From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report. Mobile operator MTN South Africa hopes to increase awareness of the engineering profession by providing near real-time video coverage of the Bloodhound supersonic car as it attempts to improve the current land-speed record at the Hakskeen Pan, in the Northern Cape, from 2014 onwards.

Idele Esterhuizen has the story.

Idele Esterhuizen:
Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green, who is the current land-speed record holder, will be driving the Bloodhound. The first test runs to initially improve the current land-speed record of 1 228km/h to 1 300 km/h will be undertaken in April 2014, after which the final goal of 1 600 km/h would be attempted in 2015.

MTN South Africa radio optimisation and planning GM Krishna Chetty has indicated that the company would provide international live-video streaming of the Bloodhound supersonic car during the record-breaking attempts by using broadband data backhaul from the Hakskeen Pan to Upington, 200 km away.

MTN South Africa radio optimisaiton and planning GM Krishna Chetty

Idele Esterhuizen:
MTN will be using a long-term evolution or LTE network for on-car video and diagnostics upload, a world first for the technology at speeds of well over 450km/h.

The JSE-listed group would also provide 3G coverage on both its 1 200 and 900 bands to ensure it catered for the coverage and capacity requirements of visitors and media at the pan.

Krishna Chetty

Idele Esterhuizen:
Most of the sites MTN would construct at the pan to host its technology would be hybrid, running on grid power, as well as solar panels with deep-cycle batteries. However, the site that would provide backhaul to enable a near-real-time experience, would operate completely off-grid.

Meanwhile, South Africa and the world were not training enough engineers to construct and maintain the high-speed, low-carbon world of tomorrow. The Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering has indicated that it would require at least a 1 000 additional engineers a year to be produced in the country.

Krishna Chetty

Idele Esterhuizen:
Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green stated that one of the Bloodhound’s main objectives were to develop an interest among youth to take on careers in engineering, science, technology and mathematics:

Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green

Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: The latest affordable Joburg inner-city residential building is launched; an Absa and Imperial joint venture hopes to improve access to commercial vehicle finance; and Transnet awards empowered firms the largest slice of its R2-billion audit pie.

Newgate, the latest affordable residential precinct in Johannesburg’s inner city, with rentals ranging from R1 750 for the smallest unit to R3 000 for the largest unit, was launched early last month, with the first of about 500 tenants already having moved in.

Standard Bank head of real estate investments Lael Bethlehem

 

A newly formed preferred supplier agreement between Absa Group and transport company Imperial Group is set to afford prospective Imperial customers improved access to vehicle and asset finance from the Barclays subsidiary.

Absa Retail Markets head Arrie Rautenbach

 

 

To fulfil its transformation agenda, State-owned transport and logistics group Transnet has appointed local black-owned accountancy firm SekelelaXabiso to lead its five-year, R2-billion internal audit contract.

Department of Public Enterprises deputy minister Bulelani Magwanishe

 

 

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