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Traxtion to invest billions in rail infrastructure development over next five years

By: Simone Liedtke 26th October 2020 Rail services and solutions provider Traxtion Group intends to embark on a significant investment programme within South Africa’s rail sector, which will, at first, see an initial locomotive and wagon build programme of R1.5-billion upon conclusion of the appropriate access rights with... →

‘Great opportunity’ to tap Mpumalanga’s grid capacity for just transition – IPP Office

By: Terence Creamer 26th October 2020 The extension of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZs) to areas where coal jobs are at risk, but where grid capacity is available, represents a “great opportunity” to connect new renewable-energy generators while also supporting a just transition for coal workers, a senior... →

IPPO head of technical Pervelan Govender told participants attending the virtual 2020 edition of Windaba that there was potential grid and just-transition virtue to be derived from locating new renewables projects in Mpumalanga. Video & Editing: Kutlwano Matala & Nicholas Boyd. 16.10.2020

Water supply projects in Sedibeng, Maluti-a-Phofung areas to resume

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th October 2020 Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has confirmed that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) had resolved a matter that involved delayed payment of service providers and, specifically, the department has paid R80-million to Sedibeng Water for continuation of... →

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu

South Africa’s rail expansion plan links Soweto to Johannesburg

By: Bloomberg 26th October 2020 South Africa’s only high-speed rail network is drawing up a multibillion rand plan to expand outside Johannesburg and Pretoria, joining a potential bonanza of infrastructure projects the government says are key to reviving the economy. A proposal for the venture is awaiting sign-off by the... →

Ethiopia slams pressure after Trump remark on destroying dam

By: Bloomberg 26th October 2020 Ethiopia slammed international pressure regarding its long-running dispute with Egypt and Sudan over a hydropower dam on the Nile River, after US President Donald Trump suggested Cairo could destroy the dam. “Ethiopia will not cave in to aggressions of any kind,” the office of Ethiopian Prime... →

Transnet revamping concessions model to speed up private involvement in rail and ports

By: Terence Creamer 23rd October 2020 State-owned freight logistics group Transnet is in the process of overhauling its approach to opening up its port and rail networks, including 8 000-km of branch lines, to private participants, acknowledging that its previous models have been far to slow and cumbersome. CEO Portia Derby said the... →

Redefine diversifies into Polish logistics market

By: Simone Liedtke 23rd October 2020 Despite sentiment towards global real estate having fallen sharply, the outlook for the Polish logistics sector has improved significantly as a result of Covid-19, says Redefine Europe CEO Pieter Prinsloo. Speaking during real estate investment trust (Reit) Redefine Properties’ Polish market... →

Covid-19 will not affect current capex, but future projects are dependent on recovery, says Trac

By: Irma Venter 23rd October 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic will not affect the rollout of the current R1.6-billion of capital projects along the N4, says Trans African Concessions (Trac) CEO Alex van Niekerk. TRAC manages the N4 Toll Route between Tshwane, Gauteng, and the Maputo port, in Mozambique. →

Alex van Niekerk

New safety shoe and boot brands faring well

23rd October 2020 Although the Covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent restrictions on trade and events have set back personal protective equipment (PPE) specialist Sisi Safety Wear’s Basi boot – which features a metaguard – the company says its other newer ranges have fared well so far this year. The Basi boot will... →

COOL TO BOOT The boot specially designed to fit the female foot is both functional and pretty

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

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

Roll-out of three Gauteng SEZs being prioritised

By: Irma Venter 23rd October 2020 The Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GDDA) has prioritised three special economic zone (SEZ) developments for roll-out in Gauteng, says GDDA CEO Mosa Tshabalala. The first is a high-tech SEZ in the northern corridor of Gauteng, in Bronkhorstspruit, 50 km from Pretoria. →

Eskom moves to appoint advisers to structure 'green' transaction

By: Terence Creamer 22nd October 2020 South Africa’s coal-heavy power utility is moving to appoint financial advisers to assist it in structuring a potential transaction that could unlock discounted ‘green’ funding for the debt-laden State-owned entity in return for it meeting agreed decarbonisation targets. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter... →

Fronting still a major issue in delivering on economic transformation, says commission

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd October 2020 “Fronting”, where a person of color or entity is given a stake but does not get the powers associated with it, remains the biggest challenge to the power of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act to deliver on economic transformation, the BBBEE Commission warns. Speaking at the... →

