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Stellenbosch University has started producing visors for healthcare workers

By: Marleny Arnoldi 7th April 2020 Stellenbosch University’s orthopaedic surgery division has started producing visors to protect healthcare workers against Covid-19, using three-dimensional (3D) printing. The 3D printing laboratory was originally built by the university in 2018 to assist surgeons in planning and rehearsing... →

Wits produces face shields for hospital staff

By: Simone Liedtke 6th April 2020 Teams at the University of Witwatersrand’s (Wits’) Digital Incubator at the Tshimologong Precinct, the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering (MIA) along with the Transnet Centre of Systems Engineering (TCSE) and the Transnet Matlafatšo Centre (TMC), have come together to... →

Seifsa highlights health and safety through yearly awards ceremony

By: Donna Slater 6th April 2020 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) is awarding companies that invested in protecting the lives of their employees, through the sixth edition of the yearly Seifsa Awards for Excellence to be held in Gauteng on May 28. “Employees are, without a doubt, the... →

Technology, software quality assurance provides business value, supports innovation

By: Schalk Burger 6th April 2020 Companies in Africa have recognised the value and importance of quality assurance processes for technology and software, as it underpins business growth, end-user satisfaction, cost control and security, quality assurance and software testing company Africonology CEO Mandla Mbonambi said in a... →

Local ventilator production could start within a month, says Naacam

By: Irma Venter 3rd April 2020 Much of the reverse engineering on the Penlon Nuffield 200 ventilator is complete, with prototype production imminent, says National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers executive director Renai Moothilal. “If things go according to plan, full-scale volume production can... →

The Penlon Nuffield 200

UJ Makerspace 3D printing face shields for hospital staff

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ’s) three-dimensional (3D) innovation laboratory Makerspace has been mobilised to help in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 by producing face shields to be used by frontline hospital staff as cases of the virus continue to rise in South Africa, and... →

The face shields made by UJ Makerspace laboratory

South African school group develops, 3D prints face shields to protect healthcare workers

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 JSE-listed independent education provider Curro Holdings is assisting several healthcare organisations around the country by offering the services of its three-dimensional printers, as well as its staff, to aid in the printing of protective face shields for medical workers currently fighting... →

Altron seeks unbundling, London listing for subsidiary Bytes UK

By: Natasha Odendaal 2nd April 2020 JSE-listed Allied Electronics (Altron) is pursuing a potential unbundling and separate listing of its UK subsidiary, Bytes Technology Group. Following a strategic review, Altron is mulling a listing and potential share offering of Bytes UK on the London Stock Exchange, with a secondary listing on... →

Airbus manufactures protective equipment for Spanish healthcare workers

By: Rebecca Campbell 2nd April 2020 Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus reported on April 1 that most of its facilities in Spain were cooperating in the production of visor frames, for use in personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare personnel fighting the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The frames are being... →

Business activity in manufacturing picks up slightly in March

By: Marleny Arnoldi 1st April 2020 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has welcomed the latest Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) outcome, which reflects an increase in overall business activity in the broader manufacturing sector for March. The composite PMI data for March shows that... →

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Seifsa economist Marique Kruger

Self-sanitising coatings may help curb the spread of Covid-19 in hospitals

By: Donna Slater 1st April 2020 An innovative antimicrobial coating innovation developed locally by the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) researcher and inventor Michael Lucas, could provide a supplementary sanitising solution to help control the spread of the novel coronavirus in hospitals and other medical facilities. The... →

Michael Lucas

Clothing, textile industry in project to produce face masks locally

By: Irma Venter 31st March 2020 A project is underway to produce a homegrown mask for use by all South Africans, close to the standard of the FFP2 and N95 facemasks. FF2 and N95 masks are medical standard masks, often provided to hospital staff working on the frontline of infection control. They offer between 94% and 95%... →

Standard Chartered commits $1bn to companies at forefront of fighting Covid-19

By: Donna Slater 31st March 2020 International banking group Standard Chartered will commit $1-billion in financing for companies that provide goods and services to help in the fight against Covid-19, and those planning the switch into making products that are in high demand to fight the worldwide pandemic, the bank announced on... →

