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State Companies News

SA weighs market opportunities as utility-scale battery storage prospects improve

By: Mia Breytenbach 13th October 2017 Following the release of an energy storage techno-economic study ‘The South Africa Energy Storage Technology and Market Assessment’, advocating that South Africa requires market preparation to take advantage of growth opportunities in the stationary and mobility value chains of energy storage,... →

Eskom’s credibility, sustainability challenges

12th October 2017 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the leadership, credibility and sustainability challenges facing State-owned Eskom. →

Eskom’s credibility, sustainability challenges

R20bn Swazi Rail Link being prepared for presentation to investors before year-end

By: Terence Creamer 12th October 2017 An expression of interest (EoI) for the R20-billion crossborder Swazi Rail Link infrastructure project between South Africa and Swaziland will be released to potential investors before the end of 2017, South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Swaziland Rail confirmed on Thursday. The 150 km... →

Swaziland Rail CEO Stephenson Ngubane and TFR CEO Ravi Nair

R20bn Swazi Rail Link being prepared for presentation to investors before year-end. Video and video editing: Darlene Creamer 12.10.2017

Even Stats SA could fall to State capture – Gordhan, Jonas

By: News24Wire 12th October 2017 Statistics South Africa is not immune to the State capture project, former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his former deputy Mcebisi Jonas said on Thursday. The warning comes as Statistician-General Pali Lehohla is set to step down in October, after 17 years in charge of Stats SA. →

Eskom facing threats on multiple fronts, Maritz acknowledges

By: Terence Creamer 12th October 2017 Eskom’s newest interim group CEO Sean Maritz has acknowledged that the utility is facing threats on multiple fronts in light of rapid changes to the global electricity landscape and the constrained outlook for domestic electricity sales. However, in a statement calling for “space and time to... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Eskom interim group CEO Sean Maritz

Testimony in Parly probe into Eskom / Gupta links to start next week

By: African News Agency 11th October 2017 The list of names of witnesses to be called to testify at a parliamentary inquiry into state capture at South Africa’s sole power utility, Eskom, has been finalised and the probe officially kicks off on October 17, a statement from the national legislature said on Wednesday. “The Portfolio... →

CSIR seeking to develop new methods to improve local infrastructure production

By: Keith Campbell 11th October 2017 The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) continues to research innovations and initiatives to transform the local construction industry. This was reported by CSIR principal researcher Llewellyn van Wyk at the recent sixth CSIR Conference in Pretoria. He noted that the country has... →

Transnet locomotive corruption probe extended as Parliament gears up for inquiry

By: Terence Creamer 9th October 2017 Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry Dean Macpherson is preparing a list of witnesses to appear before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Trade and Industry inquiry into the failure of China South Rail (CSR) to meet local-content obligations as part of its supply of... →

SAA, unions ink wage agreement

By: Natasha Odendaal 6th October 2017 National airliner South African Airways (SAA) and trade unions Uasa and the National Union of Metalworkers South Africa have signed the revised wage agreement for workers at maintenance arm SAA Technical (SAAT). The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu), which had also signed... →

Minister offers snapshot of renewables generation

By: Terence Creamer 6th October 2017 Energy Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi reports that, as at the end of July, the combined installed generation capacity of renewable-energy independent power producers (IPPs) stood at more than 3 200 MW across 58 sites. In a reply to a Parliamentary question posed by Economic Freedom Fighters MP... →

Eskom unveils Maritz as latest interim CEO, Dladla returns to Rotek

By: Terence Creamer 6th October 2017 The board at embattled State-owned electricity utility Eskom announced on Friday that Sean Maritz had been appointed interim CEO, replacing Johnny Dladla, who himself only took up the position in June, when the previous acting CEO, Matshela Koko, was placed on leave. In a statement headlined,... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Sean Maritz

Sarb denies instructing banks on KPGM

By: African News Agency 6th October 2017 The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) has denied that it told the country’s big four banks that they cannot fire KPMG, stating categorically on Friday that it had not instructed banks on what steps they should or should not take with regards to their contracts with the embattled auditing firm.... →

Exhibition marks firm’s international re-entry

By: Simone Liedtke 6th October 2017 Protective workwear manufacturer Sweet-Orr is set to exhibit at this year’s A+A Trade Show exhibition – which is an important trade forum for safety, security and health at work – from October 17 to 20 in Dusseldorf, Germany. →

