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Growthpoint welcomes first tenants to its KZN industrial park

By: Marleny Arnoldi 19th February 2020 Real estate investment trust Growthpoint Properties has completed the first phase of its new Growthpoint Industrial Park, in KwaZulu-Natal. The company says the park has received keen market interest and its first tenants are already operating from the 20 300 m2 initial phase of the... →

New Concor chief sees surge in issuance of large tenders as sign of possible construction turnaround

By: Terence Creamer 19th February 2020 Newly appointed Concor CEO Lucas Tseki believes the strong flow of tenders in the last quarter of 2019 could signal that the domestic construction market is finally bottoming out. He is also cautiously optimistic that infrastructure-focused departments and State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are, at... →

Concor CEO Lucas Tseki

Ramaphosa to meet business executives on infrastructure investment

By: African News Agency 18th February 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa was due to meet the chief executives of commercial banks and leaders of multilateral development finance institutions on Tuesday to assess progress made in efforts to intensify infrastructure investment, his office said. In a statement, the Presidency said the... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

SACPCMP requests patience during systems update process

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th February 2020 To improve service delivery to its stakeholders, the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) is updating its registration and application systems. The update is in response to challenges that the council’s stakeholders have faced in recent years in... →

Sephaku rights offer closes

17th February 2020 JSE-listed Sephaku Holdings’ partially underwritten, renounceable rights offer, which was aimed at raising up to R37.5-million closed on Friday. Sephaku on Monday said 43% of the rights offer shares had been subscribed for. →

DP World to upgrade, maintain Eritrean ports

By: Bloomberg 17th February 2020 The Red Sea state of Eritrea contracted DP World to upgrade its ports as regional peace brings increased business to its shores. Formerly isolated Eritrea is normalizing foreign relations after signing an historic peace deal in July 2018 with neighbouring Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous... →

Citigroup expects debt sales to boost sub-Saharan African deals

By: Bloomberg 17th February 2020 Citigroup expects the value of deals from sub-Saharan Africa to exceed 2019 levels as governments, State-owned institutions and companies in the region raise more debt for much-needed infrastructure. “Countries like Ethiopia and Angola, for instance, are undergoing transformations that are... →

Renewables bodies call for clear timelines after Ramaphosa commits to restarting IPP procurement

By: Terence Creamer 14th February 2020 South Africa’s wind and solar industry bodies have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment, made in his 2020 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), to restarting the long-delayed Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). However, they have also called on... →

South African Wind Energy Association CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli

Seifsa, Minerals Council react positively to SoNA commitments

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th February 2020 The mining and metals and engineering sectors have mostly welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans around energy and infrastructure, following his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday night. The Minerals Council South Africa said in a statement that it was encouraged by the... →

Ramaphosa announces new science and technology varsity

By: News24Wire 14th February 2020 The people of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng will soon enjoy a new science and technology university, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised during his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday night. "We will enable young people in that metro to be trained in high-impact and cutting edge technological... →

Govt to invest R1.4bn to modernise PRASA

By: News24Wire 14th February 2020 South Africa's long-suffering train commuters can soon look forward to a smooth ride. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government would boost the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa's (PRASA) rail network by R1.4-billion. →

Industry remains in decline

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 14th February 2020 Although the civil engineering and construction sector is the backbone of the economy and contributes significantly to employment and growth in the country, it continues to experience a slump, says engineering procurement and construction (EPC) firm COENG founder and CEO Casian Dendere. “The... →

CASIAN DENDERE The sector remains under pressure, with margins remaining tight amid a generally low market performance

CESA remains hopeful about the future

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 14th February 2020 Despite the country’s current economic uncertainty, consulting engineering firms association Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) president Sugen Pillay believes that the country is in the “catharsis phase” and that there is a sense of regeneration and renewal looking towards the future. “The... →

CESA president Sugen Pillay and CESA CEO Chris Campbell discussed CESA's annual media briefing as well as issues facing the industry and how it plans to mitigate them. Camerawork: Creamer Media's Kutlwano. Editing: Creamer Media's Nicolas Boyd.

