David Oliveira

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

David Oliveira

David Oliveira is a Creamer Media Senior Staff Writer for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Tel: +2711 622 3744

Email: newsdesk@engineeringnews.co.za

Bank showcases new modular branch design

3rd June 2016 First National Bank’s (FNB’s) new modular branch design, which was piloted at the newly opened Mall of Africa, cost about 30% less than traditional designs, FNB innovation head Yolande Steyn said at the company’s innovation media breakfast, in Sandton, last month. The new branch design was not... →

Value of residential-focused property group’s portfolio grows to R2.2-billion

3rd June 2016 Residential focused real estate investment trust (Reit) Indluplace increased the value of its property portfolio by 29% to R2.2-billion, the company announced last month. Reporting on the JSE-listed company’s results for the six months ended March 31, CEO Carel de Wit told Engineering News Online... →

Quest for living wage, need to contain costs overshadow upcoming platinum pay talks

3rd June 2016 Striking a balance between workers receiving a living wage in line with the national inflation rate and the threat of mass job cuts, owing to cash-strapped mining houses looking to reduce costs, remains a major concern for labour unions and platinum miners. The current wage agreement, which was... →

STRIKE THREAT AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa warns that the union is able to sustain its members for a ten-month-long strike

Two more X'Trapolis train sets en route from Brazil, says passenger rail agency

3rd June 2016 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has, to date, taken delivery of five X’Trapolis Mega train sets being manufactured by the Gibela Rail Transportation Consortium, in Brazil. A further two of the train sets, each comprising six coaches, were en route to South Africa, while the... →

Black industrialists receive R550m funding support

1st June 2016 The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has provided R550-million in finance to five companies that have been approved for participation in the department’s Black Industrialists (BI) programme, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies has revealed. Speaking at a media briefing following the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies

Companies could face fines of up to 10% of yearly turnover for fronting

31st May 2016 The Presidential broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) advisory council, which convened a meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, on Tuesday, has determined that fronting practices are rife in BBBEE transactions. Acting BBBEE commissioner Zodwa Ntuli told journalists at a media... →

CSIR launches new facility to support biomanufacturing

27th May 2016 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched the R90-million Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC) at the CSIR’s main campus, in Pretoria, earlier this month. The R90-million investment had resulted in new infrastructure, pilot-scale equipment, enterprise... →

Mine closure, rehabilitation getting more attention from regulators

27th May 2016 Globally, the mining industry was resistant to mine closure and rehabilitation, said University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry director professor Caroline Digby. Speaking at the Centre for Environmental Rights seminar on mine closure and... →

Residential-focused Reit announces significant portfolio growth

27th May 2016 As part of its JSE-listing requirements residential-focused real estate investment trust (Reit) Indluplace announced earlier this month a dividend pay-out of 46c a share for the six-month period ending March 2016. The company paid its dividends on a quarterly basis, which amounted to 22.93c a... →

Report finds World Heritage sites threatened by climate change

26th May 2016 Climate change is fast becoming one of the most significant risks for World Heritage sites, according to a report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), the United Nations Environment Programme and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).... →

Silicosis class-action status impacts on local common law

25th May 2016 The Johannesburg High Courts’ decision earlier this month to give 69 mineworkers and silicosis sufferers the right to institute class action against 32 current and historical South African gold mining companies would have far-reaching implications for the country’s common law, according to law... →

More X’Trapolis Mega trains delivered to PRASA

25th May 2016 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has, to date, taken delivery of five X’Trapolis Mega train sets being manufactured by the Gibela Rail Transportation Consortium, in Brazil. A further two of the train sets, each comprising six coaches, were en route to South Africa, while the... →

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters

Report outlines transformation framework for construction globally

20th May 2016 Thirty measures that form part of a construction industry transformation framework are detailed in a new report called ‘Shaping the Future of Construction: A Breakthrough in Mindset and Technology’, which was compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEC), in collaboration with The Boston Consulting... →

South Africa’s economy at a crossroads, Sunter warns

20th May 2016 The Swiss-based International Institute of Management Development’s 2015 ‘World Competitiveness Report’ (WCR) ranked South Africa’s economy 53 out of 63, highlighting that the country’s economy remains a significant player in the global economy, said futurologist Clem Sunter during the 95-year... →

