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SAA vows to re-accommodate passengers as it cancels flights to save cash

By: News24Wire 21st January 2020 South African Airways confirmed on Tuesday that it was in the process of cancelling and consolidating selected local and international flights, in part to save cash. It has vowed to re-accommodate local and international fliers. In a statement the debt-laden national carrier said the decision... →

SAA confirms sudden flight cancellations

By: Rebecca Campbell 21st January 2020 Following media reports that State-owned South African Airways (SAA) had cancelled a number of its flights, both domestic and international, the national flag-carrier, which is currently under business rescue, put out a statement that it was “consolidating” some of its domestic flights and... →

19 SAA domestic and international flights cancelled

By: News24Wire 21st January 2020 Travellers are being advised that as many as 19 South African Airways (SAA) flights have been removed from the Airline Global Distribution Systems, as Treasury struggles to raise the necessary funds to keep SAA afloat. Traveller24 has received confirmation via Flight Centre about the flight... →

South African chrome firms warn of more than 1 200 job cuts

By: Reuters 21st January 2020 South African chrome firms on Monday warned of more than 1 200 potential job cuts, citing power cuts, rising electricity tariffs and increased competition from overseas. The potential layoffs highlight the risks posed to Africa's most industrialised economy by struggling state power utility... →

Public Enterprises, SAA, issue assurances to the country about the airline

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th January 2020 The Ministry of Public Enterprises on Sunday assured the country that it was in discussions with National Treasury regarding the provision, to State-owned company South African Airways (SAA), of R2-billion in post commencement finance (PCF), to help underpin the airline’s current business rescue... →

'It will take a long time for Eskom to recover fully from the damage caused by State capture' – Gordhan

By: News24Wire 17th January 2020 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has conceded it will take a long time for Eskom to recover fully from the damage caused by State capture. Gordhan also explained that, in response to allegations of political interference at Eskom, the Memorandum of Incorporation of Company explicitly... →

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Boiler leak-detection equipment ideal for power generation

By: Cameron Mackay 17th January 2020 Power generation facilities can benefit from using turnkey solutions provider Procon Engineering’s boiler tube leak-detection to avoid unplanned shutdowns, says industrial and processing solutions provider RTS Africa Technologies MD Ian Fraser. “This equipment provides a continuous diagnostic... →

KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON The Procon boiler tube leak-detection system can eliminate unplanned shutdowns caused by boiler tube leaks

Local airline Airlink changes its relationship with SAA

By: Rebecca Campbell 16th January 2020 South African private-sector airline Airlink, which, for some time now has had a franchise agreement with State-owned flag-carrier South African Airways (SAA) – which is currently under business rescue – announced on Thursday that the two airlines had replaced that franchise agreement with a new... →

Photo by Airlink
An Embraer E190 airliner of Airlink

Ramaphosa proclaims 'new era' of self-generation

16th January 2020 Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about Business Unity South Africa’s statements to President Cyril Ramaphosa that inadequate electricity supply is the biggest risk for businesses and the South African economy and the President’s commitment to... →

Ramaphosa proclaims 'new era' of self-generation

SAA in death throes as weekend deadline for its survival looms

By: News24Wire 16th January 2020 South African Airways, the embattled national airline, seems to be in its death throes. Although no official announcement has been made, indications are that government could finally jettison the entity, which has suffered losses of more than R30-billion over the past 13 years. In the strongest... →

SAA selling nine Airbus aircraft – tender document

By: Reuters 16th January 2020 South African Airways (SAA) has put up for sale nine of its Airbus aircraft, according to a tender document seeking proposals from interested buyers that was seen by Reuters on Thursday. SAA, which was placed in a form of bankruptcy protection late last year, is selling the Airbus A340-300s and... →

Mboweni says govt needs funding for troubled airline SAA

By: Reuters 16th January 2020 Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said on Thursday that the government was still trying to find additional financing for troubled State airline South Africa Airways (SAA). Mboweni was speaking at a meeting with business leaders in Johannesburg to discuss what message they will take to the World... →

