Thabane Zulu appointed new DoE director-general

n a move welcomed by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, former Human Settlements director-general Thabane Zulu has been appointed director-general of the Department of Energy (DoE). He... 

TNPA advances deepening of Port of Durban’s berths

Following Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA’s) ongoing efforts to address shallow spots exacerbated by the size of megaships now calling at the Port of Durban, harbour master Captain Alex... 

Housing a vital market for consulting engineers amid infrastructure slowdown

While the pipeline of infrastructure projects promised under government’s National Development Plan remains largely elusive, the country’s housing and human settlements sector is emerging as a key... 

Jubilee receives R110.5m payout for Middelburg operations

Mine-to-metals company Jubilee Platinum has received the R110.5-million cash consideration from Siyanda Resources in relation to the disposal of Jubilee Smelting and Refining (JSR) and its 70%... 

Low zinc prices push Glencore to slash 500 000 t/y of production, shed jobs

Diversified major Glencore has revealed plans to cut back on its production of zinc across its portfolio in Australia, South America and Kazakhstan, saying a 500 000 t/y output reduction would... 

Firestone Diamonds, Tango extend payment date for Botswana deal

Aim-listed Firestone Diamonds has agreed to amend certain conditions of the conditional sale agreement (CSA) related to the disposal of the company's Botswana operations to Tango Mining for... 

Volatile commodity markets ‘business as usual’ for BHP, says Nasser

While observing that the last 12 months had been economically volatile and uncertain, BHP Billiton chairperson Jac Nasser has described the resources group as “robust and resilient”, remaining well... 

600 MW KiPower coal project given environmental go-ahead

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has granted an integrated environmental authorisation (IEA) for the construction of the 600 MW KiPower coal-fired independent power plant near Delmas,... 

Prepaid market pushes MTN S Africa subscriber base to 29.1m

Telecommunications group MTN has boosted its overall subscriber base by 0.9% quarter-on-quarter in the three months ended September 30, benefitting from a 2% growth in the South African market that... 

Platinum sector still pulling billions in investment, report shows

Despite multiyear low platinum prices and significant demand uncertainty in the key markets of autocatalysts, jewellery and investment, a sector report by investment banking firm Liberum has... 

Anglo lowers FY diamond output guidance as Q3 production falls 27%

Diversified miner Anglo American has lowered its forecast diamond production for the full year to 29-million carats. At the start of the year, it had expected diamond production of between... 

Sibanye becomes latest gold producer to ink 3yr wage deal with unions

Gold producer Sibanye Gold has inked a three-year wage deal with labour unions, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and Uasa, which will see entry-level workers receiving increases... 

Gibb wraps up feasibility study for underground tunnel at OR Tambo

Black-owned engineering consulting firm Gibb Engineering has completed a feasibility study (FS), commissioned by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA), that investigates the construction and... 

Tribunal approves Tiso Blackstar, Robor merger

The Competition Tribunal has approved, without conditions, a merger between investment holding company, the Tiso Blackstar group and welded tube and pipes manufacturer Robor, which lifts Tiso... 

Bass transfers A$300 000 to Stratmin in Mauritius deal

ASX-listed Bass Metals has paid London-listed graphite producer StratMin Global Resources A$300 000 in two separate instalments as part of the Australia-based company’s £2-million earn-in agreement... 

US govt funding organisation injects $400m into S Africa-based CSP plant

As part of US State secretary John Kerry's Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has signed an agreement with US-based energy developer... 

Operational hiccups at Tanzanian mines wound Acacia’s Q3 showing

"Disappointing” operational performances at London-listed Acacia Mining’s Bulyanhulu and Buzwagi mines, in Tanzania, have driven a 14% year-on-year slump in the production of gold to 163 888 oz for... 

Innovation key to sustaining manufacturing sector

Noting that the South African manufacturing sector was going through a structural adjustment phase, rather than a cyclical downturn, Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa... 

S Africa lifts steel output 24.5% to 625 000 t in Sept

South Africa’s crude steel production rallied 24.5% year-on-year to 625 000 t in September, bucking a global trend that saw global crude steel production for the 66 countries reporting to the World... 

Lonmin looks to shareholder for $400m parachute, maintains job cut plans

Advancing its efforts to ride out the low platinum price environment, dual-listed platinum miner Lonmin has announced plans to raise $400-million through a rights issue and has reiterated plans to... 

