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September 20, 2024

CULTIVATING GROWTH

Steenhuisen outlines vision for growing and modernising SA’s agriculture ecosystem

Cover Story

Steenhuisen outlines vision for growing and modernising SA’s agriculture ecosystem

By: Marleny ArnoldiNewly appointed Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen is pushing a renewed focus on structural reforms, biosecurity and improved trade relations with other countries as the Democratic Alliance leader takes charge of the department as part of the Government of National Unity (GNU). In an exclusive... →

First Word

South Africa must grasp the green hydrogen opportunity for the benefit of its people

By: Martin CreamerRepresentatives of development finance institutions, private sector banks, mining companies, automotive manufacturers, and energy development organisations are increasingly urging South Africa Inc to pursue the lucky green hydrogen opportunity with smart collaboration. An increasing number... →

News & Insight

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

By: Irma VenterAugust’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

By: Irma VenterBMW 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

By: Irma VenterMotus’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.” →

DMRE moving with pace on nuclear determination amid mounting technoeconomic questions

By: Terence CreamerSouth Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) expects to finalise nuclear-procurement consultations in the coming two to three months before approaching the regulator for its concurrence with a new Ministerial determination for the procurement of 2 500 MW of new nuclear... →

Financial savings displacing loadshedding as main driver of residential solar market

By: Terence CreamerThe South African market drivers for residential, commercial and industrial solar PV and battery installations have started shifting towards cost savings from security of supply as loadshedding wanes, GoSolar CEO Andrew Middleton asserts. Although installations in 2024 are likely to be well below... →

Modernisation will boost Southern Africa rail

By: Natasha OdendaalModernisation 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... →

New biomass plant in Pretoria in the offing

By: Natasha OdendaalBio2Watt 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... →

Phillips confirms 193Mt ‘stretch target’ for rail amid criticism that recovery plan lacks ambition

By: Terence CreamerTransnet CEO Michelle Phillips has acknowledged criticism over the pace at which it plans to recover rail volumes and has reported that an internal “stretch target” of 193-million tons has been set for 2024/25 against an official target of 170-million tons. Speaking during the State-owned group’s... →

Surging municipal water debt threatens stability of entire water value chain

By: Natasha OdendaalUrgent 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... →

Editorial Insight

Hope beyond hype?

By: Terence CreamerThe current scepticism surrounding the prospects for green hydrogen in South Africa and globally is only natural. A gap was inevitably going to arise between what many have termed “hydrogen hype” and the time it takes to advance what is really a policy-driven solution; one underpinned by the goal... →

Mining Weekly News

BME, Hypex Bio continue to drive environment-friendly explosives

By: Marleny ArnoldiWith 20-million tonnes of bulk nitrate-based explosives being used every year in the mining industry, contributing significantly to greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, explosives and detonation specialist BME is driving the development and market expansion of Hypex Bio’s hydrogen peroxide emulsion... →

Eland set for chrome success in coming years, says Northam Platinum

By: Martin CreamerNortham Platinum, which benefits from a full mine-to-market value chain in chrome, sold around 1.3-million tons of chrome for the year, which contributed 12.5%, or R3.8-billion, to the revenue of this Johannesburg Stock Exchange company best known for its platinum group metals (PGMs) production.... →

SA mining sector’s contribution to GDP slid in 2023, partnership with govt to boost growth

By: Sabrina JardimAmid electricity and logistical constraints, as well as an increase in crime and corruption, the mining sector contributed only 6.3% to South Africa’s GDP in 2023, down from 7.3% in 2022, Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane noted in a presentation at the Africa Down Under... →

South32’s future outlook has probably never looked brighter – CEO

By: Martin CreamerThe future outlook for South32, the mining and metals company spun out of BHP in 2015, has probably never looked brighter, says South32 CEO Graham Kerr. “It's a decade in for the company, and time goes super quick in that space, but what I’d say is the exposure we have to high quality operations,... →

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GROWTH RETHINK

Business Leader

HVAC-R

Cornelius Coetzee

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