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Sweet Orr benchmarks its continuous improvement process in order to maintain national and international quality standards

South Africa continues on path of deindustrialisation

By: Natasha Odendaal 5th October 2017 With some exceptions, South Africa’s industrial policy is not working, leaving the nation to continue down its current path of deindustrialisation, says Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) industrial development deputy director-general Garth Strachan. Addressing delegates at the sixth... →

Department of Trade and Industry industrial development deputy director-general Garth Strachan

Brown has received report from Eskom on Trillian

By: African News Agency 4th October 2017 Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown on Wednesday told MPs she had received a report from Eskom about its dealings with Trillian and McKinsey which she demanded after it emerged that the power utility had lied to Parliament, but made plain that she will not act against the leadership of... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Public Enterprises Minster Lynne Brown

Portfolio committee accepts terms for inquiry into Transnet’s R50bn locomotive deal

By: Sashnee Moodley 4th October 2017 Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry has accepted the terms of reference for its inquiry into State-owned enterprise Transnet’s R50-billion locomotive contract. Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow Trade and Industry Minister Dean Macpherson said on Wednesday that the inquiry needed... →

Photo by Duane Daws
DA shadow Trade & Industry Minister Dean Macpherson

Parliament looks into legality of bailout to SAA

By: African News Agency 4th October 2017 Parliament’s standing committee on finance on Tuesday asked for advice on the legality of National Treasury’s R3 billion bailout to South African Airways (SAA) after the opposition submitted a letter claiming it was in breach of public finance rules. Alf Lees, the deputy finance spokesman for the... →

Strike looms at South African Airways

By: African News Agency 4th October 2017 South African Airways (SAA) warned on Tuesday, that its operations may be disrupted after one of the labour unions served the embattled airline with a notice of intention to embark on industrial action at its aircraft maintenance unit. This comes after the airline’s maintenance subsidiary, SAA... →

Govt bailouts won’t help SAA, says former finance minister Trevor Manuel

By: African News Agency 3rd October 2017 Former South African finance minister, Trevor Manuel, said on Tuesday that government bailouts would not help the country’s state-owned airline to escape its troubles, insisting that South African Airlines (SAA) needed to get serious about its corporate governance. This comes after the South... →

Good corporate governance integral to mitigating risk – Manuel

By: Ilan Solomons 3rd October 2017 The current lack of good corporate governance is negatively impacting on many of South Africa’s State-owned enterprises, according to former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, who believes that working corporate governance could successfully mitigate risk. Delivering the keynote address at the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel

Electricity industry approaching ‘breaking point’, City Power warns

By: Terence Creamer 3rd October 2017 Johannesburg’s electricity utility City Power is warning that the current structure of South Africa’s electricity sector is unsustainable and that, in the absence of a coherent national policy, the sector is approaching “breaking point”. Demand- and supply-side manager Paul Vermeulen says that... →

Decline in insured construction activity to continue – Bryte

By: Mia Breytenbach 3rd October 2017 Insured construction activity contracted by 15% year-on-year in the second quarter. Southern African proactive business risk specialist Bryte Insurance (formerly known as Zurich Insurance) this week released its Construction Activity Monitor for the three months to June 30. →

South African space sector needs more support but has to market itself better

By: Keith Campbell 29th September 2017 South Africa's space sector has been hobbled by lack of adequate support from the South African government. This was made clear during a panel discussion on space technology at the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Conference 2017 in Pretoria on Friday. "Most space programmes, worldwide, have been... →

Delayed hearing into wind body’s Eskom complaint moves ahead

By: Terence Creamer 29th September 2017 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) hosted a closed hearing on Friday as part of its investigation of a complaint by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) against Eskom. SAWEA, which lodged the grievance in October 2016, alleges that the State-owned utility’s refusal... →

Eskom CFO Anoj Singh officially suspended

By: News24Wire 29th September 2017 Eskom has suspended Anoj Singh, chief financial officer, pending a disciplinary hearing, the power utility said in a statement on Friday. Singh was placed on special leave at the end of July by Eskom's board of directors until an investigation into his conduct had been concluded. His exit... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Eskom CFO Anoj Singh