Fund establishes collective investment scheme with an infrastructure focus

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd October 2020 South Africa’s first preference shares with an infrastructure focus were listed on October 22 on 4 Africa Exchange (4AX), Gaia Fund Managers and Kruger International Asset and Wealth Management confirmed. Gaia, together with Kruger, is listing Gaia Fund 1 (the Fund), which complies with... →

Tunnelling works progressing at Lesotho Highlands Water Project

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd October 2020 Underground tunneling works inside the two Polihali diversion tunnels are progressing well, with excavations advancing from the outlets at about 6 m a day per tunnel at the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) site. So far, the excavation of the intake and outlet portals have been completed and... →

Work on Central and Mabopane rail lines delayed by a year, says PRASA

By: African News Agency 21st October 2020 It will take another year for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to restore limited electrical service on the main rail lines servicing Cape Town and Johannesburg, the entity conceded in Parliament on Wednesday. "We are now looking at the end of October or November next year to... →

Law to overhaul corruption-prone public procurement still some way off

By: Terence Creamer 21st October 2020 The National Treasury is preparing sweeping legislative changes to the way procurement, which has become highly prone to corruption, is undertaken by public entities, including State-owned companies. It has indicated, however, that the new legal framework is likely to be passed by Parliament only... →

Massive grid investment needed to unlock IRP’s 30GW-by-2030 vision

By: Terence Creamer 20th October 2020 State-owned electricity utility Eskom is warning that a significant and accelerated expansion of South Africa’s grid infrastructure, beyond that catered for by its current R118-billion investment plan to 2030, is required to integrate the 30 GW of mainly wind and solar generators that will have... →

JRA reopens the upgraded Spring road bridge

By: Creamer Media Reporter 20th October 2020 The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has reopened the upgraded bridge on Spring road, in Weltevreden Park, to motorists and pedestrians. The bridge had been closed off to vehicle and pedestrian traffic since March 2017 after it was washed away by floods. Its initial design capacity was not... →

Calgro M3 enhances liquidity

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 19th October 2020 Following 12 to 18 months of rigorous restructuring initiatives, JSE-listed Calgro M3 has successfully closed its internal construction division. Calgro M3 CEO Wikus Lategan reported on October 190 that the leaner business, together with little pressure to invest in capital intensive projects... →

South Africa’s track record bodes ill for investment drive

By: Bloomberg 19th October 2020 South Africa will be hard pressed to realise its ambitions of attracting R1-trillion of private investment in infrastructure if its past record is anything to go by. The investment drive began two years ago and is a key component of an economic blueprint unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa last... →

Contractors risk ruin owing to contract fine print, payment delays, says MBA

By: Irma Venter 19th October 2020 The Master Builders Association (MBA) North says contractors, particularly small and mid-sized contractors, face growing business risk when embarking on new projects. This is a result of a range of issues, such as contracts that are amended to favour large contractors or clients, unclear delivery... →

Princess Elizabeth Drydock recommissioned after upgrades

By: Marleny Arnoldi 16th October 2020 The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has successfully recommissioned the Princess Elizabeth Drydock, at the Port of East London. This follows the completion of two priority capital projects valued at more than R60-million that will "usher in a new era of optimised growth for the historic... →

CSIR and asphalt industry construct test road using local fillers, recycled tyres

By: Irma Venter 16th October 2020 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and private company Much Asphalt have successfully constructed a section of road using locally available micro-fillers and recycled tyres. Following more than a year of combined laboratory development and evaluation efforts between CSIR... →

Construction of the road using the new materials

Electricity regulations amended to allow municipalities to develop or buy power

By: Terence Creamer 16th October 2020 Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has gazetted amendments to the electricity regulations for new electricity generation capacity, opening the way for “municipalities in good financial standing to develop their own power generation projects”. The Gazette notice amends the... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Reliable and sustainable water solution found in Karoo

16th October 2020 Groundwater specialists from engineering consultants SRK Consulting have assisted in ensuring Prince Albert local municipality in the Karoo is able to provide a reliable and sustainable supply of groundwater to local communities at Leeu Gamka in the Western Cape. Prince Albert local municipality... →

