Foster Wheeler completes acquisition of MDM Engineering

Global engineering and construction company Foster Wheeler announced earlier this month that an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the company had completed its acquisition of metallurgical... 

SMME funding not responsibility of govt alone – Zulu

Government could not take responsibility for radical economic transformation and small business development on its own, Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu asserted on Thursday.... 

Municipalities to bid for small business infrastructure support

The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) would soon invite applications from local municipalities for incentives to cover the building or renovation of infrastructure that could support... 

Shell hands over exploration data to universities

Energy company Shell has handed over rare, high-quality three-dimensional (3D) seismic data, collected off the west coast of South Africa, to the universities of the Western Cape and Cape Town to... 

Motsepe Foundation, ARM donate $1m to Guinea Ebola fund

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Motsepe Foundation founder and African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) executive chairperson and founder Patrice Motsepe has donated $1-million to Guinea’s Ebola Fund on... 

DRA awarded first phase of Exxaro’s Belfast coal implementation project

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Engineering and project delivery company DRA has been awarded the $4.5-million first phase contract of JSE-listed Exxaro Resources subsidiary Exxaro Coal’s Belfast... 

Bloodhoud high-speed communications tests deliver promising results

High-speed communications testing at the Bloodhound supersonic car (SSC) land-speed record attempt site at Hakskeenpan, in the Northern Cape, had delivered promising results, Bloodhound information... 

Edenville commissions Rukwa power plant PFS

African coal explorer Edenville Energy on Wednesday commissioned the feasibility study for the establishment of a 100 MW clean coal thermal power plant at its Rukwa coal project, in Tanzania.... 

Yaoure PFS expected to confirm robust project economics

West Africa-focused gold mining company Amara Mining’s Yaoure gold project, in Côte d'Ivoire, is one of the few West African projects that will still be able to generate robust returns at a gold... 

Sacci BCI declines in October, business climate calls for interrogation of negative factors

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) Business Confidence Index (BCI) declined by 0.4 index points to 88.8 in October, reaching its lowest October level since 1999. The BCI was... 

Centamin reduces full-year Sukari production forecast

Dual-listed Centamin on Wednesday reduced its production guidance for its Sukari mine, in Egypt, for 2014 to between 370 000 oz and 400 000 oz, compared with the previously forecast 420 000 oz.... 

PPC increases its stake in Ethiopia’s HCSCo to 51%

Cement producer PPC on Wednesday said it had successfully acquired the Industrial Development Corporation’s 20% stake in Ethiopia-based Habesha Cement Share Company (HCSCo) for $13-million,... 

New higher-yield Siemens wind turbine to be available early 2017

Electronics and electrical engineering company Siemens launched its new model SWT-3.3-130 wind turbine at the 2014 WINDaba, held in Cape Town this week, stating that the first of these units would... 

Harmony narrows Q1 2015 loss

Gold miner Harmony Gold narrowed its losses by 78% quarter-on-quarter to R226-million, on the back of higher production, in the first quarter of the company's 2015 financial year, ended September... 

Committees recommend NT, NCOP ratify DoE Grand Inga report

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and the Select Committee on Economic and Business Development on Tuesday recommended that the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces... 

Labour Court grants interim order in favour of Neasa

The Labour Court, in Johannesburg, on Tuesday granted a further interim order preventing the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) from requesting Labour Minister Mildred... 

Savannah raises £352 000 to advance Oman, Mozambique exploration

Aim-listed exploration and development company Savannah Resources has raised £253 000 through the placing of 5.69-million new ordinary shares, at 4.45p a share, to new and existing investors. The... 

Beacon Hill making progress with new debt facility, debt restructuring

Aim-listed Beacon Hill Resources was making steady progress with regard to a new debt facility for the Minas Moatize coking coal mine expansion project, in Mozambique, and the restructuring of... 

Aveng continues to experience difficult trading conditions

Construction and engineering group Aveng continues to experience difficult trading conditions in line with general economic conditions of the group’s key markets of South Africa and Australia,... 

Denmark targeting 50% improvement in trade with SA

South Africa was one of ten countries with which Denmark was aiming to improve trade by 50%, Denmark Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Morgens Jensen said on Tuesday. During a bilateral... 