Enviro assessments for Delmas colliery pollution control dams project under way

20th May 2016 Specialist assessments required for the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the proposed extension and remediation of the discard dump and two pollution control dams at the North Shaft section of local coal mining and beneficiation company Kuyasa Mining’s Delmas coal mine is currently... →

SRK Consulting: 40 years on

20th May 2016 Global engineering consultancy SRK Consulting launched its fortieth anniversary book – SRK: 40 years in the deep end – during this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba, which took place in February at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The book covers SRK’s journey from its... →

Photo by Duane Daws
IN THE DEEP END The book covers SRK’s journey from its formation in Johannesburg, South Africa, by Oskar Steffen, Andy Robertson and Hendrik Kirsten in 1974 to its global presence today

Afrimat FY HEPS up 15.5% y/y

19th May 2016 JSE-listed Afrimat lifted its headline earnings a share for the year ended February 29 to 156.6c, up 15.5% from the 135.6c achieved in the prior financial year. “We are very pleased with this solid improvement, which is [owing] to a strong performance from the mineral-producing operations across... →

CSIR launches biomanufacturing facility to support local bio-industry

13th May 2016 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Friday launched the R90-million Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC) facility at the CSIR’s main campus in Pretoria. The R90-million investment had resulted in new infrastructure, pilot-scale equipment, enterprise support... →

Is labour-intensive construction still an option for unemployment alleviation?

13th May 2016 The Department of Public Works’ (DPW’s) Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) should be focused on delivering projects in rural areas using labour-intensive construction (LIC) methods if it is to meet its objective of providing poverty and income relief for six-million South Africans by 2019.... →

Is labour-intensive construction still an option for unemployment alleviation?

13th May 2016 The Department of Public Works’ (DPW’s) Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) should be focused on delivering projects in rural areas using labour-intensive construction (LIC) methods if it is to meet its objective of providing poverty and income relief for six-million South Africans by 2019.... →

Photo by Duane Daws
SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS Labour-intensive construction is geared toward providing the poorest people of a country a means of alleviating the pressures of unemployment and poverty

Bioremediation at North End lake shows promising results

13th May 2016 Water-quality test results following the organic clean-up of the North End lake in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape, were positive in various critical parameters, suggesting a significant drop in pollution levels, which made the lake unsuitable for swimming events in the past. According to... →

Randgold’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex delivers robust Q1 results

13th May 2016 London and Nasdaq-listed gold miner Randgold Resources announced earlier this month that its flagship operation, the Loulo-Gounkoto complex, in Mali, delivered a robust performance in the first quarter ending March 2016. This is attributable to the commissioning and resolving of technical issues... →

FNB highlights innovations successes at media breakfast

12th May 2016 First National Bank’s (FNB’s) new modular branch design, which was piloted at the newly opened Mall of Africa, cost about 30% less than traditional designs, FNB innovation head Yolande Steyn said at the company’s innovation media breakfast, in Sandton, on Thursday. The new branch design was not... →

JACQUES CELLIERS

Indluplace portfolio grows to R2.2bn in H1

11th May 2016 Residential focused real estate investment trust (Reit) Indluplace has increased the value of its property portfolio by 29% to R2.2-billion. Reporting on the JSE-listed company’s results for the six months ended March 31, CEO Carel de Wit told Engineering News Online in a telephone interview on... →

Indluplace CEO Carel de Wit

New infrastructure project development approach needed to address African infrastructure gap

10th May 2016 An alternative approach to infrastructure project development in Africa would be needed to address the significant infrastructure gap on the continent, International Finance Corporation (IFC) infrastructure and natural resources global director Sujoy Bose told delegates at the africainvestor (Ai)... →

Prompt payment regulations expected to be gazetted later this year

6th May 2016 Amendments to the Construction Industry Development Board Act, which would introduce prompt payment and adjudication regulations, was expected to be released later this year, said Global law firm Clyde & Co at a seminar hosted by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in Sandton last month.... →

Africa’s 2015/16 growth projections will be difficult to meet

6th May 2016 Following the drop in commodity prices and China’s demand for Africa’s resources, African economies were slumping and gross domestic product growth was stagnating in most of the continent’s emerging markets, said the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, or Nepad, Business Foundation (NBF)... →

