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VIRUS UPHEAVAL

3rd April 2020 The spread of Covid-19 is playing havoc with global supply chains and is affecting everything from copper to foodstuffs, with some countries reporting shortages of containers. South Africa, which instituted a lockdown last week, is limiting the movement of people, but is seeking to keep products... →

RUSH HOUR

27th March 2020 Many cities around the world have swapped their normal 24/7 hustle and bustle for eerie silence as government’s impose restrictions on movement and citizens self-isolate to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Pictured here is the post-lock-down morning rush-hour traffic as experienced on the normally... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Many cities around the world have swapped their normal 24/7 hustle and bustle for eerie silence as government’s impose restrictions on movement and citizens self-isolate to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Pictured here is the post-lock-down morning rush-hour traffic as experienced on the normally busy San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco, California, in the US. Last week, six of the biggest counties in the San Francisco Bay Area ordered people to stay home except for essential needs.

BARRIER TO ENTRY:

20th March 2020 While the full economic impacts of Covid-19 are far from clear, this novel coronavirus has already exacted a major toll on the global aviation and tourism industries. In some cases, formal travel restrictions have been imposed, but in many other cases business and leisure travellers are... →

ABNORMAL LOADS

13th March 2020 The transportation of the turbine components for two of the largest wind farms currently under construction in South Africa – Perdekraal East and Kangnas – was officially completed in late February. In all, more than 1 000 abnormal loads were undertaken, with the trucks moving components with a... →

OLDEST EXCHANGE, NEWEST INTERCHANGE:

By: Martin Creamer 6th March 2020 Sibanye-Stillwater listed on Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on February 19 to the sound of the kudu horn and the singing of safety songs by mineworkers. Sibanye delivered a phenomenal return of 260% on the JSE in 2019, stated Dr Leila Fourie (centre), CEO of Africa’s oldest exchange, which is... →

SINGING BEE PRAISES:

28th February 2020 The world-renowned Ndlovu Youth Choir performed at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on February 17 to commemorate the announcement of a new black economic empowerment (BEE) scheme by AB InBev, which owns South African Breweries (SAB). The R5.4-billion SAB Zenzele Kabili transaction will be funded... →

END OF AN ERA:

21st February 2020 AngloGold Ashanti, the iconic gold mining company founded by the Oppenheimer family more than a century ago, confirmed last week that it had reached a R4.4-billion deal with Harmony Gold to sell its last remaining South African assets, including the the Mponeng mine pictured above. The... →

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

14th February 2020 Eskom’s new CEO Andre de Ruyter, pictured, has taken the unpopular decision to back a plan to shift away from the ‘keep the lights on’ strategy that has defined the operational stance at the State-owned utility for over ten years to one that prioritises so-called ‘philosophy maintenance’. From... →

TRANSITION PERIOD

7th February 2020 The UK formally left the European Union (EU) at 23:00 on Friday January 31, 2020, entering an 11-month so-called transition period. Many commentators are already warning, however, that the UK will probably need significantly longer than 11 months to strike a future trade deal with the EU. During... →

HOUSE DIVIDED:

31st January 2020 The historic impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump got under way earlier this month when Chief Justice John Roberts swore in the 100 US Senators who will oversee the trial. At the heart of the case is the allegation that Trump withheld military aid and a White House meeting to put... →

PRESIDENTIAL PRESSURE:

24th January 2020 Business Unity South Africa president Sipho Pityana (left) used the 2020 edition of the organisaiton’s Business Economic Indaba not only to reinforce business’ support for President Cyril Ramaphosa, but also to press him into accelerating business- and growth-friendly reforms. In his address,... →

GREEN HYDROGEN

17th January 2020 Danish company Orsted, which is one of the world’s biggest developers of offshore wind farms, is confident that it massive turbines could be key to the production of greener hydrogen. Currently, most hydrogen is derived from natural gas and causes greenhouse gas emissions. However, using a... →

OFF TRACK

13th December 2019 The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is warning that the world’s average temperature is headed toward a rise of between three degrees and five degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The organisation’s findings indicated the international community is well off track in honouring the... →

SIGNS OF THE TIME

6th December 2019 Be it Hong Kong, Bolivia, Chile, Iraq, Palestine or Lebanon mass, and often violent, demonstrations have become an almost daily occurrence. Each demonstration has been sparked by a particular localised issue, from the proposed extradition legislation in Hong Kong, to a hike in subway fares in... →

EYE IN THE SKY

29th November 2019 A SZ DJI Technology Phantom 4 drone (top) and a and a Mavic Pro 2 drone fly over palm oil trees at the Genting Tanah Merah Estate, operated by Genting Plantations, in Malaysia. Genting owns about 20 drones, and uses the services of other providers to monitor and map about 160 000 ha of oil palms... →

DRIVING INVESTMENT

22nd November 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa officially kickstarted construction of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (SEZ) – a R3.5-billion development alongside the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) plant, in Silverton. The SEZ will act as an automotive component supplier industrial park.... →

STRONGER TOGETHER

15th November 2019 It is obvious that South Africa’s 32-12 victory over England in the Rugby World Cup Final on November 2 will not and cannot erase South Africa’s many social and economic problems. Nevertheless, Siya Kolisi (pictured above holding aloft the Webb Ellis trophy) and his team have provided us with an... →

MISTRESS OF MULTI-TASKING

8th November 2019 Transnet Freight Rail launched the world’s longest production train, with 375 wagons, on October 24. The train carries about 24 000 t of manganese from Sishen, in the Northern Cape, to Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape, a distance of about 860 km. This 4-km-long train pictured above was driven... →

