WLGA releases roadmap to expand access to LPG for cooking across Africa

Industry organisation the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) has released the ‘LPG Roadmap for Africa’ report, which includes calls to action for the public and private sectors to achieve full... 

Eskom reiterates commitment to safeguarding infrastructure

State-owned power utility Eskom has welcomed the separate sentencing of two individuals for theft of cables near the Duvha power station, in Mpumalanga, and said it was committed to safeguarding... 

Bob Stone receives Seifsa Lifetime Contribution award

Industry employer organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has awarded Robert (Bob) Stone with the 2024 Lifetime Contribution to the Industry award... 

Manufacturing production increases 0.8% y/y in October – Stats SA

Statistics agency Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has revealed that manufacturing production increased by 0.8% year-on-year in October. The largest positive contributions came from petroleum,... 

Macpherson to launch independent investigation into IDT tender award

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson will launch a full independent investigation into the Independent Development Trust (IDT) and its corporate governance problems to prevent... 

Sacci BCI improves by 3.4 points month-on-month in November

Despite five subindices that turned slightly negative in November, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) Business Confidence Index (BCI) still improved by 3.4 points... 

AfDB approves $140m loan for Eswatini regional road infrastructure projects

Development finance institution (DFI) the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a loan of $140.6-million to Eswatini for the first stage of a programme to improve road links and... 

Fixing logistics, water sectors still long way off in South Africa - BLSA

While South Africa is starting to see the fruits of energy sector reforms, it still has a long way to go to fix the water, and transport and logistics sectors despite recent progress, says business... 

AfDB disburses first tranche of $1bn loan to Transnet for recovery

Development finance institution (DFI) the African Development Bank (AfDB) has released the first tranche of four of its $1-billion loan to State-owned Transnet as part of a financing arrangement to... 

Repair and rebuild of infrastructure can drive aggressive industrialisation programme, says Seifsa

Industry organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) says an aggressive industrialisation programme can be driven through the repair and rebuild of... 

Business must organise to leverage G20 opportunities, Sacci urges

South African business must organise in a fully inclusive manner to take advantage of the opportunities of South Africa's chairing of the intergovernmental platform Group of 20 (G20) for the... 

Tech Mahindra to become a global partner for Jendamark’s Odin Manufacturing technologies

Assembly line design and manufacturing company Jendamark Automation has signed an agreement with technology consulting and systems integrator Tech Mahindra to become a global partner for... 

Academy launches plastics manufacturing machine setter apprenticeship programme

The Plastics SA Academy for Learning and Development has launched a plastics-related Plastics Manufacturing Machine Setter trade apprenticeship programme that is an National Qualifications... 

Main non-tariff barrier in Africa is infrastructure; potential lies in non-traditional markets

A significant non-tariff barrier (NTB) that business in Africa faces is infrastructure deficiencies, which is hampering growth, specifically for the 16 landlocked countries in Africa that are... 

Robust debate unveils complexities of resetting South Africa's logistics system

Private- and public-sector representatives have, this week, emphasised that there are potential solutions to South Africa's logistics problems and bottlenecks, that funding is limited and that... 

Wits AI hub to tackle Africaʼs challenges

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) opened a new AI research hub called the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute on November 19. The institute will focus on... 

World trade to hit a record this year, but outlook for 2025 is uncertain

World trade is on track to reach a record $33-trillion this year, but risks of expanded trade wars and ongoing geopolitical challenges cast uncertainty over the outlook for 2025, says global trade... 

SOLA has produced 1bn kilowatt-hours of clean electricity

Renewable-energy company SOLA Group has produced one-billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy, reaching this goal one month earlier than planned. The company produced the majority of this amount... 

Schneider Electric sets goal of reducing suppliers' emissions by 50% by 2025

Electricity and automation company Schneider Electric has set a goal of reducing the carbon intensity of its top 1 000 suppliers by 50% by 2025, Schneider Electric strategy and sustainability... 

Rising business insolvencies globally an emerging risk for directors – Allianz

Global business insolvencies are expected to rise by 11% this year and countries accounting for more than half of global GDP will be hit by double-digit insolvency increases, says risk and... 

