http://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Follow @EngNewsZA

Agroprocessing News

Sugar tax to leave secondary industries desolate – association

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 20th September 2016 The South African Sugar Association (Sasa) has called on the National Treasury to reconsider its intention to introduce a tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) by April next year, saying that, not only will it have an adverse effect on the beverages industry, but also widespread ramifications... →

Agribusiness confidence index experiences uptick in Q3

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 19th September 2016 After remaining below 50 index points for five consecutive quarters, the Agbiz/Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Agribusiness Confidence Index recovered significantly by 13 index points to 60 in the third quarter of this year. This is the highest reading since the third quarter of 2014. An... →

Commercial bamboo production may have biofuel potential

By: Dylan Slater 16th September 2016 According to Africa-focused bamboo technology company Afribam, growing bamboo commercially could create biofuel possibilities for commercial power generation and serve to sequestrate a percentage of carbon emitted by the same power generation facilities. →

Bamboo specialist Adrian Sutton tells Engineering News about the opportunities of commercially growing bamboo. Camerawork and Editing: Nicholas Boyd.

African companies and govts need to work harder to benefit from growth potential – McKinsey

By: Anine Kilian 15th September 2016 Some of Africa’s economies have been experiencing significantly less accelerated growth than five to fifteen years ago, having started experiencing a marked slowdown as a result of lower resource prices and higher sociopolitical instability. This is despite the bulk of the continent’s countries... →

Bayer clinches Monsanto with improved $66bn bid

By: Reuters 14th September 2016 German drugs and crop chemicals company Bayer has won over US seeds firm Monsanto with an improved takeover offer of $66-billion including debt, ending months of wrangling after increasing its bid for a third time. The $128 a share deal announced on Wednesday, up from Bayer's previous offer of... →

Clover increases revenue to R9.8bn, cost efficiency drive pays off

By: Tracy Hancock 13th September 2016 JSE-listed dairy products manufacturer Clover has improved its revenue for the year ended June 30 by 6%, to R9.8-billion, despite having faced numerous economic headwinds in the year under review. “We had a tough year, no doubt. We had a deflationary year in dairy,” Clover CEO Johann Vorster told... →

Aussie drought aid for Southern Africa

By: African News Agency 8th September 2016 The Australian Government will provide further support to southern Africa in response to the acute food shortages caused by severe El Niño conditions in the region. Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop has announced that Australia will give another 10-million Australian dollars to the World... →

$35bn in pledges to Africa’s green revolution

By: African News Agency 8th September 2016 Heads of State and leaders of global organisations and companies dug deep on Wednesday to support the transformation of agriculture in Africa with pledges of more than $35-billion in additional funding. Strive Masiyiwa, chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, told a gala dinner... →

Big bet on agriculture pays off for African nations

By: African News Agency 6th September 2016 A decade of paying intense attention to farming has generated “the most successful development effort” in African history, according to a report released by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) at the UN’s African headquarters on Tuesday. Analysis of AGRA’s 2016 African... →

South African poultry producers under threat from cheap imports – SAPA

By: Reuters 5th September 2016 South Africa's poultry industry is battling for survival in the face of stiff price competition from producers in Brazil, the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), as well as the worst drought in a century, the industry association said. The June scrapping of 15 years of punitive duties... →

Focus on innovation provides opportunities for trade

By: Robyn Wilkinson 2nd September 2016 China’s thirteenth five-year plan – from 2016 to 2020 – includes a clear prioritisation of innovation, which is likely to increase the country’s interest in importing technologies from outside, including from South Africa, says advisory services provider KPMG local China practice in South Africa... →

NEW TRADE OPPORTUNITIES China’s economy is undergoing a shift that is likely to increase the country’s interest in importing innovative technologies

Agriculture entrepreneurs innovate to take awards

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 1st September 2016 Innovation in the local agriculture sector was highlighted at this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, with pelleting solutions provider Agricon owner Johan Eksteen named the overall winner. Pelletising is used globally by manufacturers of animal feed or at recycling facilities that... →

Agricon owner Johan Eksteen

IDC aims to grow approvals beyond R14.5bn in 2017, despite impairment worry

By: Terence Creamer 31st August 2016 The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has committed to continue increasing its level of finance approvals and disbursements, despite a surge in impairments to over R3-billion. Funding approvals increased to a record R14.5-billion during 2016 from R11.5-billion a year earlier, while... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel and IDC CEO Geoffrey Qhena

RCL Foods' revenue up, chicken and sugar still ‘real’ challenges

By: Tracy Hancock 31st August 2016 JSE-listed RCL Foods' revenue for the 12 months to June 30 increased by 6.8% to R25-billion, up on the R23.4-billion in 2015, the first full year of operating under its new structure and leadership. RCL Foods CFO Rob Fields told Engineering News in a telephone interview on Wednesday that the... →

