Raubex closes two businesses amid low govt infrastructure spend

JSE-listed construction group Raubex has closed two businesses – L&R Civils and Strata Civils – as government spend on infrastructure remains low. Reporting its results for the financial year ended... 

Zimbabwe trying to win back investors’ trust

Zimbabwe is committed to introducing mining policy certainty to win back investment and revive the industry following the swearing in of President Emmerson Mnangagwa late last year. Mnangagwa is... 

Grindrod confirms planned June listing for shipping business

JSE-listed Grindrod has confirmed the planned separate listing of its shipping division on the Nasdaq, and a secondary listing on the JSE, for June. Subject to approval by Grindrod shareholders at... 

New book places spotlight on nanotechnology applications and ethics

The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) officially launched its new research book Beyond Imagine: The Ethics and Applications of Nanotechnology and Bio-Economics, in Pretoria,... 

New technologies key to driving Africa’s growth

Africa has a historic opportunity to accelerate growth and development by tapping into the potential that new technologies hold, ABB Asia, Middle East and Africa region President Dr Chun-Yuan Gu... 

DBSA appoints new CFO

Boitumelo Mosako has been appointed CFO of development finance institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), effective April 1. Prior to joining the DBSA, she served as the CFO at the... 

CSIR developing biodegradable plastic solutions

Most of the plastics used in South Africa are nonbiodegradable, especially in the packaging industry, and end up in landfills, posing environmental threats and health concerns, Council for... 

ELB gets go-ahead for construction at Ngodwana biomass plant

JSE-listed ELB’s ELB Engineering subsidiary, together with its project partner, KC Cottrell, has received notice to proceed with the building of a 25 MW biomass power plant for Ngodwana Energy... 

Amplats procures energy storage system for Amandelbult

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has contracted energy storage systems provider Primus Power to supply its Amandelbult mine, in Limpopo, with eight EnergyPod battery systems. The EnergyPods will... 

Seifsa encouraged by Absa PMI improvement

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) is encouraged by the improvement in the Absa Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for April, released on Wednesday, with the... 

Increase in gold exploration dollars spent not yet reflected in new discoveries

Although gold exploration budgets have fallen from a ten-year peak in 2012, spending on finding new gold ounces remains at historically high levels, a report from S&P shows. It points out that... 

Galileo continues discussions with MPP

Aim-listed Galileo Resources has reported that negotiations with an undisclosed major phosphate/fertiliser producer (MPP) are continuing positively. The company is talks with the MPP to finalise a... 

Sylvania’s Q3 production falls after ‘challenging’ January

A challenging January has resulted in Aim-listed Sylvania Platinum’s four-element (4E) platinum group metals (PGMs) production decreasing by 3% quarter-on-quarter to 16 857 oz for the third quarter... 

Aveng announces early bond redemption and R1.8bn rights issue

JSE-listed construction group Aveng will implement a R1.8-billion rights offer to raise the capital needed to fund the early redemption of a portion of its existing convertible bonds of R2-billion.... 

New technology being used to immortalise Mandela in centenary coins

The South African Mint, a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank, will roll out a series of three collectable and one circulation coin depicting the life of distinguished statesman and global... 

SAA fills critical vacancies as it pursues turnaround

South African Airways (SAA) has announced key appointments to fill the critical skills gap at the airline as it forges ahead with implementing a turnaround plan. Pumla Luhabe was appointed chief... 

Nersa reappoints part-time regulator members

Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has reappointed Jacob Modise, Maleho Nkomo and Fungai Sibanda as part-time regulator members of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). Modise was... 

New technology being used to immortalise Mandela in centenary coins

The South African Mint, a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank, will roll out a series of three collectable and one circulation coin depicting the life of distinguished statesman and global... 

Nanoclay technology being developed as possible means to treat AMD

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is developing low-cost polymer-based adsorbents for the removal of toxic pollutants such as heavy metals, anions and organics, from... 

PTM completes Maseve mine sale

Platinum Group Metals (PTM) has concluded the sale of its equity in Maseve Investments, the holding company of the Maseve mine, to Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat).  The aggregate consideration... 

