Give us more policing power and the right to run passenger rail, Cape Town asks GNU

The City of Cape Town’s top requests for the Government of National Unity (GNU) are for municipal police to have the powers to investigate crime; the devolvement of passenger rail to the city; the... 

Shoprite group rolls out electricity wheeling at a third site

The Shoprite retail group has started wheeling renewable electricity at its home office in Brackenfell, Cape Town, making it the company’s third site to implement this energy solution. Wheeling... 

ECape launch for WOW platform to bring taxi industry into the digital age

The newly launched Wealth On Wheels (WOW) platform is set to roll out technologies such as digital cash payments, fleet and vehicle management systems with GPS, and camera monitoring in minibus... 

Balancell expands plant tenfold; seeks govt backing for energy storage industry

Energy storage company Balancell is moving into a new R80-million factory in Ndabeni, Cape Town, as the business gears up to grow its capacity roughly tenfold, says chief commercial officer Ian... 

Mercedes-Benz Vans SA appoints new managing executive

Mercedes-Benz Vans South Africa (SA) has appointed Natasha Jardim as its new managing executive, effective from July. Jardim succeeds Nadia Trimmel, who is moving to a new position within the... 

Crestcare group opens R238m private hospital in Malmesbury

The Crestcare Hospital Group has cut the ribbon on its newest development, the R238-million acute hospital in the Western Cape town of Malmesbury. Crestcare’s majority shareholder is black-owned... 

PRASA passenger numbers reach 40-million a year, increase by 167% – Emeran

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is “making steady and significant progress in getting passenger trains back on track”, with the urban rail service carrying about 40-million... 

Auto market awaits return of consumer confidence, political clarity – TransUnion

The South African automotive sector continues to grapple with significant macroeconomic challenges, says TransUnion Africa CEO Lee Naik. Persistently high interest rates and negative economic... 

Traditional bakkie powerhouses to be challenged by buying-down trend, newcomers – WesBank

South Africa is bakkie country, dominated by Toyota’s Hilux as the country’s long-standing number-one-selling vehicle, with the Ford Ranger and the Isuzu D-Max also perennial favourites, among... 

Recovery in logistics sector continued in May, latest Ctrack index shows

The newest Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) shows that the recent recovery in South Africa’s logistics sector continued in May, albeit at a slower pace. The index improved in May to... 

Cape Town nets R36m in carbon credit auction

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced the successful auction of R36-million in carbon credits, generated by reducing gas emissions at city landfill sites via waste-to-energy initiatives.... 

‘Unconscionable’ to return money to Treasury instead of fixing potholes – Creecy

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says “immediate attention” will be given to the “critical issue” of the underspending of funding allocated to road maintenance and road construction by both... 

Damen signs new NIP agreement with dtic, celebrates more than 40 vessels built at Cape Town shipyard

Damen Shipyards Group (DSG) has signed a new strategic partnership agreement with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) as part of the National Industrial Participation (NIP)... 

Global EV sales growth continues, but significant slowdown in some markets – BloombergNEF

Electric vehicle (EV) markets around the world are not all travelling in the same direction, or at the same speed, in 2024, says research group BloombergNEF (BNEF) in its newest EV Outlook Report.... 

June new-vehicle sales 14% lower year-on-year as affordability woes bite

New-vehicle sales in South Africa dropped by 14% in June, to 40 072 units, compared with the same month last year. The new-passenger-car market reached 26 928 units last month – a decline of 9%... 

AA, Outa weigh in on new Transport Minister

Newly appointed Transport Minister Barbara Creecy is the eleventh minister in this portfolio since 1994, which is a cause for concern as continuity within government departments is vital, says the... 

Cape Town Market goes green with battery, demand management system

The Cape Town Market in Epping has started the commissioning of a battery energy storage and demand management system (DMS).  The commissioning of the 3 MWh system follows the installation of more... 

SPS acquires two solar projects in the Western Cape, enters into a PPA

Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) has acquired two 5 MW solar projects in Malmesbury, in the Western Cape, through the purchase of the shareholding in Slimsun Too. SPS is a developer and owner of... 

EV charging points to grow by 194% as governments switch focus to infrastructure

A new study from Juniper Research has found that the total number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points globally will grow by 194% to 64-million over the next five years, up from 21.8-million... 

Lexus, Mini, Toyota, Suzuki and Hino take platinum in Dealer Satisfaction Index

Lexus, Mini, Toyota and Suzuki have all taken top honours in this year’s National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) awards for passenger cars and light... 

