 The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and the Select Committee on Economic and Business Development on Tuesday recommended that the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces ratify the Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) report on the treaty of the Grand Inga hydropower project.... →

Labour Court grants interim order in favour of Neasa

4th November 2014 The Labour Court, in Johannesburg, on Tuesday granted a further interim order preventing the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) from requesting Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant to extend the wage settlement agreed to by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of... →

Savannah raises £352 000 to advance Oman, Mozambique exploration

4th November 2014 Aim-listed exploration and development company Savannah Resources has raised £253 000 through the placing of 5.69-million new ordinary shares, at 4.45p a share, to new and existing investors. The funds would be used to advance the company’s exploration programmes in Oman and Mozambique, as well... →

Beacon Hill making progress with new debt facility, debt restructuring

4th November 2014 Aim-listed Beacon Hill Resources was making steady progress with regard to a new debt facility for the Minas Moatize coking coal mine expansion project, in Mozambique, and the restructuring of existing group debt facilities, CEO Rowan Karstel said on Tuesday. He added that he remained optimistic... →

Aveng continues to experience difficult trading conditions

4th November 2014 Construction and engineering group Aveng continues to experience difficult trading conditions in line with general economic conditions of the group’s key markets of South Africa and Australia, Aveng group chairperson Angus Band told shareholders on Tuesday. He said, in a continuation of the... →

Denmark targeting 50% improvement in trade with SA

4th November 2014 South Africa was one of ten countries with which Denmark was aiming to improve trade by 50%, Denmark Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Morgens Jensen said on Tuesday. During a bilateral meeting with Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies, Jensen said that Denmark saw South Africa as a... →

SunPower to open solar panel manufacturing facility in Cape Town

4th November 2014 Solar technology and energy services provider SunPower on Tuesday plans to open a solar panel manufacturing facility in Cape Town in 2015 to meet the growing demand for solar technology in the region. The plant, which would be owned and operated by SunPower, was expected to create up to 150 local... →

Wescoal to be vastly different company by end of FY, H1 profit up

4th November 2014 Junior coal miner and supplier Wescoal would be a vastly different company at the end of the current financial year as new developments came on stream, Wescoal CEO Andre Boje said on Tuesday during a presentation on the company’s results for the six months ended September 30. Boje said that, for... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Wescoal CEO Andre Boje

Sephaku reports H1 loss, SepCem ramps up production at Delmas

3rd November 2014 JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings on Monday reported a loss for the six months ended September 30 of R3.74-million, as opposed to a R6.26-million profit during the prior corresponding period. The company explained that, owing to a one-off noncash contingent consideration loss of R22.2-million for the... →

Neasa to return to Labour Court to fight extension of 2014 wage agreement

3rd November 2014 The National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa) would on Tuesday return to the Labour Court, in Johannesburg, to argue its case as to why the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) should be prevented from requesting Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant to extend the... →

WG Wearne H1 losses widen

3rd November 2014 Construction products provider WG Wearne on Monday said it expected to report a basic loss a share of between 0.45c and 0.55c for the six months ended August 31. The company had recorded a basic loss a share of 0.52c in the six months ended August 2013. →

Sacci urges Eskom to continue communicating with business on power-grid status

3rd November 2014 The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Monday encouraged State-owned power utility Eskom to continue communicating with the business community on the status of the power grid over the short to medium term, stating that certainty over power supply was key in ensuring that... →

$70m investment to increase Blanket mine’s output by up to 75 000 oz by 2021

3rd November 2014 Increased investment in triple-listed Caledonia Mining’s 49%-owned Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe, as set out in the mine’s revised plan, was expected to give rise to yearly production from inferred resources of about 70 000 oz to 75 000 oz by 2021, the company said on Monday. The company stated that... →

IFM Q1 production down 16% owing to planned maintenance

3rd November 2014 London-listed International Ferro Metals (IFM) on Monday reported a 16% quarter-on-quarter drop in ferrochrome production for the three months ended September 30, as a result of planned yearly maintenance. Production for the quarter amounted to 48 216 t, with sales of 48 183 t in line with... →