Norilsk sees increase in all metals during Q1

Russian palladium and nickel mining company Norilsk Nickel, which also owns operations in Finland and South Africa, increased production of all key metals in the first quarter of the year. “The... 

HMI postpones publication of provincial findings report

The Health Market Inquiry (HMI) has postponed the publication of its provisional findings and recommendations report to May 31, to afford HMI experts sufficient time to assess and interrogate... 

Increasing debt at water trading entity unacceptable – Portfolio Committee

The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation is worried about the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Water Trading Entity’s (WTE’s) increasing debt book, despite various calls by the... 

Gem lifts Q1 production, sales

LSE-listed Gem Diamonds’ carat recoveries increased by 32% year-on-year to 33 526 ct for the three months ended March 31, compared with the 25 479 ct recovered in the first quarter of 2017. Carat... 

Lucara recovers 327 ct diamond from Karowe

Diamond producer Lucara Diamonds has recovered a 327 ct, top white gem diamond from its 100%-owned Karowe diamond mine, in Botswana.  Eight diamonds greater than 100 ct have now been recovered at... 

RBPlat CFO resigns

Martin Prinsloo has resigned as CFO and executive director of Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat), effective August 10. He has been with the company for nine years and is leaving to pursue other... 

MC Mining’s Q3 output falls on equipment availability challenges at Uitkomst

Equipment availability challenges resulted in an 18% quarter-on-quarter decrease in production at MC Mining’s Uitkomst metallurgical and thermal coal colliery to 115 750 t for the three months... 

Pests, diseases a burden on agriculture – ARC

Despite an influx of agricultural imports and an increase in pests and diseases coming into the country over the past 20 years, South Africa has not invested adequately in pest and disease control... 

Africa’s population growth could drive South Africa’s livestock exports

Africa’s population is expected to grow by 25% by 2050, creating an expanding middle class population that will require an affluent protein diet, Agricultural Research Council (ARC) research... 

Gécamines says was forced to seek dissolution of Katanga’s Kamoto

State-owned La Générale des Carrières (Gécamines) says it was forced to take legal action to dissolve TSX-listed Katanga Mining’s Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) for failure to restore shareholders’... 

Minigrid research, development fund launched for sub-Saharan Africa

Investment firm CrossBoundary, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, on Tuesday launched the Mini-Grid Innovation Lab, in Nairobi, Kenya. The lab is the first research and development... 

Agri SA spent R331m on transformation in 2016/17

Members of agricultural industry association Agri SA spent R331-million on transformation during the 2016/17 financial year and reached an estimated 108 307 beneficiaries, including 55 000 farmers.... 

MC Mining appoints new board members

Coal developer MC Mining has appointed CFO Brenda Berlin as an executive director to its board and also announced two nonexecutive director appointments. Berlin was named CFO in November last year... 

Anglo reports 4% increase in Q1 production

Diversified miner Anglo American on Tuesday reported a 4% year-on-year increase in total production on a copper equivalent basis in the first quarter ended March. The company had a “solid start to... 

DMR’s appeal of High Court ruling to further delay Mining Charter 3

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe’s application for leave to appeal the Pretoria High Court’s decision on the ‘once empowered, always empowered’ principle under the Mining Charter is... 

Commissioning of automated underground mine drives growth at Randgold’s Kibali mine

The successful commissioning of the automated materials handling system at Randgold Resources’ Kibali underground operation is supporting the mine’s planned ramp-up in production, CEO Mark Bristow... 

Minas-Rio disruptions to cut Anglo’s earnings by up to $400m

Diversified miner Anglo American expects the continued disruptions at its Minas-Rio iron-ore mine, in Brazil, to result in a reduction in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and... 

Hyprop FD resigns

Laurence Cohen has resigned as JSE-listed Hyprop’s FD, effective August 1, to pursue personal interests. The appointment of a new FD will be announced in due course. 

Amplats procures energy storage system for Amandelbult

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has contracted energy storage systems provider Primus Power to supply its Amandelbult mine, in Limpopo, with eight EnergyPod battery systems. The EnergyPods will... 

Gold tracks the dollar as investments take a back seat – WGC

A new report published by the World Gold Council (WGC) shows that the US dollar is again a strong indicator of the direction of the gold price. “Historically, gold has had a consistently negative...