Govt uses National Revenue Fund to bail out SAA

By: African News Agency 29th September 2017 The South African government on Friday approved the transfer of funds from the National Revenue Fund (NRF) to troubled national carrier South African Airways (SAA) to allow the airline to meet its debt obligations to Citibank and avoid a default. SAA has to meet its repayment obligations on a... →

Airports Company achieves its best-ever profits

By: Keith Campbell 29th September 2017 Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) achieved a profit of R2-billion for the 2016/2017 financial year (FY), it announced recently, up from R1.9-billion for the FY 2015/2016. “This is probably the best set of results we’ve presented in the history of the company,” affirmed CEO Bongani Maseko at... →

Radical? Really?

By: Keith Campbell 29th September 2017 Roughly in the middle of this month (September), speaking on the sidelines of the Annual General Meeting of his luxury goods businesses holding company, Switzerland-based Compagnie Financière Richemont, in Geneva, businessman Johann Rupert, generally regarded as South Africa’s richest man, said... →

Unreasonable electricity price curve contributing to weak business climate – EIUG

By: Terence Creamer 28th September 2017 The Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa (EIUG) has called for urgent intervention to halt what it describes as the current “downward spiral” of a shrinking electricity sales base and increasing and unaffordable electricity tariffs. The EIUG represents 32 mostly mining and industrial... →

Dr Tsakani Mthombeni

BLSA suspends 'corrupt' Eskom and Transnet

By: News24Wire 28th September 2017 Business Leadership South Africa on Thursday booted out State-owned entities Eskom and Transnet for their involvement in corruption and State capture with immediate effect. The announcement comes as BLSA launched its #BusinessBelieves campaign in Cape Town, where it signed a “contract” with South... →

Photo by Duane Daws
BLSA CEO Bonang Mohale

Busa backs Cosatu’s anti-corruption, anti-State capture stance

By: Natasha Odendaal 26th September 2017 Business Unity South Africa (Busa) on Tuesday backed the Congress of South African Trade Union’s (Cosatu’s) calls against State capture and corruption; but distanced itself from the protest action due to be held on Wednesday. Cosatu and its members plan to embark on a legal national strike to... →

Gordhan: KPMG SA was a 'willing partner in State capture'

By: News24Wire 26th September 2017 Auditing firm KPMG SA was a “willing participant in State capture” and its leadership hasn't fully grasped the magnitude of what they were involved in, according to former finance minister Pravin Gordhan. He was in conversation with radio host Eusebius McKaiser on CapeTalk on Tuesday morning. →

Photo by Reuters
Former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan

Myeni approached PIC for R6bn for SAA – reports

By: African News Agency 25th September 2017 Controversial South African Airways (SAA) board chairwoman Dudu Myeni appears to be involved in the “planned raid on pensioners’ money” to prop up SAA and other bankrupt state-owned enterprises (SoEs), the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday. The DA had noted the media report that Dudu Myeni had... →

Photo by Duane Daws
The face of SAA's failure: chairperson Dudu Myeni seeks R6-billion to prop up the failing State-owned enterprise

Gigaba denies Treasury looking at PIC to bail out struggling SOEs

By: African News Agency 25th September 2017 Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba on Monday, rubbished claims that he would use funds from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) to bail out South Africa’s failing state-owned enterprises. Responding to reports last week that Treasury was looking to tap into the PIC, which manages public service... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba

South African nuclear achievement crowned by US award

By: Keith Campbell 22nd September 2017 South African company NTP Radioisotopes (NTP), a subsidiary of the State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, has been presented with an Award for Outstanding Achievement by the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency of the US Department of Energy (DoE), the two... →

Photo by Necsa
NTP Group Executive for Operations Gavin Ball

Gigaba says SAA's Myeni's contract is legal

By: News24Wire 22nd September 2017 Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has told parliament’s standing committee on finance that South African Airways (SAA) chairperson Dudu Myeni’s extended contract is legal. This after the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) said her extended tenure in September was illegal according... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba

Toxic environment to galvanise opposition as Eskom seeks 19.9% hike

22nd September 2017 Creamer Media’s Samantha Herbst talks to Engineering News editor Terence Creamer about what can be expected from Eskom’s application for a 19.9% tariff hike. →

A look into Eskom’s double-digit tariff hike application

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