From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report. Our top stories this week: South Africa's Sumbandila satellite is now in orbit; construction group Aveng sees 18% growth; and Sasol begins to perform innovative feats on the world stage.

Shannon de Ryhove:
South Africa's home-grown microsatellite, Sumbandila, is now successfully in orbit, having been launched on a Russian Soyuz rocket. Keith Campbell reports.

Keith Campbell:
Sumbandila is an Earth Observation satellite. South Africa has been using imagery from foreign satellites for decades. So, what difference will Sumbandila make? I put this question to South African Deputy Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom.

South African Deputy Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom

Shannon de Ryhove:
JSE-listed construction group Aveng has seen an 18% growth in its order book. However, this was not the only big number the company bandied around at its recent results presentation. Irma Venter has the story.

Irma Venter:
When the going gets tough, cash ascends the throne, as many JSE-listed company will profess. And, with its cash position running into seven digits, Aveng is construction royalty. CEO Roger Jardine explains what the company's bank account looks like.

Aveng CEO Roger Jardine

Irma Venter:
Does being cash-flush mean Aveng will actively look for acquisitions? Jardine confims this is indeed the case.

Roger Jardine

Shannon de Ryhove:
The iconic South African company Sasol has successfully migrated its technology on to the world stage. Creamer Media's Martin Creamer.

Martin Creamer:
South Africa's Sasol is a technology company that has surmounted all obstacles in migrating its South African-developed gas-to-clean-diesel technology to Qatar, in the Middle East, with Uzbekistan next. Pat Davies expands on the Oryx project in Qatar.

Pat Davies, CEO, Sasol

Martin Creamer:
One has to distinguish between gas-to-liquids or GTL technology - which is clean - and coal-to-liquids or CTL - which is dirty.

Pat Davies

Martin Creamer:
Sasol's scientists and engineers are hard at work cleaning up coal's dirt.

Pat Davies

Shannon de Ryhove:
And now for a sneak preview of this week's Engineering News magazine:

In our cover story, read how brewing giant SABMiller is seeking to tap new markets, ingredients and supply-chains with it's ‘home-brew' alternative.

Read about South African defence company BAE Systems Land Systems OMC facing the future with a range of new or improved products.

And, read about the State-owned Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority wanting to raise about R44-billion to help fund new water infrastructure projects.

And in Mining Weekly this week:

Read our cover story in which State-owned power utility Eskom claims that the electricity system is tight, but manageable.

We report that provisionally liquidated Pamodzi Gold's founder, Ndaba Ntsele, has thrown in the towel.

And, Zimbabwe's Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, calls for a South African-style Mining Charter for his country.

Shannon de Ryhove:
That's Creamer Media's Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa's real economy.

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