Factory of the Year competition postponed

By: Marleny Arnoldi 31st March 2020 The Factory of the Year competition that culminates in an awards ceremony held at the Manufacturing Indaba every year has been postponed. Event organisers nationwide have, for the last month, had to postpone or cancel events to reduce the risk of further Covid-19 infections. →

Nampak expects Covid-19 to further hinder already burdened economies

By: Simone Liedtke 30th March 2020 As economies shift their focus towards containing the spread of and the eradication of the Covid-19 virus, packaging products manufacturer Nampak on March 30 lamented that the pandemic was expected to further hinder an already burdened economy, and that it would put further pressure on consumers’... →

No impact of Covid-19 on Illovo, other ethanol alcohol producers

By: Donna Slater 30th March 2020 While sugar and related products manufacturer Illovo Sugar South Africa (Illovo SA) reports no impact on production as a result of measures implemented to contain the spread of Covid-19, it also reaffirms its commitment to refocus the business towards meeting the growing demand for alcohol used... →

Department publishes guidelines for Debt Relief Finance Scheme, Business Growth Facility

By: Simone Liedtke 30th March 2020 The Department of Small Business Development has published, on its websites, the Guidelines for Application for the Debt Relief Finance Scheme and Business Growth/Resilience Facility. The online application form will be available from April 2; however, only small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs)... →

Solidarity Fund sets aside R100m to procure protective equipment for frontline health workers

By: Terence Creamer 30th March 2020 The Solidarity Fund announced on March 30 that it would be using a portion of the R500-million raised during its first week of operations to facilitate the emergency procurement of the personal protective equipment – including five-million face masks – that was urgently required by public and... →

Seifsa encourages re-industrialisation, development of artisans

By: Donna Slater 30th March 2020 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) says that while South Africa remains a dual economy with one of the highest levels of inequality in the world, part of addressing the unemployment challenge can be tackled through re-industrialisation of its economy.... →

Nel Hydrogen’s Wallingford plant resumes operations

By: Simone Liedtke 30th March 2020 Hydrogen company Nel Hydrogen US has been defined as “essential manufacturing business” by the Connecticut state and the plant in Wallingford has, therefore, been allowed to resume operations amid the outbreak of Covid-19. However, revenues and operations will still be negatively impacted by... →

Exports can support greater local automotive development

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 Local economic headwinds may potentially be offset by increasing exports under the African Continental Free Trade Area, says industry body National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) CEO Mike Mabasa. The South African automotive industry currently exports to 155... →

Photo by Donna Slater
QUALITY WORK Ensuring that buyers gain sufficient value and quality of components and services from the value chain drive demand and local manufacturing

Export competitiveness will boost local component manufacturers

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 Replacing imports with locally manufactured components and materials can sustainably improve local supplier development. This is possible if quality standards remain within global benchmarks and if manufacturers can produce sufficient volumes to ensure their costs are competitive for the... →

ARTHUR MTOMBENI collaboration among stakeholders in the automotive value chains and original equipment manufacturers in countries will allow for the creation of a strategic supply base

Automotive industry transformation focused on future of mobility

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 Automotive industry transformation initiatives, as captured in the Automotive Masterplan 2035, are aimed at radically transforming the industry to meet the future demands of human mobility, in addition to sustaining and growing the industry’s economic outputs and associated socioeconomic... →

MIKE MABASA There is significant scope for cooperation on skills development, value-chain transformation and supplier development to ensure the sustainability of the automotive industry

Tyre manufacturer building retail markets to secure growth

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 With export and original equipment demand in the automotive industry in Africa growing year on year, it is critical for companies to expand their reach into high-growth markets in Africa to secure long-term growth, says Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (Sumitomo Dunlop) CEO and National Association... →

NEW TYRES The performance standards, wear characteristics and manufacturing requirements of tyres used on electric vehicles are different to those used on internal combustion engine vehicles

Policy certainty to support automotive manufacturing growth

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 The broad support for the Automotive Masterplan 2035 by companies across the value chain and the certainty that it creates supports local vehicle-manufacturing growth and, consequently, for the automotive components industry to increase supply, says Sumitomo Rubber South Africa (Sumitomo Dunlop)... →

PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY Sumitomo Dunlop has grown its local tyre production and capacity on the certainty created by original equipment manufacturers’ plans

SA automotive manufacturing long-term planning, growth supported by policy

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) has been part of the fabric of the South African automotive manufacturing landscape for over 40 years. In that time the sector has evolved from a highly protected, inward-focused production base that exclusively... →

Distributor’s experience makes for sweeter projects supply

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 With more than 60 years of servicing the sugar industry, power transmission products distributor Bearings International (BI) has gained meaningful expertise, which enables the company to continue being a “dependable supplier” in the industry. →

SWEET RIDE Bearings International supplies the complete drive chain – from the feeder tables where the sugar cane arrives from the farm to the pack house where the product gets distributed

Equipment design vital for sugar industry

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 A critical aspect of servicing the sugar industry is equipment design, says integrated engineering technology and project management company Bosch Projects sugar sector director Steve Rosettenstein. →

DIVERSE OFFERING For the sugar industry, Bosch Projects provides front-end cane offloading, cane preparation, juice extraction, sugar processing, sugar drying and refining equipment

Components provider extends offering for sugar industry

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 Engineering components provider BMG has extended its range of power transmission components to include its recently upgraded Fenagrid Premium range. →

SOAKING UP BMG’s new Fenagrid Premium taper grid steel flexible couplings absorb considerable torque overloads, achieving smoother running, with consequent reduction of wear and tear on machinery

Mill equipment advances essential for industry

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 With the local sugar industry being more than 150 years old, advances in equipment critical to the milling process add “immense value”, as they improve the operational efficiency potential of the sugar mills, says industrial equipment supplier Verder Pumps MD Darryl Macdougall. →

ALLEVIATING THE DEFECTS Sucrose losses can be significantly reduced – if not mitigated altogether – if the correct advanced and integrated pumping solution is used

Company transforming amid difficulties

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 JSE-listed sugar producer Tongaat Hulett is striving to reconstruct its business to be innovative, resilient and cost effective. →

TRANSFORMATION IN SIGHT The three main shareholders in Uzinzo hold 65%

Call for polymer, plastics industries to be declared essential as lockdown looms

By: Donna Slater 25th March 2020 South African plastics industry representative organisation Plastics SA has called on government to reclassify some sectors within the broader plastics industry as essential service providers owing to its contribution to packaging essential items during the upcoming 21-day national lockdown.... →

Sappi declares force majeure on its Vulindlela project at Saiccor mill

By: Simone Liedtke 25th March 2020 JSE-listed paper and packaging company Sappi has declared force majeure on the Vulindlela dissolving pulp expansion and upgrade project at its Saiccor Mill in alignment with the government’s declaration of a nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19. Sappi on March 25 said the project... →

SA manufacturing sector has small window to safeguard itself against Covid-19

By: African News Agency 25th March 2020 While the containment of the coronavirus (Covid-19) remains the biggest priority of governments and health organisations, its effects on businesses are starting to take their toll, a South African based management consulting firm says. Principal at Kearney, Sujeet Morar, says as cities start to... →

Ministers announce Covid-19 business support measures

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th March 2020 Amid government’s strategy to “flatten the curve” of Coronavirus infections, government departments have shared more details on the measures that would be implemented to support businesses during the national declared lockdown time and afterwards. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize delivered an... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel

Clothing industry reaches agreement to safeguard industry, workers

By: Donna Slater 24th March 2020 South Africa's first Covid-19 lockdown national collective agreement for the clothing and textiles industry was expedited and ratified by the end of March 23. The agreement was formulated by the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry in South Africa. →

Mpact postpones dividend payment amid Covid-19 national lockdown uncertainties

By: Donna Slater 24th March 2020 Plastics, paper and packaging manufacturer Mpact is postponing its payment of its cash dividends for the 2019 financial year by five months, in light of uncertainties brought about by the national 21-day lockdown. This is expected to help preserve the company’s financial liquidity. →

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