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Covid-19

Busa’s Pityana stresses need for approval, implementation of Economic Recovery Action Plan

By: Simone Liedtke 18th September 2020 Business Unity South Africa (Busa) President Sipho Pityana has called for a “more empathetic approach” with South Africa recently passing two important milestones on the road to salvaging its battered economy. These milestones comprise the Covid-19 lockdown having been scaled down to Alert Level... →

Open borders lauded by tourism stakeholders

By: Donna Slater 18th September 2020 Stakeholders in the tourism industry have lauded President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to allow restricted international travel to South Africa to resume as an effort to help rebuild the tourism and hospitality industry in South Africa. This sentiment was conveyed during a Governance... →

Venture capital set for slowdown after record 2019 performance

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 18th September 2020 While South African venture capital (VC) investors may have seen a significant slowdown in deal activity this year as a result of measures implemented globally to contain the spread of Covid-19, the local VC landscape experienced record investment and exit activity in 2019. This is according... →

ATNS launches virtual Aviation Training Academy

By: Donna Slater 18th September 2020 With Covid-19 restrictions, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) is piloting virtual training through its Aviation Training Academy. ATNS’ Aviation Training Academy offers aviation training to several countries in Africa since it was certified as a training institution in 1996. →

Cybersecurity has to remain ‘front of mind’ for miners, says panel

By: Simone Liedtke 18th September 2020 As the world becomes more connected through information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), ABB local division manager for mining solutions John Manuell warns that cybersecurity will need “to remain front of mind”. With the advent and increasing use of digital technologies,... →

Economists lament ‘missed opportunity’ of another repo rate cut

By: Simone Liedtke 17th September 2020 While the decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.5% is “disappointing”, North West University Business School economist Professor Raymond Parsons says South Africa’s basic policy priorities should now focus on “urgently implementing overdue economic reforms and ensuring security of... →

Egoli likely to be S Africa’s least complicated underground gold mine – Pan African

By: Martin Creamer 17th September 2020 What is expected to be South Africa’s least complicated underground gold mine is on the way at Evander, Mpumalanga, in the form of the Egoli gold project. Planning to bring the low-capital quick-return project to life is Pan African Resources, the London-, Johannesburg- and New York-listed... →

Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer interviews Pan African Resources CEO Cobus Loots. Video: Darlene Creamer.

SA must now face corruption and second wave threat, warns business lobby

By: News24Wire 17th September 2020 Business 4 South Africa’s co-chair Martin Kingston joined President Cyril Ramaphosa's calls for the country to remain vigilant against Covid-19, as well as corruption within state procurement aimed at responding to the pandemic, as South Africa further lifts restrictions. Ramaphosa announced on... →

Photo by Creamer Media
B4SA co-chair Martin Kingston

CDH lawyer warns of retrenchment pitfalls

By: Simone Liedtke 17th September 2020 With a continued low economic growth rate and rising unemployment still painting a bleak picture for South Africa, law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH director Jose Jorge warns that companies will “continue to tighten their belts” in the months ahead, meaning more job losses are likely on the... →

Economy breathes welcome sigh for Level 1, while alcohol, travel industries remain aggrieved

By: Marleny Arnoldi 17th September 2020 With President Cyril Ramaphosa having announced the move to a Level 1 lockdown for South Africa, effective September 20, positive reactions have been streaming in from all spheres of the economy, but grievances around weekend alcohol sales, the curfew and only partially reopened borders remain.... →

Ramaphosa announces move to Level 1: 'Prepare for the new normal'

By: News24Wire 16th September 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa will move to Alert Level 1 of the lockdown at midnight on Sunday. This will see larger gatherings being permitted, along with international travel, the sale of alcohol allowed from Monday to Friday, and the curfew shifted to midnight. →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Solar to provide most of gold plants’ daytime power – Pan African

By: Martin Creamer 16th September 2020 The 10 MW solar electricity plant that Pan African Resources will construct on site at its Elikhulu gold-from-tailings plant next year at a cost of R150-million will take care of most of Elikhulu’s daytime power requirements. This is the first phase of solar power generation at Evander. Pan... →

Pan African Resources results covered by Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer. Video: Darlene Creamer.

Mbalula launches beefed up PRASA protection service

By: Donna Slater 16th September 2020 The Department of Transport and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) on September 16 launched the multidisciplinary Ministerial Integrated Security Plan, which involves the employment and deployment of an additional 3 100 security personnel to monitor and protect rail... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula inspects a portion of the new PRASA protection officers at the Rhodesfield train station

Renewables body optimistic next bidding round can be ‘expedited’

By: Terence Creamer 16th September 2020 The South African Renewable Energy Council (Sarec) expressed optimism on Wednesday that the long-awaited fifth bid window (BW5) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme could be fast-tracked in light of the energy regulator’s recent concurrence with a Ministerial... →

Pan African proposes record final dividend as headline earnings surge

By: Martin Creamer 16th September 2020 Gold mining company Pan African on Wednesday proposed a record final dividend after headline earnings surged 93% and net cash generated by operating activities rose by 42%. Mining Weekly can report that, in the 12 months to June 30, gold produced by the London-, Johannesburg- and New York-listed... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Pan African CEO Cobus Loots

SAVE-P manufacturing underway, showcases local capabilities

16th September 2020 Nonprofit organisation, the South African Emergency Ventilator Project, or SAVE-P, was launched in March in an effort to cost-effectively locally produce much-needed ventilators to meet an expected shortage. Natasha Odendaal tells us more. →

CDC aiming to secure CEO replacement for long-serving Silinga by year-end

By: Terence Creamer 16th September 2020 The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) has formally initiated a recruitment process to secure a replacement for its long-serving CEO, Pepi Silinga, who has been appointed CEO of Transnet National Ports Authority, effective October 1. The position has been advertised internally and externally and... →

Pepi Silinga

Great opportunity to lock in higher gold price for future – Harmony

By: Martin Creamer 16th September 2020 The current gold price presents a great opportunity to lock in the higher price for the future, says Harmony Gold FD Boipelo Lekubo, against the backdrop of Harmony’s hedging programme realising gains of R2.2-billion since its inception, but the recent dollar and rand gold prices also negatively... →

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Harmony Gold financial director Boipelo Lekubo

Digital technologies drive transformation in mining

By: Simone Liedtke 15th September 2020 With many things having changed, never to be the same, Microsoft South Africa enterprise director Amr Kamel says of the power of technology: “It will always help people and organisations to adapt, re-invent and transform”. South Africa’s mining industry contributed R360-billion to the country's... →

Microsoft South Africa enterprise director Amr Kamel

UIF announces final TERS application closing dates

By: Donna Slater 15th September 2020 The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has extended the processing of new claims for April to September following consultations with social partners at the National Economic Development and Labour Council. The new closing dates are final, with the UIF stating that no further applications for that... →

Mponeng integration presenting ‘wonderful opportunities’ – Harmony Gold

By: Martin Creamer 15th September 2020 The integration of Mponeng underground gold mine and Mine Waste Solutions surface gold recovery operation into Harmony Gold was presenting “wonderful opportunities” in the West Wits area, Harmony CEO Peter Steenkamp said on Tuesday. Harmony, which will be on site at Mponeng and Mine Waste... →

Harmony Gold presentation of results covered by Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer. Video: Darlene Creamer.

Half-yearly employer reconciliations, third-party declarations to Sars due

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th September 2020 The South African Revenue Service (Sars) says the interim employer reconciliation and third-party declaration period is now open and will close on October 31. In the case of employers – large and small − a reconciliation of the first six months of declarations of employment taxes, monthly... →

Bidvest delivers solid results in tough climate

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th September 2020 JSE-listed Bidvest Group delivered a credible financial performance for the financial year ended June 30, despite the headwinds presented by an already constrained South African economy pre-Covid-19 and the pandemic’s severe impact on the final quarter of the financial year. Group revenue from... →

Platinum’s new sweeter spot elicits multiplicity of optimistic analyst views

By: Martin Creamer 14th September 2020 The new sweeter spot that platinum group metals has entered drew a multiplicity of mainly optimistic viewpoints from analysts attending the virtual PGM Industry Day. Chaired by business development manager Rand Merchant Bank Henk de Hoop, the viewpoints were provided by Standard Chartered Bank... →

Photo by Creamer Media
(From left top) Simon Kendall, Patrick Mann, Mandi Dungwa. (From left bottom) Henk de Hoop, Suki Cooper.

IDC approves R746m for Covid-19 economic relief

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th September 2020 Development finance institution, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has approved R746-million and disbursed R440.8-million as part of government’s Covid-19 economic relief measures. Following the onset of Covid-19 in South Africa, the IDC established three interventions in March. →

DMRE targeting December for initiation of fifth renewables bid window

By: Terence Creamer 14th September 2020 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has clarified that it is aiming to release bid documentation for the so-called fifth bid window (BW5) of South Africa’s renewable-energy procurement programme in December, following receipt of the regulator’s concurrence with a Ministerial... →

Astral Foods ‘cautiously satisfied’ with earnings for the year

By: Simone Liedtke 14th September 2020 Poultry producer Astral Foods has indicated that its earnings a share and headline earnings a share for the year ending September 30, are expected to be down by no more than 25% on the comparative period’s reported results. Astral CEO Chris Schutte on September 14 said Astral was “cautiously... →

BLSA’s Mavuso encourages accountability, delivery to improve business outlook

By: Simone Liedtke 14th September 2020 Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso on September 14 emphasised the importance of accountability and delivery thereafter, particularly as the country continues to work towards driving the economic recovery after the Covid-19 crisis. While encouraged by President Cyril... →

Economy to shrink by more than government's 7% forecast in 2020 – Mboweni

By: Reuters 14th September 2020 South Africa's economy will likely contract this year by more than the 7% previously forecast by the Treasury, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said in an opinion piece published on Sunday. Gross domestic product shrunk by a record 51% in the second quarter, its fourth quarterly contraction in a... →

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni

UIF delays Covid-19 TERS payments to address AGSA audit findings

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 11th September 2020 The payments for the new and outstanding applications for the Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) relief benefits has been halted while the Department of Employment and Labour and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) improve controls as urged by the Auditor General of South... →

Hydrogen, platinum fund sets up shop in South Africa with dollars to invest

By: Martin Creamer 11th September 2020 London-headquartered AP Ventures, an independent venture capital fund focussed on investing in early-stage companies that use or enable the use of platinum group metals (PGMs), has established a presence in South Africa. AP Ventures founding partner Kevin Eggers told this week’s virtual 2020 PGMs... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Top from left, Anton Berlin, Tim Schlick, Kevin Eggers. Bottom from left Benny Oeyen, Matthias Dohrn, Trevor Raymond.

Tourism sector appealing to govt to reopen borders

By: Simone Liedtke 11th September 2020 Adding its weight to the call for urgently lifting restrictions to save South Africa’s economy is the tourism sector, which was among the first and hardest hit by the lockdown measures instituted in the State of Disaster. The second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) contraction indicates the... →

Dube-Ncube to inspect Margate Airport renovations

By: Sane Dhlamini 11th September 2020 KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube will visit Margate on Saturday to inspect R10-million worth of renovations at the Margate Airport as the country observes Tourism Month. Dube-Ncube will be accompanied by KwaZulu-Natal Transport, Community... →

KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube

Opinion: Building back better on food and agriculture

11th September 2020 In this opinion piece, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) director-general QU Dongyu writes about a comprehensive response and recovery programme to overcome the impacts of Covid-19 through up-scaled and robust international collaboration. As the impacts of Covid-19 take their... →

Battery metals to boom despite widespread Covid-19 disruption

By: Donna Slater 11th September 2020 Battery metals, which are used in modern energy efficient electrical products, are playing an increasingly important role in climate change mitigation and the shift towards a lower carbon-intensive future. Battery metals, including lithium, vanadium, copper, cobalt, nickel, lead and graphite are... →

Aspen achieves strong cash flow despite tough conditions

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 10th September 2020 JSE-listed Aspen Pharmacare increased its revenue by 9% to R38.6-billion for the financial year ended June 30, while normalised earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation increased by 7% to R11-billion for the period. The higher revenue was supported by growth from Commercial... →

Balwin expects up to 60% decrease in earnings

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 10th September 2020 JSE-listed Balwin Properties’ results for the six month period ended August 31 were impacted by the unprecedented and evolving market conditions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Consolidated earnings a share and headline earnings a share for the period are, therefore, expected to... →

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Metso Outotec starts operations - partner for positive change for tomorrow’s aggregates, minerals, metals and recycling industries

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Covid-19 SA Dashboard

By: Media Hack Collective

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