Demolition works under way at Melrose Arch

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 14th February 2020 Construction company ICON Earthworks, a subsidiary of the ICON Group, was awarded a R2.5-million contract by property development company Amdec to demolish four buildings at the end of November last year for completion next month. ICON is the principal contractor for the demolition, safety and... →

BIGGER AND BETTER The area will make way for the expansion of the Melrose Arch Precinct

Products reduce construction time

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 14th February 2020 Two products of construction connection technology supplier Peikko South Africa – the bolted column connections and DELTABEAM slim floor structures – contributed to reducing overall construction time at a project of food manufacturer Continental Brands, in Johannesburg. By using DELTABEAM, the... →

Peikko South Africa MD Daniel Petrov discusses the company’s latest innovations in the civil engineering and construction sector.

Pile solution cost effective, saves time

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 14th February 2020 Piling contractor Geopile – a subsidiary of South African exploration and geotechnical services provider GeoGroup – has saved its client about R2-million and more than a month’s worth of construction time by installing its driven ductile iron-pile solutions for a six-storey mix-use development in... →

IN ACTION Geopile rig in action installation

Skills shortage plagues natural refrigerant sector

By: Darren Parker 14th February 2020 One of the most pertinent issues facing the local heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) industry is the lack of specialised skills needed for the systematic adoption of natural refrigerants in place of traditional synthetic refrigerants. Heightened pressure on... →

SNEAKY LEAKS Refrigeration systems charged with odourless CO2 need to be monitored with sensors to ensure leaks do not compromise air quality in enclosed spaces

South Africa poised to add 3.3 GW of wind power by 2024 – GWEC

By: Terence Creamer 13th February 2020 The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) is forecasting that South Africa will emerge as the leading wind energy market in Africa and the Middle East over the coming five years, with installations of 3.3 GW by 2024. In a statement released this week, the council reported that only 894 MW of new wind... →

KfW, DBSA renew MoU

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 13th February 2020 German development bank KfW has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with development finance institution, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), to continue their successful collaboration on the financing and implementation of programmes. The signing of the MoU took place on... →

GE’s gas power unit makes emergency-power submissions to DMRE

By: Terence Creamer 13th February 2020 The newly created gas power unit of General Electric (GE) has confirmed that it has made both direct and indirect submissions to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in response to a request for information (RFI) issued in December for 3 000 MW of emergency electricity solutions... →

An example of a GE trailer-mounted mobile gas-powered solution than can be deployed as an emergency solution

Uganda says Chinese firm applies to build $1.4bn power plant on the Nile

By: Reuters 12th February 2020 A Chinese firm has applied to Ugandan authorities for a licence to develop a $1.4-billion hydropower plant that could potentially expand the country's generation capacity by 40% according to a regulatory official and papers seen by Reuters. The firm, POWERCHINA International Group Limited (PIGL),... →

Govt, SOEs urged to appreciate South Africa’s consulting engineers

By: Simone Liedtke 12th February 2020 Closing the infrastructure gap in South Africa is closely linked to infrastructure development on the rest of the continent, as it is to the creation of value chains that can advance Africa’s industrialisation, ultimately contributing to greater job creation, says Nelson Mandela University (NMU)... →

South African contractors feeling the pinch amid delayed shipments from China

By: Marleny Arnoldi 11th February 2020 Law firm MDA Attorneys says local construction projects are being negatively impacted on by indefinitely delayed shipments of construction materials from China, as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus. Consequently, South African contractors are sharpening up on the terms of their... →

Business urges Ramaphosa to use SoNA to clear way for private energy generation ‘at scale’

By: Terence Creamer 11th February 2020 Organised business has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to use his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SoNa) to announce that the regulations needed to enable “private sector energy generation at scale” will be put in place urgently by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe so as... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening

Vukile places oversubscribed R500m unsecured bond

11th February 2020 Retail-focused real estate investment trust Vukile Property Fund has issued R500-million senior unsecured corporate bonds with three and five-year maturities. The issue was significantly oversubscribed, with demand exceeding the maximum offer by 4.2 times. It drew orders from 15 different... →

Google abandons plans to buy stake in Africa’s biggest wind park

By: Bloomberg 10th February 2020 Vestas Wind Systems is shopping for a new buyer for its 12.5% stake in Africa’s largest wind farm after Google dropped plans to purchase it following project delays. The Danish turbine manufacturer blamed the Alphabet unit’s decision to pull out on “delays relating primarily to the transmission... →