Crushing circuit commissioned at Côte d’Ivoire gold operation

6th May 2016 Africa-focused gold producer Randgold Resources announced last month that it had commissioned its fourth-stage crushing circuit at its Tongon gold mine, in Côte d’Ivoire, completing an extensive capital project designed to improve throughput and recovery. The new circuit is being optimised.... →

Construction under way at Burkina Faso’s Houndé gold project

29th April 2016 TSX-listed gold miner Endeavour Mining announced earlier this month that its 90%-owned Houndé project has entered the construction phase of development, following approval from its board of directors. The project is expected to deliver average production of 190 000 oz/y of gold over a ten-year... →

South African power solutions firm expands into Namibia

29th April 2016 South African power solution and data centre specialist Master Power Technologies last month opened a branch in Windhoek, Namibia, as part of its growth strategy in Africa. The new office complements the Master Power branches successfully operating in Kitwe and Lusaka, in Zambia, as well as in... →

Renewables programme showcases benefits of public–private collaboration

29th April 2016 The success of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) is a shining example of South Africa’s ability to undertake large infrastructure programmes to boost the local economy, despite the current period of slow growth... →

Eritrean potash project signs eight nonbinding offtake MoUs

29th April 2016 ASX-listed potash developer Danakali has signed nonbinding memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with eight multinational parties throughout Northern Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America for the offtake of sulphate from its 50%-owned Colluli potash project in Eritrea, in East Africa.... →

Draft Mining Charter seeks to clear up equity ownership confusion

25th April 2016 Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane’s surprise gazetting of the draft Mining Charter earlier this month without any stakeholder engagement was likely motivated by a need to shake up the industry to meet the country’s transformation targets. Many debates around the draft document, which was... →

Formalised status urged for artisanal, small-scale mining

22nd April 2016 Members of community organisations and artisanal mining and academic communities, as well as civil society groups, have called on government and mining companies to uphold the rights of all South African mineworkers, including artisanal and small-scale miners. ActionAid South Africa (AASA) mining... →

Hulisani says it has R2.5bn project pipeline as it lists on JSE

22nd April 2016 Newly established renewable energy special-purpose acquisition company (Spac) Hulisani listed on the main board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), earlier this month, taking advantage of investor demand for energy assets in South Africa and Africa. Company CEO Mlungelo Zilimbola... →

Alecto Minerals secures partners for Zambia gold project

22nd April 2016 Gold and base metals exploration and development company Alecto Minerals earlier this month signed an agreement with Chinese mining equipment manufacturer Yantai Xinhai Machinery and South Africa-based turnkey solutions provider PenMin for the proposed construction and financing of mining... →

Formalised status urged for artisanal, small-scale mining

22nd April 2016 Members of community organisations, the artisanal mining and academic communities, as well as civil society groups, have called for government and mining companies uphold the rights of all South African mineworkers, including artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs). ActionAid South Africa (AASA)... →

GOLD PANNING Mercury is used to to separate gold from water

Prompt payment regulations expected to be gazetted later this year

15th April 2016 Amendments to the Construction Industry Development Board Act, which would introduce prompt payment and adjudication regulations, was expected to be released later this year, said Global law firm Clyde & Co at a seminar in Sandton earlier this week. Johannesburg branch partner Rob Scott noted... →

Southern African guideline for prospective IPPs launched

15th April 2016 Carbon and climate change advisory firm Promethium Carbon launched its Independent Power Producers (IPPs) Guideline last month to assist prospective IPPs in navigating through the procedures required to license new electricity generation facilities in Southern Africa. The guideline outlines the... →

17 solar PV plants now commercially operational in the Northern Cape

15th April 2016 The inauguration last month of renewable-energy project developer Solar Capital’s 90 MW De Aar 3 solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, in the Northern Cape, marked the seventeenth solar PV plant to start commercial operation in the province. Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, who attended the... →

TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON The Northern Cape hosts 100% of the CSP and 65% of the solar PV capacity procured in the REIPPPP bid windows

Companies ink deal to co-market hard-rock mining services in Africa

15th April 2016 Australian underground hard-rock mining contractor PYBAR Mining Services announced a three-year agreement with LSE-listed drilling services company Capital Drilling earlier this month for the comarketing of underground hard-rock mining services in Africa. Capital Drilling is headquartered in... →

About

Engineering News is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa
Polity

Newsletters

Sign up for our FREE daily email newsletter

Receive daily sector news alerts

More

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Engineering News is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options

Subscribe