Reunert to merge two of its subsidiaries

JSE-listed electrical and electronic engineering group Reunert Group plans to merge its technology management and consulting firm IQbusiness and digital services firm +OneX subsidiaries into a... 

Changing business opportunities, challenges in Zimbabwe highlighted

Zimbabwe is undergoing change and aims to attract more companies to do business in the country, but risks and challenges remain for businesses aiming to capitalise on the opportunities in the... 

Debt transparency needed as opaque resource-backed loans hinder African development – Adesina

African countries will pay $74-billion in debt service payments this year, which is a sharp increase from $17-billion in 2010, and the continent's economic potential is being undermined by... 

Flanagan & Gerard, Vukile acquire Mthatha shopping centre for R800m

Retail property specialist company Flanagan & Gerard Property Group and JSE-listed real estate investment trust Vukile Property Fund have jointly acquired the BT Ngebs City regional shopping... 

TNPA issues RfP for Cape Town port liquid bulk terminal

State-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has issued a request for proposals (RfP) for the appointment of a terminal operator to acquire, operate, maintain, refurbish or build and... 

Cisco launches AI-powered Hypershield service to protect modern data centres

Networking and security multinational Cisco has launched its Hypershield service, which is a cloud-native, artificial intelligence- (AI-) powered approach to highly distributed security for... 

Africa needs to build more oil infrastructure

Africa's mid- and downstream oil products supply infrastructure is ageing and suffers from a lack of investment, outdated policy frameworks and insufficiencies in regional, national and urban... 

Balwin adds padel courts to Mall of Africa offering

JSE-listed real estate investment trusts Balwin and Attacq will open six new rooftop padel courts at the Mall of Africa in Waterfall City as demand for the lifestyle sport gains momentum. Four of... 

Gates Foundation, EIB launch capital for women entrepreneurs pilot in Kenya

Philanthropy organisation the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and development finance institution the European Investment Bank (EIB) have launched a €30-million microfinance programme for women... 

Elections highlighted as a concern for SME owners, but also promise change

Almost half, or 49%, of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business owners who responded to the Fourth Quarter 2023 SME Confidence Index by specialist SME financier Business Partners said they... 

South Africa seeks to secure global plastics pollution treaty by balancing competing interests – Creecy

South Africa will seek to secure a legally binding global plastics pollution and marine litter treaty in negotiations at upcoming global meetings by balancing competing demands, Forestry, Fisheries... 

Woolworths launches regenerative farming practices campaign

Retail company Woolworths has launched a Farming for the Future campaign, with the aim of encouraging farmers to implement regenerative farming practices. By partnering with farmers who adopt... 

Attacq’s Nexus 1 building achieves EDGE, Green Star certification

Real estate investment trust Attacq's Nexus 1 building, in Waterfall City, which also serves as its headquarters, has received Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certification.... 

Companies unveil Kelvin power station carbon capture pilot project

The 600 MW coal-fired Kelvin power station, in Isando, Ekurhuleni, has installed a 300 m3/h flue gas emissions capturing pilot project, which removes carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides and... 

Uber launches service for 13- to 17-year-olds in South Africa

Digital mobility services company Uber has launched Uber Teen accounts in South Africa, which will enable youths aged 13 to 17 to hail rides, while their trips can be monitored and tracked with a... 

PGM miners overcoming challenges to build new mines

South African platinum group metal (PGM) miners are overcoming challenges and building new mines locally, albeit in phases, to derisk some of these promising tier-one projects. PGM mining industry... 

Reunert to merge IQbusiness, +OneX subsidiaries

JSE-listed electrical and electronic engineering group Reunert Group plans to merge its technology management and consulting firm IQbusiness and digital services firm +OneX subsidiaries into a... 

CoJ threatens to blacklist defaulters to recoup R40bn in municipal debt

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has warned that it will soon blacklist thousands of defaulting residential property owners and businesses to recoup more than R40-billion in municipal debt.... 

Treasury calls for comments on draft money laundering regulation amendments

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has invited public comments and written submissions on draft amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Control Regulations of the Financial... 

Room for rules-based global trade remains, but WTO showing signs of geopolitical tension

Over the past five years, geopolitics has cast a shadow over how the world trade system functions, leading to a state of inertia within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its dispute resolution... 