Demand for Condra crane components abroad

By: Tracy Hancock 10th February 2020 Component sales remain strong at South African crane manufacturer Condra’s Johannesburg works, which has been manufacturing complete cranes since 1971, says Condra MD Marc Kleiner. “Currently 12% to 15% of our business is made up of component sales, but we do see this as a major growth market.... →

South Africa to fast-track continental infrastructure projects

By: Bloomberg 10th February 2020 South Africa will fast-track four continent-wide infrastructure projects in which it’s involved, including a $14-billion dam on the Congo river, President Cyril Ramaphosa said as the country assumed the chair of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa. The country will drive the Inga III power... →

Consortium makes Richards Bay gas-to-power proposal in response to DMRE’s call for emergency solutions

By: Terence Creamer 7th February 2020 A black-empowered consortium that includes companies with extensive gas-to-power experience has made a formal submission to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in which plans for power generation plants capable of adding between 300 MW and 3 300 MW to South Africa’s grid within... →

The proposed site of the Mhlathuze Energy project

Correct policies, equipment vital for substance testing

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 7th February 2020 Without the correct drug-testing policies and correct testing equipment in place, companies can face serious legal implications, warns workplace testing company ALCO-Safe MD Rhys Evans, adding that these policies serve as guidelines for employees and employers. “Having policies in place ensures... →

WELL INFORMED Policies ensure employees understand the drug-testing equipment better and eliminate misconceptions

Excavation and loading fleet adds new machines

By: Darren Parker 7th February 2020 Mining contractor WEGO Africa added another SANY SY500 excavator to its pre-existing fleet of four, in addition to acquiring two new SANY SY956 front-end loaders, at the end of last year. The new equipment was transported by road from Johannesburg, in Gauteng, to an iron-ore and manganese mine in... →

CAN YOU DIG IT A fifth SY500 excavator has been added to the mining contractor’s fleet

Automated solution supplied to OEM

By: Darren Parker 7th February 2020 Drive engineering and automation company SEW-Eurodrive has supplied its highly configurable HandlingKinematics to a local original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) of concrete brick, block and paving machinery for use in a greenfield plant in East London, in the Eastern Cape. SEW-Eurodrive Maxolution... →

MOVING TECHNOLOGY Incorporating the freely programmable MOVI-PLC into the HandlingKinematics solution allows for greater flexibility

Rocky political climate hinders conveyor industry growth

By: Darren Parker 7th February 2020 The “turmoil” of South African politics has engendered a decline in investment currently and doubt over possible future investment in the mining industry, Conveyor Manufacturers Association of South Africa (CMASA) chairperson Jay Pillay tells Engineering News. Typically, mine expansions, new... →

BUMPY RIDE The health of the local conveyor manufacturing industry directly depends on the health of the mining industry ealth mining industry

Ramaphosa calls for SA, Germany to tackle energy challenges

By: African News Agency 6th February 2020 As German chancellor Angela Merkel began a state visit to South African on Thursday, president Cyril Ramaphosa called for greater cooperation between the two nations on clean energy, low carbon growth and skills training. Speaking after bilateral talks with Merkel, Ramaphosa said they had agreed... →

Octodec, Raizcorp launch enterprise and supplier development programme

By: Simone Liedtke 6th February 2020 In collaboration with business incubator Raizcorp, real estate investment trust Octodec has launched its enterprise and supplier development (ESD) programme, which offers participants internationally accredited business learning and guidance. The ESD programme aims to enhance the impact,... →

Raizcorp prosperator manager Sharon Venn chats to Creamer Media's Engineering News about the ESD Programme and its participants.

AMSA says regulatory changes could open way for 100 MW Vanderbijl solar farm

By: Terence Creamer 6th February 2020 Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) believes there is potential to develop a 75 MW to 100 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant adjacent to its Vanderbijlpark mill, in Gauteng. The JSE-listed company is also convinced that such a project could proceed relatively quickly should South... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
AMSA CEO Kobus Verster

Balwin announces R9bn development in Midrand

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 6th February 2020 JSE-listed Balwin Properties on Thursday announced Munyaka, a R9-billion development in Waterfall, Midrand, which will include the largest freshwater lagoon in the southern hemisphere. Construction has started on the lagoon, which will cover an area the size of about seven rugby fields, along... →

Artist impression of the development

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