GOING FOR GAS

1st November 2019 Emerging natural gas and helium producer Renergen reports that drilling at its Virginia gas project, in the Free State, is on schedule and is making good progress. The project’s drilling contractor, Bohrmeister Technik, has completed a vertical section to a depth of 145 m and has started... →

PRIDE OF AFRICA

25th October 2019 A picture of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is displayed at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo, Norway. On October 11, Abiy was honoured for his “efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve... →

STOP, THINK

22nd October 2019 In her first major address as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva painted a downbeat picture of the world economy and said a more severe slowdown could require governments to coordinate fiscal-stimulus measures. Georgieva is pictured above pausing during a speech... →

STOP, THINK

18th October 2019 In her first major address as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva painted a downbeat picture of the world economy and said a more severe slowdown could require governments to coordinate fiscal-stimulus measures. Georgieva is pictured above pausing during a speech... →

CARBON TURNAROUND

11th October 2019 Global climate-conscious investors tat oversee $35-trillion have teamed up together under the Climate Action 100+ banner to put pressure on companies to recalibrate their businesses to the Paris climate agreement. Bloomberg reports that Climate Action 100+ has already pushed some companies,... →

NEW VANTAGE POINT

4th October 2019 A view of Sandton's business district, and beyond, from the top of The Leonardo, Africa’s tallest building, standing at 234 m. To date, some R3-billion has been invested in the 56-storey multi-use tower block, which has been developed by the Legacy Group in partnership with Nedbank Corporate and... →

BIG CARL

27th September 2019 The world's biggest crane started work earlier this month at Electricite de France’s (EDF’s) Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, in Somerset, in the UK. Named 'Big Carl' after Carl Sarens, the father of the Belgian family business Sarens that assembled the 250-m-tall crane. Able to carry 5 000... →

HIGH HOPES

20th September 2019 The 2019 Rugby World Cup kicks off in Japan today, September 20, and will conclude on November 2, hopefully with the Springboks bringing home the trophy. The final will be held at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, in Kanagawa Prefecture. Above is a high-definition satellite image of the stadium... →

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

13th September 2019 Chinese President Xi Jinping will, on October 1, deliver a major speech to mark 70 years since the official founding of the People’s Republic of China. The speech will be accompanied by a national day parade showcasing China’s advances in military technology. Bloomberg reports that the speech... →

SCRAP OVER ALLOWANCE

6th September 2019 Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, pictured above, launched the revised taxi recapitalisation programme (TRSA) last month at Elandsfontein-based scrapping company Anthus Service 84, which is owned by Anthus Service 84 (40%) and the taxi industry (60%). During the initial phase of the TRSA,... →

SHOW & TELL

30th August 2019 South American airline group Latam Airlines showcased the newest addition to its fleet – an Airbus A350 XWB – which will operate between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The airliner says the A350 XWB is about 30% quieter and emits 25% less greenhouse gases than other aircraft... →

WAITING ON THE PLATFORM

23rd August 2019 The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has set up a ‘war room’ in a bid to improve Metrorail’s notoriously unreliably and increasingly unsafe service. The war room, which is based in Johannesburg, will focus on three areas: service recovery; infrastructure availability; and the reliability of... →

UMBRELLA RESISTANCE

16th August 2019 A man holding an umbrella looks down on demonstrators participating in a financial workers' 'flash mob' protest at Chater Garden in the Central district of Hong Kong, China, earlier this month. Hong Kong finance staffers gathered in the city's central business district after work for a flash mob... →

TROUBLE SHOOTING

9th August 2019 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan speaking to Eskom Chairperson Jabu Mabuza at the State-owned utility’s results presentation at Megawatt Park last week. Mabuza, who will play the joint role of chairperson and CEO for the coming three months, confirmed that Eskom is facing extremely... →

BRIGHT SPOT

2nd August 2019 The automotive industry remains one of the few industrial-strategy bright spots, with original equipment manufacturers continuing to invest in domestic production. Last month, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa reported that it would introduce a third shift at its Silverton assembly plant, in... →

SOUNDTRACK TO OUR BETTER LIVES

26th July 2019 Johnny Clegg, who died this month at the age of 66, was one of those exceptional South Africans who was able to breakdown barriers, while simultaneously building a prototype for a new way of living as South Africans. Like President Nelson Mandela, Clegg was a sign to society that difference was... →

ONE GIANT LEAP

19th July 2019 Fifty years ago on July 20, 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the fist human beings to leave their footprints on the lunar surface, while fellow astronaut Michael Collins continued to orbit the Moon in the Apollo 11 command module. Four days earlier, on July 16,... →

WEATHER WORRIES

12th July 2019 Mumbai was hit, earlier this month, by what was described as the heaviest downpour to afflict the Indian city since 2005. The resultant flooding delayed trains and planes and spurred the city’s administrator’s to declare a holiday. The floods coincided with a heatwave in Europe, which scientists... →

COTTON ON

5th July 2019 The protectionist policies pursued by various trading partners in recent years has hurt South Africa’s cotton industry. However, as can be seen from the above photograph, taken in Limpopo earlier this month, cotton picking is still alive, if not fully well, in South Africa. However, there are... →

NET ZERO

28th June 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking to build momentum within the European Union (EU) about moving toward adopting a goal for zeroing out greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century. Under the Paris climate deal, Germany set itself the goal of reducing carbon dioxide output by 80%... →

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