South African wine exports predicted to grow by 13%

By: Anine Kilian 17th August 2016 South African wine exports reached 313-million litres in 2015 and are projected to grow by a further 13% in the next decade. “Wine exports are up from 122-million litres in 2000 to 313-million litres in 2015. We are exporting to markets across the world and the bulk of our exports are destined... →

Sea Harvest gains control of Australian company

By: News24Wire 11th August 2016 Sea Harvest has managed to secure control of Mareterram, a vertically integrated agri-business listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, the company said on Wednesday. Sea Harvest will own an effective 56% of Mareterram, after shareholders accepted a bid from Sea Harvest totalling approximately... →

Partnership expands range for sector

By: Simon Sonnekus 5th August 2016 South Africa-based fertiliser company Advanced Agri has expanded its fertiliser range by introducing two specialised products for various farming disciplines. According to Advanced Agri director Frank Winder, the EcoCal range for crop farmers and Graze range for livestock farmers are... →

SA farmers hope for enough rain after winter

By: Simon Sonnekus 5th August 2016 The next five months and the following planting season will be critical for farmers who have been affected by the devastating drought which crippled the agriculture sector recently. According to agricultural organisation AgriSA CEO Omri van Zyl, farmers need to see out the winter and hope for... →

Wine farm has its ducks in a row

By: Simon Sonnekus 5th August 2016 About 1 000 Indian runner ducks have been employed by Stellenbosch-based wine farm Vergnoegd Wine Estate to eradicate white dune snails and other insects which inhabit and feed on the vines in the vineyard. According to Vergenoegd winemaker and viticulturist, Marlize Jacobs, the ducks – which... →

DUCK ARMY Around 1 000 Indian Runner ducks have been employed to eradicate the white dune snail population at Vergenoegd Wine farm in Stellenbosch

Pioneer to shell out £7.5m for Streamfoods

By: Tracy Hancock 1st August 2016 JSE-listed Pioneer Foods has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of UK-based Streamfoods, wholly owned by the Wellness Group of companies, for £7.5-million. The acquisition was in line with the stated strategic intent of acquiring and bolstering Pioneer Foods’... →

South Africa ranks moderately on food security index

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 27th July 2016 South Africa is ranked at 47 out of the 113 countries in this year’s Global Food Security Index (GFSI), reflecting a one-position decline from 2015, but an overall 0.6 point score increase. The country ranked first among its sub-Saharan African peers and landed in the top ten of... →

AB InBev raises offer for SABMiller

By: Tracy Hancock 26th July 2016 Multinational beverage and brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has made a revised and final offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of JSE-listed SABMiller. This development follows a July 22 conversation between SABMiller’s chairperson and that of AB InBev on the... →

Cele warns of further food price hikes as drought continues

By: News24Wire 22nd July 2016 Ongoing drought in South Africa has disrupted food production and threatens to push food prices up, agriculture deputy minister Bheki Cele said on Thursday. He said recent rain has not helped improve water levels in the country’s dams and as a result farmers were unable to produce enough food to... →

Why agriculture is vital for South Africa's economic future

By: News24Wire 12th July 2016 Countries that tax agricultural sectors are normally poor. Countries which subsidise the agricultural sector are normally rich. This is according to agricultural economist professor Mohammad Karaan, a speaker at National Treasury’s Public Economics Winter School being held at the University of... →

Proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages published

By: Tracy Hancock 8th July 2016 National Treasury published a policy paper and proposals on the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) for public comment on Friday. The problem of obesity had grown over the past 30 years in South Africa, resulting in the country being ranked the most obese country in sub-Saharan Africa. →

Famous Brands looks to capitalise on tomato paste shortage

By: Tracy Hancock 4th July 2016 JSE-listed Famous Brands plans to capitalise on the tomato paste shortage in South Africa through its acquisition of a tomato paste manufacturing plant, Cape Concentrate, in the Coega precinct, in the Eastern Cape, for an undisclosed amount. Funded from cash reserves, the acquisition was in line... →

Famous Brands group strategic adviser responsible for merger and acquisition activity Kevin Hedderwick

Botswana markets itself as an attractive business destination

By: Dylan Slater 1st July 2016 Several key factors make doing business in Botswana attractive, according to Botswana high commissioner Zenene Sinombe, who posed several key sentiments of business opportunities during the launch of inter-country relations promotion platform the Africa Matchmaking in May. →

South Africa must find ways to leverage trade policy to support small firms

By: Mia Breytenbach 1st July 2016 South Africa has to find ways of ensuring that small businesses participate actively in the global market, through not only export facilitation, trade exhibitions and market access opportunities obtained through preferential market opportunities but also through joint ventures (JVs), foreign... →

Photo by Duane Daws
LINDIWE ZULU South Africa’s trade policy intends to take advantage of Africa’s improved growth prospects by increasing exports of goods and services to the region