SunPower to open solar panel manufacturing facility in Cape Town

Solar technology and energy services provider SunPower on Tuesday plans to open a solar panel manufacturing facility in Cape Town in 2015 to meet the growing demand for solar technology in the... 

Wescoal to be vastly different company by end of FY, H1 profit up

Junior coal miner and supplier Wescoal would be a vastly different company at the end of the current financial year as new developments came on stream, Wescoal CEO Andre Boje said on Tuesday during... 

Sephaku reports H1 loss, SepCem ramps up production at Delmas

JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings on Monday reported a loss for the six months ended September 30 of R3.74-million, as opposed to a R6.26-million profit during the prior corresponding period. The company... 

Neasa to return to Labour Court to fight extension of 2014 wage agreement

The National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa) would on Tuesday return to the Labour Court, in Johannesburg, to argue its case as to why the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining... 

WG Wearne H1 losses widen

Construction products provider WG Wearne on Monday said it expected to report a basic loss a share of between 0.45c and 0.55c for the six months ended August 31. The company had recorded a basic... 

Sacci urges Eskom to continue communicating with business on power-grid status

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Monday encouraged State-owned power utility Eskom to continue communicating with the business community on the status of the power grid... 

$70m investment to increase Blanket mine’s output by up to 75 000 oz by 2021

Increased investment in triple-listed Caledonia Mining’s 49%-owned Blanket mine, in Zimbabwe, as set out in the mine’s revised plan, was expected to give rise to yearly production from inferred... 

IFM Q1 production down 16% owing to planned maintenance

London-listed International Ferro Metals (IFM) on Monday reported a 16% quarter-on-quarter drop in ferrochrome production for the three months ended September 30, as a result of planned yearly... 

PMI increases for third consecutive month in October

The seasonally adjusted Kagiso purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose for the third consecutive month in October, increasing to 50.1, compared with 49.5 in September. Kagiso Asset Management head of... 

Continental Coal accepts offer to sell SA business for R700m

Dual-listed Continental Coal has accepted an offer to sell its 74% interest in South African subsidiary Continental Coal South Africa to a consortium led by South Africa-based fund LSP Energy for... 

PPC to convene shareholders meeting to consider replacing board

Cement producer PPC would, during the first half of next month, convene a shareholder meeting to consider the proposed removal of the entire board of the company, as well as the proposed election... 

Strategic framework for JHB Corridors of Freedom signed, strategy approved – Tau

The strategic area frameworks for the City of Johannesburg’s three identified Corridors of Freedom had been approved by council, on Thursday, executive mayor Parks Tau has revealed. The proposed... 

Affordability, cooperation key in housing development

Affordability was the key issue facing South Africa in terms of human settlements and housing development, South African Affordable Residential Developers Association committee member and Basil... 

More needs to be done to get voice of science community heard

While the National Science and Technology Forum‘s (NSTF’s) discussion forums showcased the work achieved and policy development in key areas, more had to be done in terms of lobbying for the... 

Gold Fields on track to reach full-year production target, cost estimates revised downwards

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Gold miner Gold Fields on Monday announced that its attributable gold equivalent production for the three months ended September was expected to be about 559 000... 

Unemployment at 25.4%, Stats SA to provide long-term unemployment data

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) would, in future, focus more strongly on the trends of long-term unemployment in its quarterly labour force surveys (QLFSs), statistician-general Pali Lehohla... 

Enviro permit granted for Nayega manganese project

Aim-listed iron-ore and manganese developer Ferrex on Thursday announced that the environmental permit for its Nayega manganese project, in Northern Togo, had been granted. The environmental permit... 

First Parkhurst homes go live on Vumatel fibre-to-the-home network

Telecommunications start-up Vumatel on Wednesday announced that the first homes in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, had gone live on its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, providing residents with... 

ACSA appoints CIO

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) on Wednesday announced that former Department of Home Affairs (DHA) CIO Sello Mmakau would fill the position of ACSA, with the position having been created... 

Ipsa, Turbocare reach €5.6m settlement agreement

Independent power producer Ipsa on Wednesday settled its dispute with Turbocare related to the sale and purchase agreements and refurbishment agreement for the Siemens Westinghouse 701DU turbines...