Microsoft taking principles-based, collaborative approach to responsible AI

Information technology multinational Microsoft has set out principles for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and has developed the second version of its responsible AI standards... 

CEO Confidence Index drops to 45.4 owing to low planned investments

Business advisory company Merchantec Capital’s CEO Confidence Index decreased by three percentage points in the first quarter of this year to a score of 45.4, which is below the neutral 50-point... 

Standard Bank reduced its GHG emissions by 4.6% in 2023

Financial services firm Standard Bank has reduced the carbon emissions from its facilities across Africa by 4.6% year-on-year in 2023, putting the group ahead of its 2040 net-zerio target, says... 

Sasol streamlines its executive committee’s portfolios

JSE-listed energy and chemicals company Sasol has streamlined the portfolios of the members of its group executive committee, with effect from April 1. This involves changes to important functions... 

Sars collects record gross amount of R2.16-trillion for 2023/24

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) collected a record gross amount of R2.16-trillion by the end of March. It paid out refunds of R414-billion to taxpayers, which is the highest ever in... 

InfraCo Africa invests $12m to scale up solar irrigation offering in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan African private sustainable infrastructure project developer InfraCo Africa has made a $12-million equity investment in climate-smart agriculture equipment company SunCulture to scale... 

African food sustainability needs greener production, less waste, PwC study shows

Greener food production methods and the avoidance of food waste are required to future-proof Africa’s food supply and to meet the expected future demand for nutrition in a sustainable way, says... 

Digital transaction volumes increasing – Standard Bank

Financial services firm Standard Bank said digital transaction volumes increased by 23% between 2022 and 2023, and transaction volumes on its banking application increased by more than 35% during... 

Calgro M3, Eris acquire Bankenveld District City development land parcel

A joint venture between JSE-listed property investment company Calgro M3 and property development company Eris has acquired a strategic land parcel for the Bankenveld District City development, in... 

Absa PMI falls below 50 again in March

The Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slipped back to below 50 points in March, decreasing to 49.2 index points, from 51.7 in February. Following robust improvements in February, both the... 

PV plant for ARM mine operational by year-end

Shanghai-listed solar photovoltaic company Trina SOLAr, renewable energy project developer SOLA and civil engineering and construction company WBHO Construction will build the 135 MW Merak 1 SOLAr... 

FNB/BER building confidence index ‘nosedives’ to 27 in the first quarter

The FNB/BER Building Confidence Index dropped by 16 points to 27 in the first quarter of this year, from 43 in the fourth quarter of 2023, and four of the six sectors surveyed recorded a decline in... 

Petrol prices to increase by more than 65c/ℓ, diesel by 3c/ℓ on April 3

Prices for 93-octane petrol will increase by 65c/ℓ and 95-octane petrol by 67c/ℓ, while 0.05% sulphur diesel will increase by 3c/ℓ and 0.005% sulphur diesel by less than 2c/ℓ from April 3, the... 

Astronomers find 49 new gas-rich galaxies in 3 hours using MeerKAT radio telescope

A team of international astronomers have discovered 49 new gas-rich galaxies using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa from observations under three hours long. The research was aimed at... 

15 climate projects selected for Phase 3 of Climate Finance Accelerator South Africa

Fifteen climate projects from across the country have been selected to take part in the third phase of the UK-funded low-carbon projects initiative Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) South Africa.... 

Durban Container Terminal receives ten haulers before citrus season start

The Durban Container Terminal (DCT) has received the first ten of 45 fully-assembled haulers ahead of the start of South Africa’s citrus season next month. Haulers move containers from the stack to... 

Safda recognised as sugar industry member under gazetted regulations

Industry organisation the South African Farmers Development Association (Safda) has been recognised as a member of the sugar industry after the Sugar Act transitional regulations governing the... 

Indaba produces biodiversity economy action plan to address sector challenges

The Biodiversity Economy and Investment Indaba, held this week, resulted in the development of a programme of action to address the challenges in the biodiversity sector as part of the National... 

Treasury publishes call for proposals to test alternative infrastructure funding models

National Treasury has published a call for proposals for consideration by the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI), and intends to use this BFI Window to develop a pipeline of projects and... 

Metals and engineering industry must find common purpose in negotiations - Seifsa

While more incendiary rhetoric related to the main agreement negotiations in the metals and engineering industry can be expected in the run-up to the negotiations later this year, common purpose...