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Siemens partners to extend Covid-19 facility at Eastern Cape hospital

By: Donna Slater 20th January 2021 Technology company Siemens South Africa has joined forces with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Eastern Cape Department of Health to provide a separate modular hospital solution to the... →

AMSP opens Covid-19 vaccines pre-orders for AU member States

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 19th January 2021 Following the announcement by African Union (AU) chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa on January 14 that the AU has secured a provisional 270-million Covid-19 vaccine doses for Africa through its Covid-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (Avatt), the Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP)... →

Vaccine may be ready, but South Africans are mostly not

By: Marleny Arnoldi 12th January 2021 Data from fintech company CompariSure found that a staggering 52% of South Africans do not want to take the Covid-19 vaccine, while President Cyril Ramaphosa on January 11 stressed the importance of the vaccine. He said the country’s vaccine strategy was “well under way”, with 20-million doses... →

Pfizer appoints Africa, Middle East president

By: Donna Slater 12th January 2021 Healthcare products manufacturer Pfizer has appointed Patrick van der Loo as Africa and Middle East (AfME) regional president. His experience at Pfizer spans more than 20 years in leadership roles with multiple successes across geographies in which Van der Loo managed some of Pfizer’s largest... →

South African doctors, engineers invent device for oxygen delivery to Covid-19 patients

By: African News Agency 12th January 2021 A group of South African doctors, engineers and designers based in East London has invented a medical device that revolutionises oxygen delivery to Covid-19 patients. A statement from the Umoya-Gabler Consortium behind the project said Cape Town-based specialist medical device manufacturer... →

Aspen could produce J&J Covid shots by end-March

By: Reuters 7th January 2021 Aspen Pharmacare could start production of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines in South Africa by late March or early April if all approvals are in place, a senior company executive said. All the vaccines produced will be exported to J&J and will be a part of its global supply inventory, Stavros... →

EIB provides African pharma manufacturing support

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th January 2021 Long-term lending institution the European Investment Bank (EIB) has launched a first-ever scheme that involves strengthening local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in Africa and scaling up drug manufacturing. The scheme, in which €50-million will be invested, will contribute to... →

Divestment of Sasol's interest in Gemini JV finalised

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th January 2021 JSE-listed petrochemicals giant Sasol says the divestment of its 50% interest in the Gemini high-density polyethylene (HDPE) joint venture to Ineos Olefins and Polymers US successfully closed on December 31, making Ineos the 100% owner of the asset. Gemini is a toll manufacturer of bimodal HDPE... →

J&J has applied to South Africa for registering COVID-19 vaccine - regulator

By: Reuters 14th December 2020 South Africa's pharmaceutical regulator SAHPRA said on Monday it has received its first application to register a Covid-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. "As of today we have received one application, this was received on Thursday evening from J&J, and we started the review process," said... →

Ikhaya vaccine temperature monitoring solution receives WHO accreditation

By: Schalk Burger 10th December 2020 Pietermaritzburg-based remote temperature monitoring specialist Ikhaya Automation Systems has received accreditation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its VM1000 vaccine temperature monitoring device, says Ikhaya MD Praba Moonsamy. “The Ikhaya VM1000 recently qualified under the WHO... →

Labat concludes agreement to buy-out Ace Genetics for R1.8m

By: Donna Slater 9th December 2020 Following a satisfactory due diligence investigation, holding company Labat has concluded an agreement with the vendors of Ace Genetics to acquire 100% of the shares in and claims against the Western Cape-based cannabis genetics company for R1.8-million. Effective December 4, the agreement is to... →

Sasol's JV with LyondellBasell now established

By: Reuters 2nd December 2020 South Africa's Sasol said on Wednesday its Louisiana Integrated Polyethylene joint venture (JV) with chemical company LyondellBasell Industries had been established, following closure of the deal on Dec. 1. LyondellBasell agreed in October to acquire a 50% stake in Sasol's base chemicals business... →

Fund helps South African universities unlock benefits of homegrown IP

By: Donna Slater 25th November 2020 Since its inception in February, the University Technology Fund (UTF) has approved six investments. Technology and innovation incubated in South Africa’s universities is, as a result, being commercialised and a step closer to commercialisation, creating significant economic, investment and job... →

SA SME Fund CEO Ketso Gordhan

Omnia firmly in ‘fix and renew’ phase following September interim period

By: Simone Liedtke 24th November 2020 JSE-listed diversified chemicals group Omnia Holdings is now firmly in the "fix and renew" phase of its turnaround strategy, where implementation of the new operating model during the six months, ended September 30, was “substantially completed” and has already resulted in improved production... →

Omnia CEO Seelan Gobalsamy discusses the group's interim performance. Editing: Darlene Creamer.

