October manufacturing output narrows 2.1% y/y

Manufacturing production contracted by 2.1% year-on-year, or 1.7% month-on-month, in October, with the largest negative contribution made by basic iron and steel, nonferrous metal products, metal... 

GE kicks off local production of Transnet locomotives

Digital industrial group GE has started production of the 233 GE Evolution Series locomotives it has been contracted to supply to State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) as part of its acquisition... 

First wind turbine erected at R1.9bn Noupoort wind farm

The first of a planned 35 wind turbines has been erected at the R1.9-billion, 305 000 MWh/y Noupoort wind farm, in the Northern Cape, marking a pivotal point in the farm’s development and preceding... 

S African container exports feel impact of commodity price slump

The economic slowdown in China and the slump in commodity prices has impacted container trade in South Africa, with the dry exports market – comprised primarily of mining commodities – declining by... 

Power supply under threat following loss of 220 MW, Eskom warns

Energy utility Eskom has warned of a tight electricity system and possible load-shedding following the loss of 220 MW of power imports from Mozambique as a result of a technical fault on one of the... 

ICT player Pinnacle snaps up majority stake in PV business

To secure another pillar of business in a rapidly growing market, South Africa’s largest information and communication technology (ICT) products and services distributor Pinnacle Holdings has... 

Proposed Rwandan office development awarded 6-star green rating

Marking the first Rwanda-based development to achieve the highest certification in green building standards, the proposed 19-storey Nobelia Office Tower, in Kigali, has been awarded a 6-Star Green... 

S Africa’s intl research ties strengthened through involvement in FP7

A study of the impacts of South Africa’s participation in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) of the European Union (EU) has found it to have... 

Drilling at PTM’s Waterberg play confirms mineralisation continuity

Drilling at dual-listed Platinum Group Metals’ (PTM’s) Waterberg project, in the North West, has demonstrated good continuity in the near-surface Super F zones, extending the Northern Super F zone... 

Hudbay CEO resigns to head up Goldcorp

Copper and zinc miner Hudbay Minerals CEO and president David Garofalo has resigned, following his appointment as president and CEO of fellow miner Goldcorp. Hudbay has appointed COO Alan Hair to... 

Orezone gets bourse nod to move to TSX-V

Toronto-listed Orezone Gold Corporation has been conditionally approved to voluntarily move its current common share listing on the TSX to a Tier-1 listing on the TSX-V. The listing change would... 

Futurist advocates for ‘strategic foresight’ in corporate planning

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation chair in futures studies Professor Sohail Inayatullah has touted the adoption of “transformative and strategic foresight” by... 

Banks offer up R12bn in Transnet deal as parastatal eyes R500bn spend over coming decade

Boosting the coffers earmarked for its ambitious locomotive fleet acquisition programme, State-owned logistics group Transnet has announced the successful conclusion of a R12-billion club loan with... 

Exxaro likely to move more coal in 2015 financial year, cuts expansion capex

Coal and heavy minerals miner Exxaro expects coal production and sales volumes for the 2015 financial year to top that of the prior 12 months, noting in a market update this week that the scheduled... 

100Mt-plus copper resource defined at Botswana copper, silver play

A recent drilling campaign on the Zone 5 deposit at Cupric Canyon Capital subsidiary Khoemacau Copper Mining, in Botswana, has defined a 100-million-ton high-grade copper and silver ore resource,... 

New Gold Resource claim doubles Gold Mesa prospect

Adding to the company's Nevada Mining Unit exploration potential, gold and silver miner Gold Resource Corporation has staked additional claims that more than double the Gold Mesa gold-bearing... 

Caledonia lifts Blanket mine resource, reserve

Based on the results of a six-month diamond core drilling programme, London-listed Caledonia Mining has added 222 000 t of new inventory to the indicated resource category at its 49%-owned Blanket... 

Payment of Kibo’s placing proceeds again delayed

Hume Capital Securities has informed Tanzania-focused mineral explorer Kibo Mining that the payment of the final proceeds from Kibo’s February placing will be further delayed by up to two months... 

Central, West Africa a hotbed of infrastructure growth, report finds

A study into infrastructure development in Africa has pointed to the emergence of Central and North Africa as megaproject hotspots, with 301 transport, energy and power, water and mining projects –... 

Rambler lifts q/q copper concentrate output 33%

Copper and gold miner Rambler Metals and Mining has lifted copper concentrate production from its Ming copper and gold mine, in Newfoundland and Labrador, by 33% quarter-on-quarter, delivering 4... 