No breakthrough yet in a global plastics treaty

The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC5) for a Global Plastics Treaty ended without a treaty, and member States have agreed to meet again for what could be the final... 

With G20, B20 presidencies, South Africa to amplify Africa's role in global business affairs

South Africa has assumed the presidency of intergovernmental forum Group of 20 (G20) and its private sector engagement group Business 20 (B20). B20 South Africa will focus on unifying efforts... 

Malben Engineering wins environmental stewardship award for green steel trial

Stampings and welding components manufacturer Malben Engineering won industry organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa's (Seifsa's) environmental award for... 

Tshwane to strengthen service delivery, revenue collection after reaching agreement with Eskom

The City of Tshwane says the agreement with State-owned Eskom to settle the R6.67-billion historical debt it owes to the utility signals a turning point, ending years of costly litigation and... 

Auditor-General says culture of accountability must be built in public sector – Mavuso

In Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke's report on the performance of national government entities and an assessment of the underlying performance of the public sector released during the final... 

Domestic steel industry must improve cost structures, logistics costs to survive

For the South African steel industry to survive, the cost structures must improve across the value chain to position South African primary steelmaking in the lowest quartile of the global steel... 

Energy transition is accelerating, but fossil fuel emissions to overshoot targets by 50%

While the new climate finance goal of $300-billion a year from developed nations to support developing nations' energy transition by 2035, and the aim to mobilise an additional $1.3-trillion a year... 

New proposed legal amendments modernise monitoring, administration of building regulations, standards

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said proposed amendments to the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act are aimed at modernising the Act, resolving... 

FirstRand's first social bond proceeds to support FNB lending to SMMEs, housing customers

The proceeds of financial services provider FirstRand Bank's inaugural social bond will be allocated to fund financial services firm FNB’s lending to small, medium-sized and microenterprises... 

Teraco to build 40 MW data centre at Isando Campus

Data centre and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure company Teraco has started building a new 40 MW hyperscale data centre at its Isando Campus in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The... 

Nampak to report turnaround in headline earnings a share

JSE-listed packaging manufacturer Nampak expects to report headline earnings a share from continuing operations of R31 to R35 for the financial year ended September 30, compared with the headline... 

Hisense opens television museum in Cape Town

Electronics manufacturer Hisense has opened a museum of television, the Tevolution Museum, in Cape Town. In partnership with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the South... 

Outlook for South Africa's trade, investment in 2025 mixed – PwC

South Africa’s largest sources of foreign investment, including the US, the UK and Germany, are entering 2025 with mixed fortunes. With great uncertainty about the US economy in 2025, the economic... 

Confidence among manufacturers at highest level in more than two years – Absa

The Absa Manufacturing Survey for the fourth quarter of this year showed that production, domestic and export sales, and new orders have improved and recorded better levels than initially expected.... 

Eskom welcomes S&P rating upgrade to positive from stable

State-owned power utility Eskom has welcomed the decision by international ratings agency S&P Global Ratings to upgrade Eskom's 'B' long-term global-scale foreign and local currency ratings to... 

Vodacom, Maziv to appeal the prohibition of their fibre deal

Mobile network operator Vodacom and connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure company Maziv have decided to lodge a notice of appeal with the Competition Appeal Court after the Competition... 

Frasers acquires Holdsport from Old Mutual Private Equity

UK-based retail and sports equipment company Frasers Group has concluded a deal to acquire South African sporting, outdoor and recreation goods company Holdsport Group from private equity... 

Challenges, but also opportunities, abound to grow sustainable township businesses

A better understanding of the scale, challenges and business models of businesses in township economies can help to create better financing and policy support that will help township businesses to... 

BankServ's PayShap Request service to launch on December 2

Real-time payment request service PayShap Request, to be launched on December 2, will enable users to initiate payment requests instantly through their bank channels, thereby accelerating payment... 

DFFE welcomes COP29 as step in right direction, 350.org says it fell short

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George has welcomed the outcomes of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC's) twenty-ninth Conference of the Parties...