South Africa takes steps to nurture nascent biomanufacturing industry

By: David Oliveira 1st July 2016 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC), a biomanufacturing innovation hub aimed at supporting small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) to enter the local bio-industry, will have provided about R50-million worth of... →

S Africa still reliant on coal, struggling to transition to low-carbon economy

By: Anine Kilian 29th June 2016 South Africa is the twelfth-greatest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the world, as well as the biggest polluter on the African continent, according to German political foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) South Africa director Renate Tenbusch, speaking at a roundtable event on black... →

Spat over saltwater levels in SA chicken

By: News24Wire 22nd June 2016 The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of SA (Amie) said on Tuesday it does not agree with the SA Poultry Association (Sapa) that new regulations limiting the practice of injecting chicken with saltwater (brining) would render chicken unaffordable to the poor and hurt the local industry.... →

Davies outlines agricultural benefits from new EU trade deal

By: Terence Creamer 17th June 2016 South Africa is “satisfied” that the recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union (EU) will lead to improved market access for some additional South African agricultural products, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said at the weekend, reporting that Cabinet had,... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies

Agricultural technologies to drive growth and development, survey finds

By: Schalk Burger 17th June 2016 The increasing use of agricultural technologies in Africa, as reported in a survey of 25 large agricultural companies, can dramatically improve yields, food security and product quality, as well as provide raw materials for new products in new markets, says PwC Africa Agribusiness industry leader... →

Water report to assess potential of water, resource recovery in food manufacturing

By: David Oliveira 17th June 2016 Engineering and project management consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV presented an academic paper that highlights the possibilities of water and feedstock recovery for the food and beverage industry at this year’s Water Institute of Southern Africa conference, held last month in Durban. In 2011,... →

Zulu wants small business development integrated into nine-point plan

By: Mia Breytenbach 17th June 2016 While the South African Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) is one of the lead departments for one of the priority interventions of government’s Nine-Point Plan to boost economic growth and create much-needed jobs – unlocking the potential of small, medium-sized and microenterprises... →

Photo by Duane Daws
LINDIWE ZULU The Department of Small Business Development has set a target of increasing the . . . jobs created by the small business sector from 7.1-million to 9.2-million by 2019

Sugar cane production declines by more than 16.3% y/y

By: Samantha Herbst 15th June 2016 As a result of the ongoing countrywide drought, South African cane production declined during the 2015/16 season by more than 16.3% to 14.81-million tons, following an 11.4% reduction recorded in the previous season. “The decrease will impact on the sustainability of the rural economy in both... →

Entrepreneurs need greater access to funding – BBC CEO

By: Anine Kilian 15th June 2016 Access to funding and finding equity to progress their ideas from concept to roll-out remained a challenge for South African entrepreneurs, Black Business Council CEO Mohale Ralebitso said on Tuesday. “The ‘own contribution’ component [for entrepreneurs and start-ups] is a major challenge that we... →

Latest News

Futuregrowth lifts Land Bank lending freeze

City of Cape Town connects more backyarders to the power grid

Davies urges Tesla to invest in South Africa

Rail Road Association to hold AGM

Motsepe’s ARC buys 18% stake in Afrimat

Gauteng govt, JCCI sign MoU to promote SMMEs

Barberton tailings plant shoots lights out with cheap, upped gold

Social media indispensable in 2017 – survey

BioTherm Energy secures 20 MW solar project in Ghana

Namibia's fiscal deficit to narrow on rising mining production, spending cutbacks – BMI

Kibo, Sepco agree to 3-week extension on MCPP development cost determination

ACSA starts with new strategy while reporting good results

PRASA, Vodacom sign R1bn, 15-year fibre deal

Eskom to use $11bn future earnings for nuclear expansion

Data pricing has come down – Icasa

more

Latest Videos

Menlyn Maine Central Square open for business

Rolfes’ Bragan acquisition leads to major profit increase

Commercial bamboo production may have biofuel potential

SA legal firms soon to play more of a role in Africa business disputes with adoption of arbitration Bill

Volvo places self-driving truck in operation at underground mine

Cummins Africa opens CNG training facility

Need for rope condition assessment emphasised

Welding industry seeks new alternatives

more

Projects

ARC for Renewable Energy solar photovoltaic project, Egypt

Digital broadcasting migration project, South Africa

Gibe III dam, Ethiopia

Topics In These Articles

Africa Bank Of Southern Africa Eskom Industrial Industrial Development Corporation Land Bank Lifting Roads South African National Roads Agency Limited Transnet Aluminium Components Design Rental Storage Technology Health Packaging Rosebank SSB transport Agbiz/Industrial Development Corporation Business Export Afribam CoAL Cutting Engineering Power System ... more

RSS Feed

About

Engineering News is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa
Polity

Newsletters

Sign up for our FREE daily email newsletter

Receive daily sector news alerts

More

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Engineering News is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options

Subscribe