Ford’s Silverton plant achieves record daily production volume

Ford South Africa’s Silverton assembly plant, in Pretoria, has achieved its highest daily production number yet – 704 vehicles. Based on three-shift 24-hour production, the plant is capable of... 

Toyota SA targets 2024 introduction of hybrid Hilux produced at Prospecton plant

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has confirmed that it is targeting the introduction of a mild-hybrid Hilux bakkie into the South African market next year. TSAM says the hybrid version of South... 

Mercedes, Super Group unveil blueprint for luxury dealerships

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has unveiled the second of its local dealerships to have adopted the German carmaker’s new ‘luxury’ retail brand appearance, launched globally in 2018, and in... 

16 of TiAuto’s stores complete Phase 1 solar conversion

Sixteen of TiAuto’s retail stores have completed their conversion to solar power, as part of Phase 1 of a project to reduce the group’s dependence on Eskom and to move to renewable energy. The... 

Hundred new e-bike riders graduate from Green Riders Academy

A hundred newly trained electric bike (e-bike) riders from the communities of Joe Slovo and Phoenix, in Cape Town, have graduated from the Green Riders Academy. Green Riders is a turnkey mobility... 

Transnet, CSIR to research wind disruptions at Cape Town port

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with a programme hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – the Alliance for... 

Durban Car Terminal goes digital  

Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) says the digital conversion of more than 60% of the Durban Car Terminal’s (DCT’s) parking bays has been concluded. This should improve the movement of both import and... 

Cape Town port must ‘urgently’ secure private sector participation, says city

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says it is seeking an urgent meeting with national government on private sector participation in the Port of Cape Town. This follows the announcement that the Port of... 

Much pricier Mtentu Bridge construction restarts five years after Aveng walkout

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has announced the restart of construction work on the R4.05-billion Mtentu Bridge contract, in the Eastern Cape. The Aveng Strabag joint... 

Stanlib Asset Management acquires Solareff, GridCars; enables PPAs

Stanlib Asset Management has acquired 51% of Solareff, through its Stanlib Infrastructure Fund II.  Stanlib Asset Management is a local investor in sustainable infrastructure. 

Ever-expanding Maltento eyes opportunities in aquaculture and cosmetics 

The Maltento insect farm started as a small, test-scale operation in a home bathroom in Craighall Park, Johannesburg.  Almost seven years later, founder and CEO Dean Smorenburg has seen the... 

inDrive launches ‘name your price’ freight service in SA

California-based mobility and urban services platform inDrive has launched a name-your-price freight service in South Africa, targeting small businesses and individuals. InDrive is already active... 

Niels Wichmann appointed as head of Volkswagen car brand in SA

Niels Wichmann has been appointed as the new head of the Volkswagen passenger cars brand for Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA), effective August 1.  Wichmann replaces Steffen Knapp, who will... 

Affordability becoming an issue in the new-car market – WesBank

New-vehicle sales showed marginal growth in July, inching up by 1.3%, to 43 389 units, compared with the same month last year. “It isn’t surprising that the market appeared more subdued during July... 

New-vehicle sales up 1.3% in July, exports up 47.3%

Total new-vehicle sales in July inched up by 1.3%, to 43 389 units, compared with the same month last year. The vehicle rental industry accounted for 14.1% of domestic sales last month. 

Tyre industry welcomes anti-dumping duties on tyres from China 

The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) says it welcomes the decision by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel to impose antidumping duties on what it calls... 

Cape Town approves seven-year road contracts

Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate has received the green light from the city council to enter into long-term road contracts, spanning seven financial years, to facilitate the “uninterrupted... 

What to do with an old mine? Turn it into a self-driving test track

BMW has launched a new test site in Sokolov, Czechia, aimed at developing self-driving and self-parking. The German car maker says the 300-million euro Future Mobility Development Center (FMDC)... 

Ineos Automotive debuts concept hydrogen Grenadier, EV also in the works

Ineos Automotive’s hydrogen-fuelled Grenadier Demonstrator has made its debut in the UK.  The hydrogen Grenadier Demonstrator 4 x 4 is identical to the production Grenadier, apart from a bonnet... 

Global electric vehicle sales to soar to 22m in 2025 as adoption gathers momentum

Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is set to soar in the coming years, with more than 100-million passenger EVs expected on the roads by 2026, and more than 700-million by 2040. This is a significant... 