No load-shedding expected for the rest of the week, says Eskom

By: African News Agency 16th January 2020 South Africa's electricity provider Eskom said no load-shedding was expected for the rest of the week as their emergency resources have been used to ensure that there was adequate generation capacity to meet the demand, but warned that the risk remained. "Despite a constrained and vulnerable... →

Makgoba appointed interim chair at South Africa's Eskom

By: Reuters 16th January 2020 The Public Enterprises Ministry said on Wednesday that Malegapuru William Makgoba had been appointed interim chairperson of struggling State-owned power utility Eskom, after the resignation of Jabu Mabuza last week. Makgoba is a scientist and academic who joined the Eskom board as a non-executive... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Eskom interim chairperson William Makgoba

Administrator sets out ambitious plan for 'broken' PRASA

By: Irma Venter 15th January 2020 Lifestyle audits, cashless ticketing, renegotiating Eskom tariffs and finalising the general overhaul tender are all on the to-do list for the newly appointed administrator of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Bongisizwe Mpondo. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula appointed Mpondo... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Irma Venter
PRASA administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo

Green Scorpions deadline looms for Eskom’s emissions-breaching Kendal power station

By: Terence Creamer 15th January 2020 State-owned electricity utility Eskom, which is struggling to keep the lights on as a result of high levels of unplanned breakdowns across its coal fleet, could be forced to shut down units at the Kendal power station at the end of January unless ongoing noncompliance with the country’s minimum... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Kendal power station

Eskom warns of collapse without higher tariffs as it faces regulator in court

By: News24Wire 15th January 2020 Eskom says if it is not granted tariff increases it wants from March this year, its finances might collapse, triggering a national crisis, as both the State’s credit ratings and consumers’ well-being would suffer. The power utility - which is battling to keep the lights on due to aging power... →

Necsa board resigns

By: Reuters 15th January 2020 The remaining board members at troubled South African State nuclear company Necsa have resigned, the energy ministry said on Wednesday, adding that officials would prioritise new appointments to the board. Necsa is one of the world's largest producers of medical radioisotopes and promotes... →

Dept confirms resignation of remaining nuclear board members

By: News24Wire 15th January 2020 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has confirmed the resignation of the remaining members of the Board of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa. Earlier on Wednesday Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe told reporters he had not yet received any... →

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

No nuclear board resignations, but I wouldn’t stop them – Mantashe

By: News24Wire 15th January 2020 Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe told reporters on Wednesday morning that he had not received any resignations from the current board members of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa), but would not stop them if they wished to leave. This came after energy... →

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Interest rate cuts ‘will do no harm’, says PwC

By: Simone Liedtke 14th January 2020 In a low-inflation environment, “interest rate cuts will certainly do no harm,” PwC said on Tuesday in the lead-up to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC’s) decision on whether or not South Africa’s interest rates should be lowered. There is already some... →

Minerals Council calls for intervention to ‘salvage and revive’ South Africa

By: Simone Liedtke 14th January 2020 The Minerals Council South Africa has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa and other government leaders to “salvage and revive” South Africa’s economy after noting the “increasing urgency of a range of critical steps needed”. In a statement released ahead of the Business Economic Indaba (BEI), which... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter

No, stage 8 load-shedding is not imminent – Eskom

By: News24Wire 14th January 2020 Eskom has denied telling municipalities that stage 8 load-shedding is imminent, describing media articles claiming this to be "erroneous and incorrect". The power utility said that while it has developed contingency plans for a severe supply constraints this does not mean that it is planning to... →

No load-shedding expected on Monday, says Eskom

By: African News Agency 13th January 2020 Eskom has managed to avoid load-shedding over the weekend and no load-shedding is expected on Monday, the State-owned power utility said. "The power system is showing some improvement as our teams continue to work hard to bring generation units that have tripped or are on maintenance back on line... →

Eskom's Mabuza resigns as blackouts resume

By: Bloomberg 11th January 2020 The chairperson of Eskom Holdings resigned from his post after the South African power utility resumed rolling blackouts earlier than expected in 2020. Jabu Mabuza tendered his resignation on Friday and “apologized for Eskom’s inability” to meet a commitment it made to President Cyril Ramaphosa... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Jabu Mabuza