IPPs could have legal case for lack of grid access – Competition Commission

Independent power producers (IPPs) active in South Africa could well have a legal case against energy utility Eskom, should the parastatal be found to have breached the ambits of the Competition... 

Shanta’s New Luika delivers record Q3 gold output

East Africa-focused Shanta Gold has delivered record quarterly production of 24 522 oz of gold for the three months to September 30, benefiting from a 33% quarter-on-quarter lift in gold ore grade... 

Aveng to repay A$112m advance for Queensland JV gas project

The Queensland Curtis Liquefied Natural Gas (QCLNG) pipeline and facilities project has requested the repayment of the remaining A$112-million advance payment from construction and engineering... 

Competition Commission appoints new enforcement head

Taking over from Junior Khumalo, who has resigned to take up a role at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Nompucuko Nontombana has been appointed as the Competition... 

Nzimande puts issue of tuition fee hikes squarely at universities’ door

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has called for calm amid growing student tensions on several of the country’s university campuses, but has diverted the responsibility for fee structures... 

‘Resilient’ S African SMEs facing funding, cash flow headwinds

South African small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continue to show resilience in the face of lingering economic headwinds, funding shortfalls and delayed client payments, results from the... 

African Potash adds Oxford alum, EY partner to board

Aim-listed explorer African Potash has appointed professional services firm EY senior partner and oil & gas leader for Africa Elias Pungong as nonexecutive director, following the exit of board... 

Richland delivers 156 000 ct in Q3 ramp-up of Capricorn mine

London-listed Richland Resources has delivered 156 000 ct in the three months to September 30 as part of the production start-up and ramp-up process at its Capricorn sapphire operation, in... 

Sub-Saharan Africa M&A deal value rises to $23.4bn

The value of announced merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions with any sub-Saharan African involvement reached $23.4-billion in the first nine months of 2015 – 12% more than the value registered... 

Absence of long-term Eskom contracts to drive 70% slip in Wescoal H1 earnings

Coal producer Wescoal is readying for an up to 70% decrease in earnings a share for the six months ended September 30 to 4.56c and 5.62c, blaming the weaker half-year performance on the erosion of... 

Saice lauds M&R, slams govt skills deficit in wake of bridge collapse

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) on Friday added its voice to those offering condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and those injured in the collapse of... 

Commission extends completion date of healthcare market inquiry by a year  

The Competition Commission has extended the date by which it plans to complete a market enquiry into the private healthcare industry from November 30, 2015, to December 15, 2016, citing delays in... 

Necsa rubbishes media claims of internal financial crisis

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) has publicly disputed media allegations implying that a delay in the publication of its annual report is attributable to a financial crisis... 

Debt-heavy Rockwell juggles operating costs, repayment obligations in Q2

After suspending its finance-raising efforts at the end of August amid the downturn in global commodity and equity markets, diamond explorer Rockwell Diamonds has described the ongoing challenge of... 

PRASA launches high-tech Gauteng ‘nerve centre’

Consolidating the province’s eight existing passenger train control rooms into a single, high-tech “super” control centre that will act as Gauteng’s passenger signalling hub, State-owned rail... 

Namibia punts strategic shipping position as it targets new investors

While acknowledging that its compact population size of 2.1-million offered limited market scope for potential investors, Namibia continues to punt its strategic location along a key transatlantic... 

York Timbers outlines plan for R1.4bn biomass power plant

Local timber group York Timbers has fleshed out ambitious plans to establish a R1.4-billion electrical biomass power plant at its timber plant, in Mpumalanga, which will deliver 25 MW into the... 

Siemens eyeing emerging brewery markets for automation offering

International technology group Siemens has placed the emerging growth markets of Africa, South America and Asia at the centre of its strategy to encourage the early adoption of automation and... 

‘Extraordinary’ interventions urged as business confidence drops to 22-year low

After rallying to 87.9 in July and dipping to 84.3 in August, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (Sacci’s) business confidence index (BCI) lost another 2.7 index points in... 

10% drop in coal sales hurts Hwange Colliery’s financial performance

A 10% year-on-year decline in Zimbabwe-based Hwange Colliery’s coal sales to 685 759 t has dented the company’s profitability and widened its operating loss from $7.6-million in the interim period...