Shannon de Ryhove:
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report. Transnet Port Terminals has injected some R14-billion into the development of the purpose-built Ngqura container terminal in the Eastern Cape. Natalie Greve travelled to the Coega special economic zone to find out more.
Natalie Greve:
Improvements to the container terminal, which had strategic linkages with terminals in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Richards Bay and Durban, while servicing traffic from the East, South America and West African markets, had already taken its net yearly operating capacity from 800 000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, to 1.5-million TEUs.
Up to 60% of the terminal’s cargo comprised transshipment products, while 40% were import or export products.
During a recent visit to the port to officially open two new shipping berths, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown lauded the delivery of new port infrastructure, telling stakeholders that the move marked a significant step in Transnet’s efforts to expand the port’s capacity and position the terminal as a regional transshipment hub.
Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown
Natalie Greve:
The terminal’s second-phase expansion was meanwhile progressing to plan, with two additional ship-to-shore cranes and 18 rubber-tyred gantry cranes with supporting trailers now commissioned.
TPT ultimately aimed to boost the terminal’s yearly handling capacity to 2.2-million TEUs, allowing it to leverage its proximity to the Coega special economic zone and providing further opportunities for back-of-port operations.
Brown added that recent investment ticked crucial boxes in government’s developmental agenda, while boosting the Eastern Cape’s role in the broader economy.
Minister Lynne Brown
Natalie Greve:
Transnet CEO Brian Molefe meanwhile outlined further plans to invest R30.1-billion in its various operations in the Eastern Cape over the next seven years, which formed part of its larger strategy to increase the country’s container terminal capacity by 70.8% to 7.35-million TEUs.
Transnet CEO Brian Molefe
Shannon de Ryhove:
As surface tailings gold miner DRDGold steadily recovers from the failure of new technology, CEO Niël Pretorius was determined to continue pioneering new technologies relevant to its operations. Natasha Odendaal tells us more.
Natasha Odendaal:
Despite suffering a major technological setback at the Ergo Plant in Brakpan that sent gold output plunging along with investor confidence, leaving stocks at an all-time low, DRDGold aims to research, develop and experiment with new technologies that would enable cost and production efficiencies in a high-cash-cost business and all-round tough industry.
CEO Niël Pretorius tells Mining Weekly Online that the company would be relentless in its commitment to rolling out new technologies until it works and works well enough to extract the 11-million ounces of resources at the group’s fingertips.
DRDGold CEO Niël Pretorius
Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: The Department of Tourism focuses on rolling out renewable energy.
To improve the sustainability of tourism in South Africa, the Department of Tourism has included the retrofitting of key tourist attractions and State-owned destinations with renewable-energy technology in the pilot phase of a R600-million Tourism Incentive Programme.
Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom
Shannon de Ryhove:
That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.