Hyundai targets return to fourth spot in sales chart

Hyundai has set itself the goal to return to fourth position (in terms of market share) in the combined passenger and light commercial vehicle market, says Hyundai Automotive South Africa (Hyundai... 

Govt continues to drag its feet on fuel-price review – Misa

The former Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has failed to review South Africa’s fuel-pricing methodology since the process to do so was announced in 2022, says the Motor Industry... 

Recovery in logistics sector continued in May – Ctrack index

The newest Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) shows that the recent recovery in South Africa’s logistics sector continued in May, albeit at a slower pace. The index improved in May to... 

Cape Town hits apartment developer with R1m penalty

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has upheld a decision by the city’s Municipal Planning Tribunal to impose a record R1-million penalty for unauthorised construction work in Belville. The penalty... 

Cape Town introduces reversible MyCiTi bus lane to reduce congestion

The City of Cape Town’s Transport Network Technology branch is set to activate a reversible MyCiTi bus lane along the R27 between Loxton road and Broad road in Milnerton. This bus lane, for... 

Suppple launches AI health bot for AU member States

Cape Town- and London-based technology company Suppple launched an AI health bot at Africa Health ExCon, held in Egypt in June. Suppple says the health bot will provide digital healthcare... 

Ford celebrates one-millionth Ranger, says PHEV production to start before year-end

Ford South Africa (SA) has celebrated the assembly of the one-millionth Ranger at its Silverton plant in Pretoria. While the first million bakkies took 24 years, the second million is set to happen... 

Cape Town reports 22% bump in film permits issued

The City of Cape Town’s Film Permit Office says it has issued 4 757 film permits between July 1 last year and June 30 this year. This is a 22% increase from the 3 910 permits issued in the 2022/23... 

Auto market awaits return of consumer confidence, political clarity – TransUnion

The South African automotive sector continues to grapple with significant macroeconomic challenges, says TransUnion Africa CEO Lee Naik. Persistently high interest rates and negative economic... 

Sales drop 14% in June as new vehicles become increasingly unaffordable

New-vehicle sales in South Africa dropped by 14%, to 40 072 units, compared with the same month last year. The new-passenger-car market reached 26 928 units last month – a decline of 9% over June... 

Egypt woos Volkswagen with body shop, assembly-line deal

In a new strategic cooperation agreement, Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA) and the government of Egypt will conduct a feasibility study on the construction of a body shop and assembly buildings, which... 

Kia South Africa’s new CEO seeks to push market share beyond 5% by 2026

Kia South Africa has appointed Paul Turnbull as its new CEO. Turnbull joins the Korean brand from sibling Hyundai Automotive South Africa. He succeeds Gary Scott, who takes up the position of chief... 

Steady hand needed as seventh Transport Minister appointed in 15 years – AA, Outa

Newly appointed Transport Minister Barbara Creecy is the eleventh minister in this portfolio since 1994, which is a cause for concern as continuity within government departments is vital, says the... 

PRASA passenger numbers reach 40-million a year, up 167% – Emeran

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is “making steady and significant progress in getting passenger trains back on track”, with the urban rail service carrying about 40-million... 

Cape Town calls for private-sector intervention as port ranks worst in the world

According to the newly published World Bank Container Port Performance Index, compiled from 2023 data, the Port of Cape Town is the worst performing port in the world. It is joined in the bottom 16... 

Recovery in logistics sector continued in April despite ports being lashed by storms – Ctrack index

After declining in the first two months of the year, the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) continued its momentum in April to reach a level of 123.4 – an increase of 2.8% compared... 

Mercedes-Benz SA considers cutting 700 jobs on back of struggling economy, ports

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) says it will move from three shifts a day at its East London plant to two shifts, in a move that could potentially cut 700 jobs. MBSA produces the C-Class for the... 

Yes, there are problems at SA ports, but World Bank report not entirely accurate – SAAFF

The newest World Bank Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) report, which places a number of South African ports at the bottom of the list, covers the crisis-ridden 2023 period, and does not take... 

Daimler Truck Southern Africa appoints new sales and marketing VP

Olaf Petersen has joined Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) as its new sales and marketing VP, effective July 1. Petersen will be responsible for the new-vehicle sales portfolio for Mercedes-Benz... 

Damen renews NIP agreement with dtic; celebrates more than 40 vessels built at Cape Town shipyard

Damen Shipyards Group (DSG) has signed a new strategic partnership agreement with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) as part of the National Industrial Participation (NIP)...