UASA slams Eskom 'incompetence'

By: African News Agency 10th January 2020 One of South Africa's oldest trade unions, UASA, on Friday slammed state power provider Eskom for its "incompetence". According to UASA spokesperson, Stanford Mazhindu, Eskom having to implement stage 2 load-shedding before industries restarted following the festive break was "a sad state of... →

Ramaphosa looking at changes in Eskom board – Presidency

By: News24Wire 10th January 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa is looking at making changes to the Eskom board as part of the implementation of a rescue plan at the power utility. Ramaphosa's spokesperson Khusela Diko said this while responding to questions over earlier comments by Deputy President David Mabuza. Diko said, "The... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Load-shedding downgraded to stage 1 as problem units return to service

By: News24Wire 10th January 2020 Eskom switched from stage 2 to stage 1 load-shedding at 06:00 on Friday morning. Stage 1 load-shedding will continue until 23:00 on Friday evening. This is as a result of an improved prognosis for the day as some generating units return to service," Eskom said in a statement. Unexpected bouts of... →

Gordhan and Eskom board 'misled' Ramaphosa about load shedding – David Mabuza

By: News24Wire 9th January 2020 The deputy president of the African National Congress and the country, David Mabuza, said President Cyril Ramaphosa was misled when he was told there would be no load-shedding before the January 13. The country has been hit, yet again, by a round of rolling blackouts, despite promises from... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa & Deputy President David Mabuza

Eskom to apply rolling blackouts until Friday morning

By: News24Wire 9th January 2020 South Africa's electricity system remains severely constrained and unpredictable and this will necessitate rolling power cuts until Friday morning, State utility Eskom said on Thursday. In a statement Eskom, which has struggled with breakdowns in its generating units in recent months, said it had... →

Clarity on emergency procurement of 3 000 MW expected only by end Feb

By: Terence Creamer 8th January 2020 Hundreds of potential respondents to a request for information (RFI) – issued in December by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) for supply and demand solutions to South Africa’s prevailing power deficit – descended on Centurion on Wednesday for a briefing ahead of the... →

Load-shedding hit manufacturing in December – but SA could still avoid recession

By: News24Wire 8th January 2020 Load-shedding in December - which reached an unprecedented stage six - hampered the struggling South African manufacturing sector, while global trade wars between US and other economies meant local exporters faced tough conditions both at home and abroad. The Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index fell... →

High risk of load-shedding on Wednesday evening

By: News24Wire 8th January 2020 Eskom on Wednesday warned that there is a high likelihood stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented in the evening. The power utility issued an update on Twitter indicating that it ceased overnight load-shedding at 06:00, but more load-shedding may be required later to "replenish water resources... →

Acsa’s top airports rank well in terms of punctuality

By: Rebecca Campbell 8th January 2020 State-owned Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) announced on Wednesday that its – and the country’s – three largest airports had scored in the top ten of their respective categories in global punctuality league tables for 2019. These league tables are published by global travel data company OAG,... →

Investec warns of energy sector’s negative impact on output, GDP growth

By: Simone Liedtke 7th January 2020 Eskom’s declining energy availability factor (EAF) is expected to have a negative impact on the country’s industrial output for the fourth quarter of 2019, as well as gross domestic product growth (GDP) for the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of this year, warns financial services... →

SAA scores well in airline punctuality report

By: Rebecca Campbell 7th January 2020 State-owned national flag-carrier South African Airways (SAA) has been ranked as the number one African airline with regard to on-time performance (OTP), it reported on Tuesday. The ranking was done by Cirium, a travel data and analytics business. According to the International Air Transport... →

Photo by SAA
Cargo being loaded on to an SAA airliner

DMRE hosts briefing ahead of launch of emergency power programme

By: Terence Creamer 7th January 2020 A briefing session will be held on Wednesday for potential respondents to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s request for information for power generation solutions that can be “grid connected in the shortest time at the least possible cost”. The responses will be used to inform a... →

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