FULL FLOW Tapping water from the boreholes required a borehole pump design and installation, pipeline design to connect boreholes to existing infrastructure, as well as project and contractor management

Recognition of LPG benefits in energy mix growing

16th October 2020 For many years, the benefits of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for South Africa “have been largely, frustratingly, moot”, according to a statement from industry association LPG South Africa (LPGSA). The doubt surrounding LPG’s benefits stems from an historically inconsistent and unreliable supply... →

BIG BOY Bidvest Tank Terminal’s large-scale mounded LPG storage facility in Richards Bay was scheduled for completion this year

Natural gas to play important role in the energy future

By: Darren Parker 16th October 2020 Energy solutions company GE expects gas power to play an increasingly important role in the medium- to long-term future of the country’s energy mix as government continues to pursue decarbonisation through balancing the demands between a coal-fired past and a renewables future. GE Gas Power... →

GAS FOR GROWTH The industrialisation ambitions of African nations depend on cleaner energy sources such as renewables and gas

Gap analysis needed to guide gas-to-power industry growth

By: Darren Parker 16th October 2020 With the potential of gas as an alternative energy source in South Africa an encouraging prospect, South African Oil and Gas Alliance (Saoga) CEO Adrian Strydom says the gas-to-power industry needs to conduct an accurate gap analysis, and engage in upskilling and capacity building to ensure that... →

Photo by Adobe
FLOATING GAS South Africa will need to import liquid natural gas for the short-term future, which will serve to stimulate the market

Expansion set for completion

By: Halima Frost 16th October 2020 Multidisciplinary consulting firm Zimile Consulting Engineers has announced that the expansion of the R14-million bulk water supply project in Underberg, for the Harry Gwala district municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, will be completed and handed over by the end of this month. “The project addresses... →

UPHILL BATTLE One of the challenges faced during the project entailed an uphill installation which Zimile Consulting Engineers successfully completed without complications

Tech helps address nonrevenue water loss

By: Halima Frost 16th October 2020 According to a rough consensus derived from its end customers and partners, about 38% of South Africa’s produced water is non-revenue water, but water technology company Xylem Water Solutions South Africa says its key technologies assist in addressing this challenge. Non-revenue water is water... →

SMART DETECTIVE The Smart Ball water leak detection an assessment tool can be deployed without having to disrupt the flow within the system

Gas-powered solutions offer lower upfront cost

By: Darren Parker 16th October 2020 In a capital-constrained Covid-19-affected market, gas-fired generators offer the advantage of a relatively low upfront capital cost, compared with coal- or diesel-fired alternatives, says energy solutions company GE Gas Power Sub-Saharan Africa executive Nosizwe Dlengezele. She adds that it is... →

NOSIZWE DLENGEZELE Gas plays an important role in bridging the energy gap to help create a lower-carbon energy future

Proactive national water programme on the cards

By: Halima Frost 16th October 2020 The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), in partnership with various government departments, is addressing the country’s water woes with the development of a proactive national water programme that aims to offer tangible solutions to municipalities, the relevant government departments and... →

DBSA disruption specialist Johann Lübbe and infrastructure finance specialist Konstant Bruinette discuss the progress being made on a new national water programme that the DBSA is developing.

Data-driven approach for water approached

By: Halima Frost 16th October 2020 The time to apply a data-driven approach to optimise water distribution in South Africa is now, says consultancy firm Royal HaskoningDHV advisory group director Bongani Dladla. “This could be the country’s catalyst for digital transformation – the point when municipalities start using technology... →

TANK TRACING A data-driven approach will help optimise water use and its infrastructure suggest Royal HaskoningDHV

Easy-to-assemble water storage tanks launched

By: Halima Frost 16th October 2020 Steel products and related services company Structa Group recently launched the marketing drive for its new Circotank brand, which offers a range of rolled sectional steel tanks. Circotank is manufactured from galvanised steel sheet, cold rolled, with a stiffening profile. →

TANK TOP The Maxi range of tanks offers water storage capacity of up to 1.5Mℓ

Independent grid and market operator ‘required’ to attract much-needed generation investment – De Ruyter

By: Terence Creamer 15th October 2020 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has drawn a direct link between securing the investment required to address South Africa’s growth-sapping electricity supply gaps – including some R100-billion to further develop the grid in ways to unlock what will be mostly private generation investment – and the... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter

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