Sasol subsidiary to sell stake in Texas business for $404m

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 24th November 2020 Sasol Chemicals North America (SCNA), a wholly owned subsidiary of JSE-listed Sasol, has agreed principle terms with INEOS Gemini HDPE Holding Company and a new entity (Newco) to be formed by INEOS to sell its 50% membership interest in Gemini HDPE to Newco for $404-million. Gemini, based in La... →

Sasol shareholders back JV with LyondellBasell for US project

By: Reuters 20th November 2020 South Africa's Sasol said on Friday shareholders have approved a proposed agreement to form a joint venture with chemical company LyondellBasell Industries at its US Lake Charles Chemicals Project in a bid to pay down debt. LyondellBasell agreed last month to acquire a 50% stake of Sasol's base... →

Enel, Novartis sign ten-year renewable energy deal

By: Donna Slater 20th November 2020 Enel Group renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power and medicines company Novartis have signed a ten-year, 100% renewable virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 78 MW of renewable power. This pan-European VPPA will start in January 2022 and will help Novartis achieve its goals for 100%... →

BT Industrial goes from strength to strength with manufacturing diversification

By: Marleny Arnoldi 19th November 2020 High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes manufacturer BT Industrial Group has extended its plastics-processing capacity to include polymer-based medical fabrics and components. MD Kgomotso Lekola says the company’s electrostatic melt-blown fabric is currently being used to produce FFP2... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Marleny Arnoldi
BT Industrial's cleanroom medical device manufacturing facility

Sasol's board agrees to 20% fee reduction

By: Reuters 18th November 2020 South Africa's Sasol said on Wednesday its board agreed to a 20% cut in the fees proposed for approval at its 2020 annual general meeting due to erosion of shareholder value over the past two years and challenges still facing the petrochemical firm. The fee reduction will remain in place until a... →

Final Lake Charles unit reaches beneficial operation

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 16th November 2020 Energy and chemicals company Sasol’s low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit at the Lake Charles Chemicals Complex (LCCP), in Louisiana, in the US, reached beneficial operation on November 15. The LDPE unit is the seventh and final LCCP unit to come online. →

Tech partnership brews beer from re-used water

By: Halima Frost 13th November 2020 Local water technology company Xylem has partnered with Berlin water utility Berliner Wasserbetriebe and the Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin (the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water) to produce Berlin Reuse Brew. Berlin Reuse Brew is a beer made from purified and treated wastewater. →

Xylem Water Solutions treatment project manager Brendan van Wyk discusses the use of ozone and ultraviolet technology in the cleaning processes in breweries and wineries. Camerawork: Kutlwano Matlala. Editing: Nicholas Boyd. Recorded: 21.10.20

Sasol pins low-carbon ‘reset’ hopes on gas, renewables and green hydrogen

By: Terence Creamer 11th November 2020 Energy and chemicals group Sasol, which is coming under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon emissions, reports that climate change is now “front and centre” in its unfolding ‘strategic reset’, which will involve a transition away from coal to gas, renewable energy and green hydrogen. In... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler

NGOs call on global investor climate initiative to intervene in Sasol shareholder issue

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 10th November 2020 Nongovernmental organisation Just Share, supported by shareholder activist organisations ShareAction (UK), Majority Action (USA), Follow This (Netherlands) and the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR), has written to Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) − the world’s largest investor... →

Bearing isolators faring well in bearings sector

6th November 2020 Bearings distributor BMG tells Engineering News that its Garlock Klozure and Guardian Bearing Isolators have fared notably well subsequent to being introduction to the BMG range of isolators. A bearing isolator is an advanced sealing solution that is used to protect bearings on rotating equipment... →

SURE SOLUTION The Garlock sealing solutions offered by BMG have proven effective in many environments

Wits develops solution to improve accuracy, safety of Covid-19 testing

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 2nd November 2020 Containing Covid-19 requires testing of individual and isolating those who test positive, together with recent contacts, to prevent further spread and it is therefore critical to ensure that testing is independently verified to assure its accuracy. Given the urgent need to ramp up testing, a team... →

