From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Sashnee Moodley: African stories have a new avenue for expression following the October launch of the Sky Rink Studios, which replaces the old ice rink atop Carlton Centre’s parking lot in downtown Johannesburg. David Oliveira tells us more.

David Oliveira:
The 2 400 m² Sky Rink Studios, the brainchild of executive chairperson Frank Mohapi, and executive director’s Marvin Mathibe and Miles Britton, was formed in response to lack of studio and production facility availability in Gauteng.

In an exclusive interview with Engineering News Mohapi explained that the studio’s founders initially approached Transnet, which owns the Carlton Centre complex, to set up facilities in the 2 000 seat ballroom at the Carlton Hotel.

Transnet subsequently offered it the disused Sky Rink, a 4 000-seat ice rink arena.

Sky Rink Studios executive chairperson Frank Mohapi:

David Oliveira:
The six studios, which started construction on the sixth-floor of the Carlton Sky Rink building in April this year, cover 2 424 m² and will each have a dedicated control room, three dedicated high-definition cameras, a sound room and production-quality light-emitting-diode lighting once the studio starts trading in February next year.

Sky Rink Studios executive chairperson Frank Mohapi
 

David Oliveira:
The the six studios are all located on the sixth-floor of the Carlton Sky Rink building, while a mezzanine floor above the studios will house the production facilities.

Once completed, the Sky Rink Studios will have ten post-production suites and green rooms, which Mohapi notes could be expanded to 20 facilities. Sky Rink Studios will also have animation and visual effects capabilities, make-up rooms and private and communal artist waiting rooms, as well as 300 dedicated parking bays.

Sky Rink Studios will also have a central apparatus room, or CAR, on the mezzanine floor with broadcasting, channel hosting and playout capabilities. Owing to the significant fibre infrastructure in the building, the CAR will also be capable of international live streaming.

Sashnee Moodley:
Natural gas supplier Novo Energy on Friday launched its compressed natural gas (CNG) dispensing station in Kew. This project is the company’s first commercial facility in Johannesburg. Anine Kilian tells us more.

Anine Kilian:
The station will support the City of Johannesburg in its objective of enabling economic development, job creation and sustainability.
Novo Energy CEO Andri Hugo said that one of the major challenges the country faces is job creation and we feel that gas is fundamental in creating jobs and getting the economy going again. It’s the only energy carrier that can reindustrialise South Africa.

Novo Energy CEO Andri Hugo
 

Anine Kilian:
Novo Energy has entered into an agreement with the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) to supply CNG to the Gauteng Department of Health.
The GDID has identified natural gas as a cheaper, cleaner and a more efficient energy source to achieve the desired results in the implementation of the province’s ‘green’ agenda.
Hugo noted that the Novo Kew CNG station would predominantly supply CNG to Gauteng’s various health institutes, using mobile delivery systems.

Novo Energy CEO Andri Hugo
 

Anine Kilian:
“The City of Johannesburg is converting a fair amount of its hospitals to run on natural gas and this facility will support and supply those hospitals,” he explained.
The dispensing station will also double as a gas refuelling station for natural gas-fuelled vehicles (NGVs).
The dispensing station was strategically located in close proximity to Sandton and the township of Alexandra.
This is to encourage public transport operators, fleet owners and private individuals to use CNG as an alternative source of fuel for their vehicles.
The City of Johannesburg recently acquired NGVs for its municipal fleet and there are hundreds of NGVs operating within the city.
The Novo Kew CNG station will provide the infrastructure to refuel these vehicles.
CNG will retail at R7.99/l and Novo Energy believes taxi operators, for instance, will see an immediate savings of around 35% on their fuel spend by converting to natural gas.
“Apart from the economic benefits that can be attained, most fleet owners are also seeing increased longevity of their vehicle assets by operating their vehicles with a much cleaner fuel compared to petrol.”
The station has been designed using compression equipment and includes the integration of modern process technology.
Novo plans to roll out various CNG stations in strategic locations across the country in years to come.
“This facility provides clean and affordable energy to industry. We are proud to be part of this collective and we feel there are tremendous opportunities going forward,” said Hugo.

Novo Energy CEO Andri Hugo

Sashnee Moodley:
That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.