From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report. As the City Of Tshwane takes delivery of the first buses for its bus rapid transit system, Volvo Southern Africa looks at what the buses can offer. Natasha Odendaal reports.

Natasha Odendaal:
Volvo Southern Africa, in partnership with Marcopolo South Africa, had been contracted to produce 131 buses for the City of Tshwane’s bus rapid transit system, Areyeng.

During May, Volvo phased in the first 30 buses – 12m long rigids – enabling the city to start commissioning the bus services.

The remaining buses, another 55 12m rigids and 46 articulated 18m buses, were expected to be phased in over the next two years.

With this project well underway, Volvo Southern Africa GM of the bus division Marius Botha tells Engineering News more about the features of the buses and what makes them unique.

Volvo Southern Africa GM of the bus division Marius Botha

Shannon de Ryhove:
Natural gas supplier Egoli Gas, owned by black-owned energy group Reatile, has formally initiated it first major network expansion in 30 years.

The R50-million project, will supply gas to MTN’s campus, west of Johannesburg. The telecoms group plans to use the gas to increase its power-generation capacity, chill its billing centre and heat its offices. It also plans to capture carbon and convert it into sellable CO2.

Reatile’s Simphiwe Mehlomakulu and MTN’s Willem Weber explain the significance of the venture.

Reatile chairperson Simphiwe Mehlomakulu

MTN senior manager – technical Willem Weber

Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: Property group Vukile’s portfolio exceeds the R10-billion mark.

Ten years after listing on the JSE, property group Vukile Property Fund has breached the R10-billion portfolio value mark and pushed its market capitalisation to R8.5-billion by the year ended March 2014, from the R1.3-billion recorded in 2004.

Vukile CEO Laurence Rapp

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.