IFC makes record investments in Africa

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is part of the World Bank Group, has reported that, over the 12 months from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, it made investments totalling... 

Indian space agency reports that all systems are go on its historic Chandrayaan lunar mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) history-making Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission has continued to go to plan with the activation of key experiments aboard the Vikram lander. This... 

Aviation company announces compressor breakthrough

US-UK zero-greenhouse gas emission aviation company ZeroAvia announced on Friday that it had developed a high-performance compressor for hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion systems (that is,... 

New boards announced for nuclear agencies

The South African government has announced the new boards of directors for both the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) and the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI). The NNR serves to... 

Zero emissions aviation company and energy group enter hydrogen supply partnership

US-UK zero carbon emissions aviation company ZeroAvia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) clean energy group Masdar have entered a partnership to examine the production and supply of hydrogen at key... 

Airlink obliged to suspend air cargo operations to and from Windhoek

South African regional airline Airlink has announced that, with immediate effect, it has had to temporarily suspend its air cargo (but not passenger) operations at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako... 

Global, African airline associations are strengthening their cooperation

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) is joining the Focus Africa Initiative of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it was announced on Wednesday. IATA and AFRAA will also renew... 

Latest Dassault business jet has been certified in Europe and the US

Renowned French aviation company Dassault Aviation’s latest business jet, the Falcon 6X, received its type certification from both the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal... 

Nasa initiates study into airliners capable of flying at four times the speed of sound

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has announced that it is now initiating the next phase of its Advanced Air Vehicles Programme (AAVP). This is focused on developing... 

IAEA assures that it will monitor, on site, the discharge of treated water from Fukushima

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi on Tuesday gave the assurance that the agency would provide a continuing, objective, independent and impartial... 

Leading South African space scientist and Sansa executive has died

The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) announced on Tuesday that Sansa Space Science Programme MD Dr Lee-Anne McKinnell had died, following a short illness, on Saturday. She would have... 

Airline industry IT company highlights opportunities and risks for industry from AI

The global air transport industry information technology (IT) and technology solutions company SITA has highlighted the opportunities, as well as the risks, presented to the commercial aviation... 

Parts for Boeing airliners to be manufactured in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Airlines Group has signed an agreement with major US aerospace group Boeing under which the former will manufacture aircraft parts for the latter. This was announced by the Ethiopian... 

Firms form aviation emissions partnership

International air transport industry company SITA has announced that it has entered a partnership with Singapore-based Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technology company Envision Digital.... 

Lufthansa signs code-share agreements with South African airlines

Germany’s national flag carrier Lufthansa has announced that it has recently signed code-share agreements with two South African airlines. These are the still State-owned (but soon-to-be... 

US company contracted to build first full-scale modern blended wing-body aircraft

US sustainable aviation startup company JetZero, founded in 2021, has been awarded a $235-million, four-year, contract by the US Air Force (USAF) to design and build a full-scale blended wing-body... 

Women-founded tech startups a focus for US trade mission during its visit to South Africa

The just-concluded US Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) trade mission, organised by the US Commerce Department, visited South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria. It was led by US Commerce Under... 

Senior US official stresses American commitment to Africa, including trade and investment

Speaking to the media in Lagos, Nigeria, on Tuesday, at the end of a US Commerce Department-led American Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) trade mission to South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria,... 

Nuclear is world’s number two source of clean electricity, reports association

Last year nuclear energy generated 25% of the world’s clean (greenhouse gas emissions-free) electricity, and ranked second only to hydropower as a clean energy source, reported the World Nuclear... 

Western Cape to develop low-carbon energy system

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Friday highlighted that his administration had assigned R7-billion, over the next three years, to create an “ecosystem” that would facilitate private sector... 

Zero carbon emissions aviation company announces compressor breakthrough

US-UK zero-greenhouse gas emission aviation company ZeroAvia announced on Friday that it had developed a high-performance compressor for hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion systems (that is,... 

New boards announced for two South African nuclear agencies

The South African government has announced the new boards of directors for both the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) and the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI). The NNR serves to... 

IATA reports continuing strong air passenger traffic in June, across the globe

Air passenger traffic, worldwide, continued its strong recovery in June, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. IATA was the global representative body for the airline... 

IATA reports an easing in the contraction of air cargo demand in June

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global representative body for the airline industry, has reported that the decline in air cargo demand continued its deceleration in June.... 

South Africa’s air traffic control agency signs agreement with its DRC counterpart

South Africa’s State-owned air traffic management (ATM) company, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), announced on Monday evening that it had entered a commercial agreement with its... 

German space startup wins US investment

German space launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) announced on Monday that it had received a €30-million investment from US-based global investment company KKR. This meant that KKR had... 

Analytics company predicts dramatic growth in global defence AI market

International data and analytics company GlobalData has forecast that the global defence artificial intelligence (AI) market will expand dramatically by the end of this decade. And that a key part... 

Kenya Airways expands its partnership with major US airline

Kenya Airways (KQ), the East African country’s flag carrier, announced on Monday that it and major US carrier Delta Air Lines (Delta) had expanded their strategic partnership. The partnership now,... 

Embraer reports strong growth in civil jet aircraft deliveries during the first half of this year

Brazil-based global major aerospace group Embraer has reported on its commercial and executive aircraft deliveries for both the second quarter and first half of this year (2Q23 and 1H23... 

Nuclear regulator grants Eskom an extension regarding application for new nuclear site

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has granted State-owned national electricity utility Eskom an extension of the date by which it must supply still-outstanding information concerning a nuclear... 

Cape Town startup seeks to replace plastics with home compostable biomaterials

Cape Town-based young-woman-led award-winning biotech startup BAOM eco solutions (BAOM), which has developed compostable cellulose-based alternatives to plastics and other packaging materials, is... 

Rolls-Royce’s transformation programme has good start with much better first half results

UK-based global major propulsion and power group Rolls-Royce on Thursday reported “significantly improved” results for the first half of this year (1H23), in year-on-year terms. This better... 

Airbus and US space company sign agreement on development of new space station

Europe-based global aerospace group Airbus has entered an agreement with leading US-based space exploration company Voyager Space, which will permit the development of a transatlantic partnership... 

Angolan airline enters strategic relationship with South Africa-based travel consortium

TAAG Angola Airlines (TAAG), the south-west African country’s national flag carrier, announced on Wednesday that it had entered a collaboration with South Africa-based international travel... 

Commercial aviation IT provider partners with AI company to help airports reach net-zero 

International air transport industry company SITA has announced that it has entered a partnership with Singapore-based Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technology company Envision Digital.... 

Necsa signs cooperation memorandum with Russian nuclear company

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) announced on Tuesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia’s TVEL Fuel Company. TVEL is a subsidiary of the... 

First new US nuclear power plant in three decades now producing electricity

American electricity utility Georgia Power on Monday announced that the first new nuclear power plant (NPP) built in the US in 30 years, Vogtle 3, had started commercial operation and was supplying... 

Liberty Two Degrees reports 'good' interim results

South African real estate investment trust Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) has reported good results for the first half of the current financial year. L2D is focused on retail precincts, and its... 

Two biotech startups, BAOM and BioAge, win GreenCape’s 2023 GreenPitch challenge

Cape Town-based non-profit green economic solutions development support organisation GreenCape on Friday announced the winners of the 2023 FNF GreenPitch Challenge. They are, in the startup... 

UK development entity to invest in new Tanzanian electricity transmission grid

Tanzania’s North East Grid electricity transmission project is to receive investment and development assistance from UK State-owned company Gridworks. The British concern, a subsidiary of UK...