Professor Bavesh Kana

Difficulties heightened during pandemic, company forges ahead

By: Mamaili Mamaila 30th October 2020 South Africa’s subdued economic growth has been well recorded – even prior to the pandemic, says industrial equipment supplier Verder Pumps South Africa MD Darryl Macdougall. →

CHECK THIS OUT Verder Pumps South Africa also launched the new Verder HI-Clean AODD and EODD pumps earlier this month, with more announcements planned heading into 2021

Sasol to test market for Southern African carbon-offset prospects

By: Terence Creamer 29th October 2020 Chemicals and energy group Sasol has indicated that it intends issuing a request for information (RFI) for the development and implementation of carbon-offset projects in South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and has called on potential participants to register their... →

Gloves on offer locally

By: Halima Frost 23rd October 2020 Wholesale personal protective equipment (PPE) and industrial consumables supplier G.Fox has added the patented nitrile Grippaz gloves to its PPE portfolio in the second quarter of this year. The specially formulated gloves combine household gloves and disposable exam glove technology, which makes... →

GAINLY GRIP The Grippaz glove offers better 'grip-ability' as well as more comfort for the user

PPE supply to healthcare sector hard hit by Covid

23rd October 2020 An infographic on the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the healthcare sector, in which the effects imputable to the Covid-19 pandemic were highlighted, has been published by market research company Frost & Sullivan. The infographic named ‘Impact of Covid-19 on demand for PPE in... →

PROTECTION ORDER The increased demand for personal protective equipment in the medical sector has brought about notable short- and long-term changes in the value chain

PPE standards drop during pandemic

By: Halima Frost 23rd October 2020 The pandemic has brought about a conflict in standards whereby local and imported respirators align with requirements listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), however, these requirements do not align with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), says industry body South African... →

HIGH STANDARDS Sapema insists that role-players in the PPE sector adhere to SABS and WHO standards

Hybrid future in sight

23rd October 2020 Global engineering company Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) predicts a hybrid bioprocessing future, where tried and trusted stainless-steel systems are seamlessly integrated with single-use technology. This flexible approach will enable contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs) and... →

TECHNOLOGY SHAKE UP Stainless steel is not dead nor dying, but the emergence of new technology continues to shake up the biopharmaceutical industry

Hard hat face shield launched

23rd October 2020 Paper and plastics packaging and recycling company Mpact Group launched its new face shield, specially designed to attach to a hard hat, in support of the construction and related industries during the Covid-19 pandemic. Launched in June, the hard hat face shield is produced from polyethylene... →

HEALTHY HANDOVER To help curb the spread of Covid-19 and keep frontline healthcare workers safe, Mpact Group donated 25 000 face shields to the Department of Health

Unilever ring-fences €1bn for Clean Future initiative

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 22nd October 2020 Consumer goods company Unilever has launched its Clean Future initiative, which is aimed at engendering sustainability in the way it produces products and renders services. During a virtual launch of the initiatives on October 22, the company explained that it was seeking to transform its... →

Afreximbank ready to raise up to $5bn for Covid-19 vaccines for Africa - CDC head

By: Reuters 22nd October 2020 The African Export Import Bank is ready to raise up to $5-billion to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for African countries, the head of the continent’s disease control body told Reuters on Thursday. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Africa needs... →

SABS calls for stricter self-regulation around hazardous waste disposal

By: Marleny Arnoldi 19th October 2020 Since the global outbreak of Covid-19, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has been refocusing its attention on improving its services to assist in the fight against the pandemic and the hygiene matters related to controlling the spread of infection. To this end, the SABS says the... →

Omnia intends to sell Oro Agri business

By: Marleny Arnoldi 19th October 2020 JSE-listed chemicals group Omnia Holdings has reached an agreement to sell its Oro Agri business to Rovensa – a European-based business that procures and distributes biocontrol, bionutrition and crop protection solutions. Omnia in June received a nonbinding offer for the business, which... →

Omnia CEO Seelan Gobalsamy

Academia, industry must be involved for railway concessions to be successful, says NMU associate

By: Simone Liedtke 14th October 2020 The ensure the success of railway concessions, Nelson Mandela University Infrastructure Development and Engagement Unit (ID&EU) associate Bongani Mankewu says government “must fathom the significant role to be played by academia and the industry”. He explains that the inception of concessioning... →

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