Cape Town to roll out a number of technologies to combat crime

The City of Cape Town will this year introduce a number of new technologies to combat crime. Some of these technologies may be familiar, such as drones and body cameras, with other perhaps less... 

Daimler’s Atlantis Foundries signs embedded solar power purchase agreement

Atlantis Foundries (AF) has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with integrated energy solutions company Energy Partners (EP). According to the agreement, EP will engineer, finance,... 

Survey reveals alarming trends in SME road freight sector

Sixty-eight per cent of small and medium-sized road-freight companies have inadequate vehicle maintenance programmes.  This neglect of proper maintenance increases the risk of mechanical failures,... 

Cape Town to roll out a number of technologies to combat crime

The City of Cape Town will this year introduce a number of new technologies to combat crime. Some of these technologies may be familiar, such as drones and body cameras, with other perhaps less... 

Continental Tyre SA appoints new plant manager 

Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA) has appointed Olaf Kreis as the new plant manager for its Gqeberha operations. The Eastern Cape-based plant is the German company’s only tyre manufacturing... 

Isuzu adds made-in-SA AT35 to its D-Max line-up

Isuzu Motors South Africa (Isuzu SA) has added the Arctic AT35 to its locally assembled D-Max bakkie line-up, produced at its Gqeberha plant, in the Eastern Cape. Designed in collaboration with... 

NADA elects new leadership

The National Automobile Dealers' Association (NADA) has appointed Brandon Cohen as its new national chairperson, with Thembinkosi Pantsi elected as the new national vice-chairperson.  Cohen, who... 

Only approved inverters to be accepted from October, warns City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town has announced that all solar photovoltaic (PV) and/or battery systems connected to the wiring of a building must be registered with the city before installation. Also, from... 

inDrive launches name-your-price freight service in South Africa

California-based mobility and urban services platform inDrive has launched a name-your-price freight service in South Africa, targeting small businesses and individuals. InDrive is already active... 

Cape Town acquires specialised water, sanitation trucks in R53m deal

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has welcomed 23 jet machine trucks, vacuum tanker trucks and jet vacuum combination trucks to its fleet, at a cost of more than R53-million.... 

Service stations must look beyond fuel to thrive

Around 83% of people stopping at a service station for fuel also shop at the forecourt retail offering, says Trade Intelligence business development and advisory lead Andrea Ellens. Only 4% of... 

BMW to launch electric CE 02 bike in SA next year

BMW Group South Africa will introduce the electric CE 02 motorbike to the South African market in the second quarter of next year. The CE 02 is neither e-scooter nor e-motorcycle. The German car... 

Hino SA appoints new VP, expects a healthy 2023 truck market

Anton Falck has been appointed as the new VP of Hino South Africa (SA). Falck takes his first step into the world of trucking as he replaces Ernie Trautmann, who has retired.  

Car-sharing represents ‘significant, exciting opportunities’ – Legacy Group

Considering South Africa’s many transportation challenges, the emergence of car-sharing represents significant and exciting opportunities for boosting socioeconomic development and inclusive growth... 

SA tyre makers commit to net zero by 2050

All four of South Africa’s local tyre manufacturers have committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Bridgestone South Africa, Continental Tyre South Africa, Goodyear South Africa and Sumitomo... 

Volkswagen, Rwandan govt to establish ‘modern farm with electric tractors’

Volkswagen has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Rwanda to establish “a modern farm with electric tractors”.  The MoU was signed Agriculture and Animal Resources... 

Toyota SA targets 2024, made-in-Durban hybrid Hilux introduction

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has confirmed that it is targeting the introduction of a mild-hybrid Hilux bakkie into the South African market next year. TSAM says the hybrid version of South... 

Construction of new recycling facility in Cape Town on track for completion next year

Cape Town’s new material recovery facility (MRF) at the Coastal Park landfill site should start operations in November next year. The R186-million MRF is designed to receive co-mingled clean and... 

Ever-expanding Maltento eyes opportunities in aquaculture, cosmetics

The Maltento insect farm started as a small, test-scale operation in a home bathroom in Craighall Park, Johannesburg.  Almost seven years later, founder and CEO Dean Smorenburg has seen the... 

Stellantis South Africa moves into new, merged head office

Stellantis South Africa (SA) has taken the next step in merging its various brands in the domestic market by moving into a combined new head office in Midrand, Gauteng. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles...