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Ballistic firearms ‘fingerprinting’ futile, wasteful – SA Hunters

By: Donna Slater 8th December 2017 Recent proposals by the South African Police Service (Saps) to establish a national “ballistic fingerprint” database of legally owned firearms in South Africa and for this database to be used as a forensic tool in criminal investigations is a largely futile and wasteful exercise in Saps’... →

Omnia files contempt of court case at Foskor over contentious phosphoric acid pricing

By: Donna Slater 8th December 2017 Diversified chemicals producer Omnia has filed a contempt of court case against phosphates and phosphoric acid producer Foskor over the alleged breaching of a court order by the Competition Tribunal →

Focus on environmental services boosts project sustainability

By: Simone Liedtke 1st December 2017 Applying focused environmental services at every phase of any project ensures that opportunities to incorporate social and environmental aspects into the engineering design are flagged, which boosts the overall sustainability of the project, explains consulting engineering and project... →

SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS Sustainability requires the optimisation of environmental, social and economic outcomes

General public taking heed of environmental law

By: Simone Liedtke 1st December 2017 The general public is becoming more familiar with the tools that are available under the Constitution and environmental law to protect what is perceived as the unacceptable environmental or social impacts of businesses, says law firm Norton Rose Fulbright environment lawyer Matthew Thornton-Dibb. →

MATURED LEGISLATION South Africa’s environment regulatory system has matured since the publication of the National Environmental Management Act

Large companies driving increase in land contamination assessments

By: Simone Liedtke 1st December 2017 With there being an increase in land-contamination assessments among large companies owing to recently promulgated environmental legislation, sustainability services and consultancy Environmental Resources Management (ERM) partner Steve McKeown says this will hold companies accountable for the... →

STEVE MCKEOWN Companies that have a global footprint are more committed to assessing their impact on the environment

Emotional awareness can improve productivity

By: Marleny Arnoldi 17th November 2017 The pressure of operating in a global economy necessitates that South Africa aim for perfection in construction projects undertaken, which brings with it a host of challenges, says corporate training consultancy Hidden Dimensions CEO and on-site psychologist Charissa Bloomberg. →

CHARISSA BLOOMBERG With all the problems that the construction industry faces, a site psychologist can play a supportive role in training, coaching and mentoring, as well as putting the right teams together

Continued volatility impacts on energy and chemicals company

27th October 2017 Continued volatility in the macroeconomic environment, particularly the stronger rand and low oil price, has adversely impacted energy and chemicals company Sasol’s financial performance, says Sasol CFO Paul Victor. →

Photo by Bloomberg
RECORD PRODUCTION Sasol showed great resilience and character through delivering record production volumes at Secunda Synfuels

Businesses must take action to drive inclusive growth in Africa

By: Robyn Wilkinson 20th October 2017 There is a need for a new social narrative that balances generating profits with building social capital to drive inclusive economic growth in Africa, says management consultant IQbusiness CEO Adam Craker. →

ADAM CRAKER South Africa must focus on building a strong home economy if it is to be a participant in regional or continental growth

Clarifying sustainability reporting imperative for modern business

By: Robyn Wilkinson 20th October 2017 A clear and shared sustainability reporting framework is integral for enabling companies to demonstrate a positive impact on not only the economies but also the societies and environments in which they operate, says independent international organisation Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) CE Tim... →

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DRIVING GROWTH GRI is assisting SMEs in Africa to gain access to global value chains by building their capacities for corporate sustainability management and reporting

Chamber helps Italian companies prosper in S Africa

By: Robyn Wilkinson 13th October 2017 Networking events and exhibitions are integral to fostering partnerships between Italian and South African companies, says Italian-South African Chamber of Trade and Industries secretary general Mariagrazia Biancospino. →

Open immigration regime central to S Africa’s growth

By: Robyn Wilkinson 13th October 2017 Countries seeking to promote economic growth and job creation tend to adopt policies that create flexible and open immigration regimes, contrasting with South Africa’s adoption of restrictive immigration laws, which when coupled with bureaucratic inefficiency creates a barrier to the entry of... →

GARY EISENBERG South Africa’s foreign policy should never lose sight of the historical benefits that have streamed into South Africa from Italy

Construction management council establishes transformation committee

By: Donna Slater 13th October 2017 The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) has set up a committee to further its transformation goals and a hotline to encourage the public to report any misconduct pertaining to the council’s scope of influence following reports of malpractice,... →

Tjiamogale Manchidi Demographic representativeness in the project and construction management professions is crucial

WWF, AfDB partner on Africa Nationally Determined Contributions Hub

By: Mia Breytenbach 13th October 2017 Conservation organisation the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have collaborated to advance the work of the Africa Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Hub in addressing the impacts of climate change on the continent. The AfDB Climate Change and Green... →

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FOCUS AREA The Africa Nationally Determined Contributions Hub focuses on fostering of long-term climate action

Insurance plays vital role in construction project success

By: Simone Liedtke 13th October 2017 Owing to insurance playing a vital role in the ultimate success of a construction project, insurance provider Risk Benefit Solutions (RBS) says contractors and engineers need to ensure that a contract includes the contractor all risk policy, which includes cover against damage and any liabilities... →

GEORGE DAVIS Every construction project is unique and has its own set of risks

Small businesses remain optimistic, despite volatility and uncertainties

By: Mia Breytenbach 29th September 2017 Despite economic volatility, South African small business owners remain optimistic and are actively pursuing growth, according to research from cloud based accounting software company Xero. The research report, titled ‘State of South African Small Businesses’ surveys the challenges facing the... →

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HELPING HAND Some small business owners want the government to provide more funding and some believe government should grant tax breaks for their business

Legal framework offers model for enhancing transboundary infrastructure investment

By: Mia Breytenbach 22nd September 2017 The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca) has unveiled the Model Law that provides a framework for the harmonisation of cross-border rules, regulations, laws and policies governing transboundary infrastructure projects in Africa. The Model Law was unveiled at the yearly Nigerian... →

Photo by Duane Daws
PAVING THE WAY The Model Law may aid in additional efficiency, transparency and accountability with regard to public and private sector engagement in transboundary infrastructure

Servest acquires stake in ICT services company

By: Mia Breytenbach 1st September 2017 International facilities management provider Servest has partnered with investment company Bottega InvestCo in the acquisition of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) services company Getronics. The transaction, which is supported by specialist banking and asset management... →

Photo by Duane Daws
ENABLING TRANSACTION The transaction, will enable Servest to provide a seamless facility management and mobile technology offering for its growing client base

Specialist still major contributor to industry

25th August 2017 Having been a major contributor to uplifting the quality and safety standards of fire protection equipment for over 25 years, fire protection specialist Centa Group has a thorough understanding of the science of fire and is equipped with the knowledge pertaining to fire protection equipment legal... →

SOLUTION OFFERING Solutions are custom designed to suit specific environments and include design layout, installation and maintenance

Manufacturers on receiving end of weak economy

18th August 2017 Manufacturers in South Africa are on the receiving end of the weak economy as there is little room to pass on cost increases, says Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) economist Marique Kruger. →

STEEL MANUFACTURING Steel manufacturers face the most damage from the weak economy

Merger completed in thermal application sector

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 11th August 2017 Export-oriented engineering company Loesche Group has completed the merger of its combustion systems and drying systems businesses into one central location. Completed in April, the group has built a team of specialists to manage the merger accordingly, as all technical details, drawings,... →

BRINGING THE HEAT The new subsidiary will allow for consultation on and engineering of thermal application systems to client requirements

City published harbour bylaw for public comment

4th August 2017 The City of Cape Town has made its draft Harbour bylaw available for public comment, proposing to reverse the long-running systematic mismanagement of the city’s harbours under the national departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), and Public Works (DPW). →

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HARBOURING PROBLEMS Neglected and mismanaged harbours have a negative impact on the workers and communities who depend on the harbours for their livelihood

New maritime transport policy to facilitate sector growth

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th August 2017 The Department of Transport finalised its Comprehensive Maritime Transport Policy (CMTP) for South Africa in June. →

CRUISING CONCEPT Private sector participation opportunities arose at the Durban cruise terminal for MSC Cruises’ subsidiary KwaZulu Cruise Terminals

Company to hold short courses and workshops this year

By: Simone Liedtke 28th July 2017 Environment solutions company I-CAT plans to hold a range of external, environment-oriented short courses and workshops at its Pretoria-based training facility by the last quarter of this year, as a means to keep the industry updated on legislation changes and the responsibility of industry players. →

Photo by Duane Daws
LOURENS JANSEN VAN RENSBURG I-CAT uses highly qualified and experienced facilitators to provide competency-based specialised training programmes

New platform launched to help companies manage risks and continuity plans

By: Schalk Burger 28th July 2017 Corporate governance risk and compliance software firm Cura South Africa has launched a risk-management software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, which provides a subscription-based system for companies to manage their business risks and continuity plans according to international standards. The... →

ALEX ROBERTS The SaaS portal provides an easy-to-use visual interface for risk officers to manage the risks that they oversee

Compliance reimagining favours comic strip style

21st July 2017 As the compliance requirements in major projects can cause “a big rabbit hole” of complicated and congested information, a reimagining of the way things are done should be pursued, suggests global consulting engineering experts Aurecon major projects global director John Callaghan. He uses the... →

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COMIC RELIEF Compliance requirements for major projects often become unnecessarily complicated and congested, and should be reimagined into a comic strip format

Partnership formed to offer after-sales support for burgeoning drones industry

By: Donna Slater 14th July 2017 To meet the needs of the rapidly expanding drones market, a new retail and aftersales support, repair and training network has been established through a partnership between technology support company weFix and drone training service provider Drone Racing Africa (DRA). →

SCALING INDUSTRY A partnership between weFix and Drone Racing Africa aims to increase legal operations and improve after sales support

New construction contracts aim to reduce uncertainty

By: Robyn Wilkinson 30th June 2017 The new contract documents under development by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) that aim to reduce uncertainty for construction contractors and employers should not become overly complex and difficult to implement, says specialist commercial consulting firm MDA... →

R&D incentives pivotal for sector growth

By: Nica Schreuder 23rd June 2017 The direct correlation between successful economies and their investment into research and development (R&D), is the reason consultancy firm Cova Advisory joint MD Duane Newman says it is important that local manufacturing sector and government continue to engage in the R&D incentives made... →

Photo by Paulo Jorge Photograpy
DUANE NEWMAN Cova Advisory joint managing director and co-founder is a respected sustainability strategy and business consultant, with an expertise in grants, incentives and tax in the green economy

S Africa’s attractiveness to investors dependent on economic recovery

By: Nadine James 23rd June 2017 South Africa’s attractiveness to foreign investors in the future will depend a great deal on how it recovers from its latest economic knocks and political and policy developments, warns the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAGCCI). SAGCCI CEO Matthias Boddenberg explains... →

RESOLUTE RELATIONSHIP German businesses have deep roots in South Africa and are unlikely to pull out any time soon

Indaba critical for policy engagement

By: Nica Schreuder 23rd June 2017 With the policy environment changing as a result of global and local competition, consulting firm Cova Advisory believes that this year’s Manufacturing Indaba can play a significant role to assist industry in staying abreast of the changes. Cova Advisory has been a sponsor of the Manufacturing... →

Cova Advisory joint MD Duane Newman discuss why the Manufacturing Indaba is important for the manufacturing industry. Video Cameraperson: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Lionel da Silva

Company aims for positive impact on environment

By: Simone Liedtke 16th June 2017 Environmental management company I-CAT Environmental Solutions aims to deliver a product and service offering that impacts the environment favourably when compared with traditionally used products. →

IRP draft hinders cogeneration opportunities

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 9th June 2017 An unintended consequence of the recently published draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for energy is that because it excludes cogeneration as a viable technology, cogenerators will be unable to participate in the energy market without Ministerial consent, says Paper Manufacturers Association of... →

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OVERLOOKED ENTITY The impact of the DoE IRP draft excludeing cogeneration as a viable, green technology raises concerns forpulp and paper industry

FNB launches latest solution in nav» app series

By: Natasha Odendaal 7th June 2017 Banking giant FNB on Wednesday unveiled the latest addition to its mobile banking application, the nav» Car, developed in conjunction with WesBank, in the next chapter of the group’s ambition of building a seamless digital banking ecosystem aimed at making things easier for the customer.... →

On track for Africa Rail

By: Marleny Arnoldi 2nd June 2017 This month, business-to-business media company Terrapinn will host the twentieth annual Africa Rail exhibition and conference at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Gauteng, from June 13 to 14. Africa Rail provides an interactive platform for rail industry stakeholders to share... →

INCLUSIVE GROWTH Africa Rail provides an interactive platform for rail industry stakeholders with the view to improve railway performance and its contribution to economic development

Finance Minister Gigaba continues to oppose Denel Asia deal

By: Keith Campbell 26th May 2017 The National Treasury on Friday reaffirmed, in a press release, that Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba continues to oppose the proposed joint venture between the State-owned Denel defence industrial group and VR Laser Asia, intended to create a company called Denel Asia. The press release was issued... →

Eskom Academy trains over 500 contractors

19th May 2017 Over the last three years, State-owned power utility Eskom’s enterprise development programme, the Contractor Academy, trained 518 contractors from all nine provinces, with the youth accounting for about 60% of participants. The programme started as a pilot programme in 2008 and has since grown... →

Photo by Duane Daws
ESKOM CONTRACTOR ACADEMY The academy trained 518 contractors from all nine provinces

Atomic agency looks to increase assistance to nuclear hopefuls

12th May 2017 Nuclear energy organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Russian State-owned atomic corporation Rosatom have reached an agreement that is aimed at strengthening IAEA assistance to member States that are considering introducing or expanding nuclear power programmes. Under... →

Photo by Duane Daws
NUCLEAR AMBITIONS Ghana may soon erect a nuclear power station, making it the second African country to do so

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