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Creecy says a climate finance breakthrough is key to COP26 success

By: Terence Creamer 15th October 2021 South Africa’s Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says a breakthrough is needed at COP26 on the issue of climate finance, warning that the failure of developed countries to honour their $100-billion-a-year commitments has led a breakdown of trust. Addressing a virtual... →

South Africa’s Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy

Eskom seeks urgent court order to have 2022/23 tariff application adjudicated by Nersa

By: Terence Creamer 15th October 2021 State-owned electricity utility Eskom has approached the Gauteng High Court to have the regulator’s recent decision to reject its revenue application for the period 2022/23 to 2024/25 set aside for being “patently irrational and unlawful”. Eskom approached the court this week for a review of the... →

Eskom CFO Calib Cassim, who deposed the founding affidavit, speaking at a previous Nersa hearing

Photo by Creamer Media Chief Photographer Donna Slater
Eskom CFO Calib Cassim, who deposed the founding affidavit, speaking at a previous Nersa hearing

Seifsa tables final three-year above-inflation wage offer in an effort to end strike

By: Schalk Burger 15th October 2021 Industry employer organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has made a final wage offer to workers' unions in an effort to bring an end to the nine-day strike in the metals and engineering sector. The offer is for the lowest-paid employees to receive... →

Jaguar Land Rover trials world-first digital supply chain for leather using blockchain technology

By: Irma Venter 15th October 2021 Jaguar Land Rover has trialled the use of secure blockchain technology “to ensure full transparency within a sustainable leather supply chain”. In the world-first, the British automaker partnered with supply chain traceability provider Circulor, UK leather manufacturer Bridge of Weir Leather... →

Image of the leather supply chain in Jaguar using blockchain

Volvo Trucks aims for all new-vehicle sales to be electric by 2040

By: Irma Venter 15th October 2021 Volvo Trucks aims for 50% of all global new-vehicle sales to be electric by 2030, says global product management senior VP Jessica Sandström. By 2040, the goal is for 100% of global sales to be fossil-fuel free, whether that will be through the sale of battery-electric of fuel-cell electric trucks. →

The Volvo FM Electric truck

Tshwane Automotive SEZ setting a precedent for speedy development

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th October 2021 Trade, Industry and Competition deputy Minister Fikile Majola this week said the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) represents a turning point in how special economic zones (SEZs) must be owned and operated, adding that Gauteng’s economic development was being led by these... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Marleny Arnoldi
Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone construction in progress

ESG, incorporating green energy to increasingly drive business development

By: Donna Slater 15th October 2021 In terms of incorporating environment, social and governance (ESG) conscientiousness into business development models, South Africa, and the financial services sector in particular, has historically, and in recent times, been acknowledged as a global leader, law firm Pinsent Masons transactional... →

Electricity wheeling can reduce load-shedding risk if legal, technical uncertainties are addressed

By: Donna Slater 15th October 2021 Tariffs and the legal framework governing the wheeling of electricity from independent power producers (IPPs), which are taking advantage of the recently declared 100 MW licence threshold, will be key factors in IPPs’ ability and willingness to feed surplus power into regional and national power... →

Opinion: Combatting climate change with green energy solutions for Africa

15th October 2021 In this opinion article, Standard Bank head of sustainable finance, wholesale clients Greg Fyfe and head of power, wholesale clients Rentia van Tonder write that Africa has no choice but to join the global drive toward limiting greenhouse-gas emissions; however, the continent must facilitate a... →

Greg Fyfe

SABS launches local content verification scheme

By: Donna Slater 15th October 2021 The South African Bureau of Standard (SABS) has launched its new Local Content Verification Scheme, which offers domestic manufacturers the chance to certify the local content portion of their products or services. SABS lead administrator Jodi Scholtz says the new certification scheme, which has... →

Govt speeding up plans to designate Sedibeng as SEZ

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th October 2021 Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Fikile Majola says government is working "with great speed" towards designating the whole of Sedibeng into a special economic zone (SEZ) to be named the Vaal SEZ. Majola was speaking at the Sedibeng Investment Conference, hosted in Vanderbijlpark,... →

CDC continues to advance inclusive growth, development

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th October 2021 The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) is working to advance the inclusive growth and socioeconomic development of the country, says CDC marketing and communications head Dr Ayanda Vilakazi. A year ago, Eastern Cape Finance and Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC Mlungisi... →