PMI increases for third consecutive month in October

3rd November 2014 The seasonally adjusted Kagiso purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose for the third consecutive month in October, increasing to 50.1, compared with 49.5 in September. Kagiso Asset Management head of research Abdul Davids pointed out that this was the PMI’s best level since November 2013, adding... →

Continental Coal accepts offer to sell SA business for R700m

3rd November 2014 Dual-listed Continental Coal has accepted an offer to sell its 74% interest in South African subsidiary Continental Coal South Africa to a consortium led by South Africa-based fund LSP Energy for R700-million. Continental said the offer, if completed, would leave the company debt free with excess... →

PPC to convene shareholders meeting to consider replacing board

3rd November 2014 Cement producer PPC would, during the first half of next month, convene a shareholder meeting to consider the proposed removal of the entire board of the company, as well as the proposed election to the board of certain other persons. The company said it had resolved to convene the meeting in the... →

Strategic framework for JHB Corridors of Freedom signed, strategy approved – Tau

31st October 2014 The strategic area frameworks for the City of Johannesburg’s three identified Corridors of Freedom had been approved by council, on Thursday, executive mayor Parks Tau has revealed. The proposed Corridors of Freedom were the Empire/Perth corridor, that would stretch from Empire Road in the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
City of Johannesburg executive mayor Parks Tau

Affordability, cooperation key in housing development

31st October 2014 Affordability was the key issue facing South Africa in terms of human settlements and housing development, South African Affordable Residential Developers Association committee member and Basil Read Developments MD Yusuf Patel said on Friday. Speaking at the Banking Association South Africa’s... →

More needs to be done to get voice of science community heard

31st October 2014 While the National Science and Technology Forum‘s (NSTF’s) discussion forums showcased the work achieved and policy development in key areas, more had to be done in terms of lobbying for the implementation of key government policies, NSTF executive director Jansie Niehaus said this month.... →

Gold Fields on track to reach full-year production target, cost estimates revised downwards

31st October 2014 JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Gold miner Gold Fields on Monday announced that its attributable gold equivalent production for the three months ended September was expected to be about 559 000 oz. All-in sustaining costs (AISC) and all-in costs (AIC) for the third quarter were expected to be... →

Unemployment at 25.4%, Stats SA to provide long-term unemployment data

30th October 2014 Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) would, in future, focus more strongly on the trends of long-term unemployment in its quarterly labour force surveys (QLFSs), statistician-general Pali Lehohla said on Thursday. Releasing the QLFS for the three months ended September 30, Lehohla noted that... →

Enviro permit granted for Nayega manganese project

30th October 2014 Aim-listed iron-ore and manganese developer Ferrex on Thursday announced that the environmental permit for its Nayega manganese project, in Northern Togo, had been granted. The environmental permit set the conditions for the operation of the mine, with Ferrex noting that it was a major milestone... →

First Parkhurst homes go live on Vumatel fibre-to-the-home network

29th October 2014 Telecommunications start-up Vumatel on Wednesday announced that the first homes in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, had gone live on its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, providing residents with connection speeds of up to 1 Gb/s. The Vumatel network provided fibre to homes on an open-access basis, which... →

ACSA appoints CIO

29th October 2014 Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) on Wednesday announced that former Department of Home Affairs (DHA) CIO Sello Mmakau would fill the position of ACSA, with the position having been created following the company’s leadership realignment earlier this year. “Mmakau’s new role is an important... →

Ipsa, Turbocare reach €5.6m settlement agreement

29th October 2014 Independent power producer Ipsa on Wednesday settled its dispute with Turbocare related to the sale and purchase agreements and refurbishment agreement for the Siemens Westinghouse 701DU turbines Ipsa bought in 2007. In terms of the agreement, Ipsa would pay Turbocare an initial sum of €3-million... →

African countries urged to take control of their destinies

29th October 2014 The power was ultimately in the hands of each individual African country to take control of its destiny, as the US had done, US Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew said on Wednesday. Addressing delegates at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (Gibs), in Sandton, he said countries such as South... →

Miller’s status changed from Firestone CEO to MD

29th October 2014 Coal developer Firestone Energy on Wednesday announced that it had appointed former CEO and executive director Stephen Miller as MD of the company with immediate effect. Firestone said the terms and conditions of Miller’s engagement had not changed with his change of status to MD, which followed... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Firestone MD Stephen Miller

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