S Africa still holds own in intl tax ratings

South Africa continues to hold its own against its international peers in terms of its tax regime and culture, emerging twentieth overall out of 189 economies polled as part of professional... 

Services, not manufacturing, Africa’s silver growth bullet, author claims

While a resurgence in manufacturing in Africa has been popularly touted as the silver bullet that will accelerate the continent’s economic growth prospects, The Economist management editor and... 

Enviro review of prospective Donlin gold project up for public scrutiny

Marking a significant permitting milestone in the progress of the Donlin gold project, in Alaska, towards production, the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has published the project’s draft... 

PEA shows strong economics at US graphite project

A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of Alabama Graphite Corporation’s (AGC’s) flagship Coosa graphite project, in the US, has demonstrated strong economics and “excellent” potential for the... 

KZN-based intermodal transport hub Bridge City takes shape

Agriculture and agroprocessing group Tongaat Hulett continues to advance the Bridge City development, north of Durban, with half of the sites within the Bridge City Town Centre having been sold and... 

Ansys H1 earnings rally 333% on back of technology acquisition

The June addition of technology investment group Parsec Holdings to the Ansys stable has invigorated the niche technology-driven engineering group’s interim performance, precipitating a 93% uptick... 

JSE punts local equity market to Asian funders ahead of China, Africa talks

A week ahead of the second annual gathering of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (Focac), in Johannesburg, the JSE is rolling out the proverbial red carpet for Chinese investors looking to... 

PPP sees opening of air-conditioning, refrigeration academy at TVET college

A public–private partnership (PPP) between electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Merseta) and... 

Existing building performance rating increasing in popularity – GBCSA

While initially targeting sustainability and energy efficiency in new constructs, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) says it is now observing an accelerated uptake in the... 

SA technologies emerging in response to energy challenges

As South Africa continues to battle electricity shortages, the threat of load-shedding and imposed load curtailment on large industrial users, the country’s research and development fraternity is... 

Eskom aims to support small energy services firms

The Energy Services Companies (Esco) model funding programme remains integral to efforts by energy utility Eskom to promote the retrofitment and replacement of energy-intensive technologies with... 

Keaton swings to first-half loss as troubled Vaalkrantz asset weighs on profits

While consistent year-on-year output from thermal coal producer Keaton Energy’s stalwart Vanggatfontein operation bolstered the junior’s productive performance in the first six months of the... 

Obama signs revolutionary Asteroid exploration Bill into US law

US President Barack Obama has signed into law a pioneering new Act that recognises the right of US citizens to own asteroid resources they obtain and that encourages the commercial exploration and... 

Defiant McEwen fails to meet NYSE share price threshold

Growing gold and silver producer McEwen Mining’s plans to regain compliance with the NYSE’s minimum share price requirement have been scuppered, with the company failing to meet the bourse’s... 

Tsogo Sun named top JSE performer for integrated reporting

Hospitality group Tsogo Sun has been awarded top honours at auditing, accounting and advisory firm Nkonki’s Top 100 JSE Listed Companies Integrated Reporting Awards 2015, receiving recognition for... 

100Mt-plus copper resource defined at Botswana copper, silver play

A recent drilling campaign on the Zone 5 deposit at Cupric Canyon Capital subsidiary Khoemacau Copper Mining, in Botswana, has defined a 100-million-ton high-grade copper and silver ore resource,... 

Recognition of water as a critical commodity central to its protection, panel hears

As South Africa battles water restrictions precipitated by the El Niño phenomenon, aged infrastructure, above-average temperatures, below-average rainfall and climate change, industry stakeholders... 

enX boosts FY revenues 51% on fuel business addition

Industrial energy and supplies group enX has raised revenues by 51% to R883-million for year ended August 31, citing healthy divisional growth and a strong performance by the new fuel segment,... 

Banks offer up R12bn in Transnet deal as parastatal eyes R500bn spend over coming decade

Boosting the coffers earmarked for its ambitious locomotive fleet acquisition programme, State-owned logistics group Transnet has announced the successful conclusion of a R12-billion club loan with... 

Home Affairs announces five-day closure as it upgrades passport, ID systems

Some 140 Department of Home Affairs (DHA) offices across the country plan to close their doors between November 27 and December 2, as they upgrade live capture facilities that aim to accelerate the...