Trade disruptions did not dampen total global air cargo demand, although some regions hit

Despite disruptions in international trade, global total air cargo demand increased by 2.2% in May, year-on-year (y-o-y), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA is... 

South African food inflation accelerated again in May

Year-on-year food and non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) inflation (hereafter to be referred to simply as food inflation) accelerated in May, for the second consecutive month, the Bureau for Food and... 

New domestic aviation draft BBBEE proposals workable, if government does its part

The recently released Draft Domestic Aviation Sector B-BBEE Scorecards and Amendments could be implemented, but only if government does its part. This point was made by Airlines Association of... 

IATA announces the release of its SAF Matchmaking platform

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has announced the release of its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Matchmaker... 

Absolute Aviation to take equity stake in Century Avionics

South African general and executive aviation group Absolute Aviation has announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with another South African enterprise, avionics sales,... 

TIA and MICT SETA to partner to develop digital skills learning in South Africa

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)... 

CSIR awarded role of coordinator for Phase 1 of the West Coast Green Hydrogen project

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been selected to coordinate Phase 1 of the West Coast Green Hydrogen Master Plan. This plan aims at creating a green hydrogen hub at... 

Wind power is indeed suitable for South Africa

Wind power is a very appropriate renewable-energy technology for South Africa, G7 Renewable Energies CEO Dr Kilian Hagemann told Engineering News, in an exclusive interview at the recent Africa... 

Angola becomes investor in leading African development finance agency

Angola has become a shareholder in the African infrastructure and industrial development finance agency, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), it was announced on Tuesday. Angola has been a member... 

UK seeks partnerships with African countries to develop green energy across the continent

The policy of the UK government is to work in partnership with African governments to support the continent’s transition to renewable energy. London believes that this process should be African-led... 

South African UAV company teams up with major South Korean group for radar system

In a major development for the local company, South African company Milkor Aerospace and Defence, developer and manufacturer of the Milkor 380 medium-altitude and long-endurance uncrewed aerial... 

Boeing and Angola sign strategic commercial aviation partnership

US aerospace giant Boeing announced (at the Paris Airshow) that it has signed a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation with Angola’s Ministry of Transport on Wednesday. The purpose of the agreement is... 

Airlink to significantly enlarge its fleet with next-generation airliners

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink is to significantly expand and modernise its fleet, and increase its capacity, by leasing ten new next-generation Embraer E195-E2 smaller... 

African development needs both electricity and decarbonisation – Ramokgopa

South African Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has affirmed that Africa does not face a choice between decarbonisation and industrialisation. On the contrary, it has to, and... 

Rolls-Royce Power Systems opens significant new facility in South Africa

Rolls-Royce Power Systems has announced that it has opened a new regional headquarters and training centre in Johannesburg. The new facility will support the growing numbers of the group’s... 

Rolls-Royce launches upgrades that significantly increase Trent 1000 engine reliability

UK-based global major propulsion and power systems group Rolls-Royce announced on Thursday the launch of the first of two Durability Enhancement Packages for its Trent 1000 aeroengines. This will... 

New satellite communications service for airports

Global aviation industry specialist ICT company SITA has launched a new service – SITA Managed Satellites. Making use of low Earth orbit satellites, it provides airports with communications that... 

Necsa positioning itself to support South Africa’s future nuclear energy programme

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) supports the country adopting small modular reactors (SMRs) and believes that it can play a key role in this process. So affirms Necsa Group... 

Platinum jewellery enjoying strong growth in its key markets

Global platinum jewellery marketing organisation Platinum Guild International (PGI) believes that the metal enjoyed strong growth opportunities in the jewellery sector. To turn opportunity into... 

South African wine body given an award for innovation

The representative body for the local wine sector, South Africa Wine, has announced that it has been awarded a Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry Innovation Award. This award comes just two... 

Sacci reports business confidence up slightly, month-on-month, but strongly, year-on-year

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Wednesday reported that its latest Business Confidence Index (BCI) had “lost some momentum” in April and May. The BCI had declined by... 

Cathay Pacific to increase the number of its flights to Johannesburg

Hong Kong-based major international airline Cathay Pacific has announced that, with effect from July 1, it will increase the number of its flights between its home base and Johannesburg. Under the... 

UK selects Rolls-Royce for its SMR programme as part of its nuclear expansion policy

The UK government announced on Tuesday that Rolls-Royce SMR, a subsidiary of the UK-based global power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce, has been selected as the preferred bidder for the... 

MeerKAT significantly boosts sensitivity of a nearly-global radio telescope network

The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) announced on Tuesday that its MeerKAT radio telescope array had for the first time, and successfully, participated in a regular international... 

New domestic aviation draft BBBEE proposals workable, if government does its part

The recently released Draft Domestic Aviation Sector B-BBEE Scorecards and Amendments could be implemented, but only if government does its part. This point was made by Airlines Association of... 

South Africa will reactivate the PBMR small modular reactor project – Minister

South Africa is lifting its Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) out of care and maintenance, Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosienstsho Ramokgopa confirmed, almost in passing, on Tuesday. He was... 

CSIR now producing stainless steel powder for 3D printing

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) can now provide the local additive manufacturing (AM – popularly called 3D printing) sector with 316L stainless steel powder on a pilot... 

Unctad highlights benefits of, and challenges facing, the ocean economy

UN Trade and Development (Unctad) has warned that the global ocean economy is under increasing pressure from environmental and international political shocks. This is of concern because of the... 

Durban port’s Bayhead road to undergo rehabilitation

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), responsible for the operation of South Africa’s eight commercial ports, has announced that it has started a six-month rehabilitation project for Bayhead... 

IATA reports SAF production up but facing unintended problems from government mandates

Global production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) continues to ramp up, the global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has... 

African States dominate IATA’s latest list of countries blocking airline fund repatriation

Seven of the ten countries and currency blocs which are the leading blockers of the repatriation of airline funds are in Africa. Top place on this list is now held by Mozambique. The list was... 

IATA forecasts a slight increase in global airline industry profitability this year

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the representative body for the global airline industry, has updated its financial outlook for the sector, for this year. The update... 

UCT researchers in binational team that made breakthrough in genetics research into fossils

Researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark, have, in an unprecedented study, used proteins extracted from two-million-year-old fossilised teeth to... 

New Stellenbosch biotech startup incubator already needs larger premises

Stellenbosch University’s (SU’s) new incubator dedicated to biotech startups, LaunchLab CERIBio, was full even before its’ recent official opening. The university has already decided to build an... 

Cape Town has jumped up the ranks of global conference host cities

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has ranked Cape Town as the world’s thirty-fifth most popular convention location for international associations, in its latest annual... 

Global air passenger traffic grew strongly last month, reports IATA

Global total air passenger traffic grew strongly in April, in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA was the global representative body... 

Global air cargo demand again saw strong growth in April

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has reported that the air cargo sector showed good growth in April. Total air cargo... 

SA defence group moving into large UAV sector with new design

South African private-sector defence group Milkor, which works in the aerospace, cyber, ground, maritime and weapons sectors, has unveiled its latest aerospace project – the Milkor 780 uncrewed... 

Aviation’s IT group launches satellite communications service for airports

Global aviation industry specialist ICT company SITA has launched a new service – SITA Managed Satellites. Making use of low Earth orbit satellites, it provides airports with communications that... 

AFC funding development of three new gold mines in West Africa

African infrastructure and investment group Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced that it is providing Mota-Engil Africa (MEA), part of the global Mota-Engil construction group, with a...