Coega Aquaculture Development Zone

Dipula agrees transaction with Resilient to optimise capital structure

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th October 2021 South-African focused diversified real estate investment trust (Reit) Dipula Income Fund has concluded formal agreements with Resilient Reit, which is intended to help Dipula optimise its capital structure and unlock shareholder value. In terms of the transaction, Dipula will acquire 50% of the... →

DFFE announces R29m waste management intervention for Mangaung

By: Schalk Burger 15th October 2021 The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on October 15 announced a R29-million waste management intervention for the Mangaung metro municipality, in the Free State. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu attributed the waste management... →

Petco rolls out track and trace platform for recyclers, waste pickers

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th October 2021 The South African Polyethylene Terephthalate Recycling Company (Petco) is driving the rollout of technology called BanQu to recycling buyback centres, in an effort to revolutionise how recyclable materials are traded, tracked and traced. The digital platform will help buyback centres accurately... →

Melody Nyamakura, who works at the Main Buy-Back Centre in the Johannesburg CBD, shows how the centre uses the innovative recycling tracking platform, BanQu.

Melody Nyamakura, who works at the main buyback centre in the Johannesburg central business district, shows how the centre uses the innovative recycling tracking platform, BanQu.

AIIM successfully raises R5bn for infrastructure in SADC

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th October 2021 Private equity fund manager African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) has successfully completed a capital increase of R5.5-billion for its flagship Southern African Development Community (SADC) infrastructure fund called the Ideas Managed Fund. The fundraise exceeds an initial... →

IHS Holding's planned IPO should support growth and diversification strategy, S&P says

By: Creamer Media Reporter 15th October 2021 Ratings agency S&P Global Ratings said that mobile tower company IHS Holdings' plans to complete an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange will boost the company's growth and diversification strategy. IHS intends issuing 22.5-million shares, including 80% in primary shares and 20% in secondary shares... →

Steel demand expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year

By: Schalk Burger 15th October 2021 This year has seen a stronger-than-expected recovery in steel demand, leading to upward revisions in the World Steel Association's (worldsteel's) forecast across the board except for China. "Owing to this vigorous recovery, global steel demand outside China is expected to return to its... →

Rolls-Royce Power Systems seeking to certify its mtu engines with hydrogen fuel

By: Rebecca Campbell 15th October 2021 UK-based global power and industrial technology group Rolls-Royce announced on Friday that its Germany-based Rolls-Royce Power Systems division, which produces mtu-brand engines and power systems, was further developing its power generation units so that they could run on hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel... →

IEA warns of energy market turbulence, underinvestment

15th October 2021 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the release of the International Energy Agency's (IEA's) latest World Energy Report and warnings of more energy market turbulence unless higher levels of investment are made to both meet demand and decarbonise... →

IEA warns of energy market turbulence, underinvestment

Hydrogen fuel cell has inexhaustible future, says Fortescue’s Andrew Forrest

By: Martin Creamer 15th October 2021 The hydrogen fuel cell has an inexhaustible future as a means of maintaining the planet’s high standard of living, said Fortescue Metals Group chairperson Andrew Forrest during a global online symposium this week. “Our little planet’s cooking, the world’s impatient and there’s any amount of... →

screenshot taken by Creamer Media during Plug Power symposium

Photo by Creamer Media
Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh (left) and Fortescue Metals Group chairperson Andrew Forrest (right)

Zambia's State power firm Zesco has $3.5bn debt - energy minister

By: Reuters 15th October 2021 Zambia's State power utility Zesco had a total debt of $3.5 billion as at September 2021, Energy Minister Peter Kapala told parliament on Friday. He added that Zesco had made $400 million in loses between 2018 and 2019 owing to the depreciation of the local Kwacha currency. →

French enviro Minister visits South Africa to discuss just energy transition

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th October 2021 French Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili will visit South Africa for two days from October 15 to discuss just energy transition matters with government. France and South Africa have similar priorities in the fields of climate change, biodiversity and others related to the... →

South Africa's banks say they can't cut off funding for coal just yet

By: Reuters 15th October 2021 South African banks say they have to keep funding at least some coal projects for now because an immediate halt would put huge political and economic strains on a nation that relies on the most polluting of fossil fuels. The top four banks have started to withdraw financing, with Nedbank and... →

Coca-Cola seeks $8bn value in Africa bottler IPO

By: Bloomberg 15th October 2021 Coca-Cola is seeking a value of €7-billion ($8.1-billion) for Coca-Cola Beverages Africa when it lists the bottler next year, according to people familiar with the matter. The soft drinks giant is poised to appoint Bank of America Corp., Morgan Stanley and Standard Bank Group to run the initial... →

South African building industry in line for more State support

By: Bloomberg 15th October 2021 South Africa’s government is planning more measures to bolster its ailing building industry after banning the use of imported cement on state construction projects. “Government is undertaking research across a range of construction-related products where there appears to be significant potential... →

Magazine round up | 15 October 2021

15th October 2021 A video round up of this week’s magazine, highlighting our cover story, features and Business Leader. →

Magazine round up | 15 October 2021

Eskom aiming to secure concessional funding for R400bn just energy transition project pipeline

By: Terence Creamer 14th October 2021 State-owned electricity producer Eskom has identified a pipeline of ‘just energy transition’ projects valued at about R400-billion that it will seek to fund using concessional finance raised from international financiers that have committed to supporting decarbonisation initiatives in developing... →

Photo of Eskom's rock-man statue at Megawatt Park

Unilever pilots Sunlight soap made with captured carbon

By: Schalk Burger 14th October 2021 Consumer products multinational Unilever says it has produced dishwashing liquid, sold under its Sunlight brand, with captured carbon emissions. This aligns with the company's global Clean Future strategy to eliminate carbon derived from fossil fuels in its cleaning and laundry products by 2030. →

CoJ signs agreement to possibly take over Soweto, Sandton supply from Eskom

By: Schalk Burger 14th October 2021 The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with State-owned power utility Eskom with a view for City Power to potentially take over electricity supply for 14 areas in Soweto and Sandton. The affected areas include parts of Soweto, Sandton, Orange Farm, Ivory... →

Grid edge technologies presented as being vital in South Africa’s energy transition

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th October 2021 Grid edge solutions and technologies hold considerable benefits for the country’s energy landscape and can play an instrumental role in decarbonising the global energy system, speakers noted during the Grid Edge Virtual Symposium, hosted by Siemens South Africa in collaboration with EE Business... →

Logistics becoming a pertinent woe in agri sector, Ministers agree

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th October 2021 Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan have both acknowledged the challenge that logistics has become in the agricultural industry, particularly over the last year. Speaking during industry organisation Agri SA’s annual general... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Vaal SEZ to become South Africa’s ‘pre-eminent hub for the hydrogen economy’

By: Simone Liedtke 14th October 2021 Vaal Special Economic Zone (SEZ) programme director Xola Sithole says the SEZ is seeking to position itself as South Africa’s “pre-eminent hub for the hydrogen economy”. In so doing, he says, the SEZ will participate in developing the hydrogen market primarily for Gauteng, and beyond, while... →

Market recognising higher likelihood of platinum deficit than surplus in years ahead – WPIC

By: Martin Creamer 14th October 2021 Right now, the market is recognising the higher likelihood of platinum being in deficit rather than in surplus in the mid-term years ahead, said World Platinum Investment Council research director Trevor Raymond on Thursday. Raymond expects pent-up up consumer demand for vehicles to reduce any... →

The market is recognising the higher likelihood of platinum being in deficit rather than in surplus in the mid-term years ahead, said World Platinum Investment Council research director Trevor Raymond on Thursday.

R11bn Phase 2 of employment stimulus programme to focus on pathways to sustainable employment

By: Schalk Burger 14th October 2021 The second phase of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) will include the establishment of a new Social Employment Fund, which aims to support 50 000 work opportunities for common good in communities provided by organisations outside of the State. It will also include the... →

Agriculture cannot prosper if govt allows intellectual capital to emigrate, says Agri SA

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th October 2021 Speaking during Agri SA’s annual general meeting (AGM) on October 14, outgoing president Pierre Vercueil highlighted how a defensive approach to land reform was of no help to anyone. He referred to the various pieces of legislation being amended or instituted – including the Deeds Registries... →

South Africa can build a new economy through green hydrogen

By: Simone Liedtke 14th October 2021 The use of clean hydrogen can help to address global greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, but only if net zero emissions costs and prices are set by governments across the world, Deputy Minister in The Presidency Pinky Kekana said on October 14 during a keynote address at the Hydrogen Economy... →

South Africa catches attention of global hydrogen role-players

By: Simone Liedtke 14th October 2021 As global momentum continues to grow across the hydrogen industry, South Africa’s opportunity to produce zero carbon hydrogen has “caught the attention of the global energy players”, says Trade, Industry and Competition deputy Minister Fikile Majola. Coinciding with this global growth in interest... →

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Conference explores innovative and sustainable rail safety solutions and rail transport’s potential to drive economic growth

Tackling South Africa’s environmental challenges while still running a profitable business

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