Action needed to reverse SA canned deciduous fruit sector’s declining competitiveness

South Africa’s canned deciduous fruit sector has, with one exception, been on a declining international competitiveness trajectory since 2016, a PhD research project at Stellenbosch University has... 

Global air cargo demand continued strong growth in July

Global air cargo demand continued to grow strongly during July, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA is the global representative body for the airline industry.)... 

Ener-G-Africa launches new solar panels at Cape Town exhibition

South African sustainable energy products company Ener-G-Africa has launched its latest products, a 550 W and, especially, a 275 W solar panel, at the 2024 Solar & Storage Conference and... 

South African food inflation continued to decelerate last month

South African food and non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) inflation (hereafter to be referred to just as food inflation, for short) decelerated again in July, in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, to 4.5%, the... 

ACSA has terminated a digital and biometrics project for its airports

The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) announced on Tuesday that it had terminated a contract with French technology company IDEMIA. No reason was given for the ending of the contract. The... 

Latest phase in additive manufacturing development programme launched

The Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa (RAPDASA) announced on Monday that the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) had approved funding for the fourth phase of the... 

SA eying astronomy hub status – Nzimande

South Africa is seeking to become a global hub for astronomical facilities, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande told delegates to the XXXII General Assembly of the... 

AfriForum calls for improved security measures at SANDF bases

Lobbying and civil rights organisation AfriForum has called on Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to urgently investigate and address the significant decline in security at South African National... 

Major retailer, nonprofit and disabled empowerment group collaborate to handle e-waste

South African non-profit company E-waste Recycling Authority (ERA) CEO Ashley du Plooy has highlighted major South African retail group Pick n Pay (PnP) as a pioneer in facilitating the collection,... 

Airlink and AviAssist partner to promote African aviation safety

South African airline Airlink has partnered with African non-profit aviation safety promotion organisation, the AviAssist Foundation, to present a Human Factors in Aviation course. The course is... 

Water resilience guide for businesses launched in Cape Town

Western Cape provincial trade, investment and tourism promotion agency Wesgro and nonprofit green economy solutions facilitation company GreenCape have jointly launched the CEO Guide to Water... 

Oxford researchers say current business climate reporting standards are inadequate

Researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK have concluded that current corporate climate reporting standards are inadequately incentivising the large-scale innovations needed to achieve... 

NRF highlights its upcoming research awards will be announced soon

The National Research Foundation (NRF) has highlighted that its 2024 Awards are to take place at the Sun City resort, in North West province, on August 22. The awards serve to highlight and... 

Defence industry association welcomes efforts to boost South African defence spending

The South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD) has welcomed the commitment made, earlier this month, by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military... 

Mpox a 'minimal' threat to tourists in Southern Africa, assures Satsa

The Southern African private sector inbound tourism trade association Satsa has reassured that the risk to tourists in the region from the Mpox disease was low. This reassurance followed the recent... 

Freeze-drying could boost food sustainability and security

Food freeze-drying technology has the potential to help create sustainable food practices, increase food security and cut food waste (caused by decay), even in rural areas of Africa. That is the... 

Three major UK Learned Societies create a dedicated Aerospace Partnership

UK-based Learned Societies the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) have entered an Aerospace... 

Rolls-Royce receives UK agency grant for space nuclear reactor project

UK-based global major propulsion and power (including nuclear power) systems group Rolls-Royce has announced that it has been awarded £4.8-million by the UK Space Agency, to further develop and... 

Brand SA is a partner in the global astronomy conference

South Africa’s national marketing agency, Brand South Africa, is partnering with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for the IAU’s XXXII General Assembly, which is currently taking place at... 

Uncrewed surface vessel market forecast to boom over the next decade

UK-based international data analytics, solutions and consultancy company GlobalData has reported that the worldwide market for uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) will more than double over the next... 

South Africa seeks to be global hub for astronomy, says Science Minister

South Africa is seeking to become a global hub for astronomical facilities, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande told delegates to the XXXII General Assembly of the... 

South Africa invests in astronomy because it brings benefits to the country

South Africa has continuously invested in astronomy, despite the challenges it, like many developing countries, faces, highlighted National Research Foundation (NRF) CEO Fulufhelo Nelwamondo,... 

Africa Finance Corporation welcomes DRC bank as its latest equity investor

African infrastructure development funder, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), on Tuesday announced that it had received a new equity investment from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) bank and... 

Airlink announces new service from Cape Town to Gaborone

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has announced that it is to introduce a direct flight between Cape Town, South Africa, and Gaborone, Botswana. The new service will commence on... 

Airbus to build instruments for international satellite constellation, to study the atmosphere

Airbus Space Systems (part of Airbus Defence and Space, itself part of the global major aerospace group Airbus) announced on Monday that it had been selected by France’s space agency, the National... 

Rolls-Royce’s transformation programme delivered a strong first half 2024 performance

UK-based global major power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce has reported a strong performance during the first half of this year (1H24). The group credited this performance to the success... 

Global air passenger demand continued to grow in June

Total global air passenger traffic increased by 9.1%, year-on-year (y-o-y), in June, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. IATA was the global representative body for the... 

South African food inflation decelerated in June

South African food inflation in June decelerated to 4.6%, in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) has reported, in its latest 'BFAP Food Inflation Brief'.... 

Airbus reports on its first-half performance: revenues up, Ebit adjusted down

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus has reported on its performance during the first half of this calendar year (1H24). While its consolidated group revenues, which came to... 

Air cargo demand in June continued to show strong growth

June was the seventh consecutive month in which air cargo demand showed year-on-year (y-o-y) growth that was in double-digits, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA... 

Investment group and startup accelerator partner to support black-women-owned startups

Entirely black-owned broad-based investment holding company, the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), and Cape Town-based specialist startup accelerator company Grindstone, have entered into a... 

Defence industry association welcomes efforts to boost South African defence spending

The South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD) has welcomed the commitment made, earlier this month, by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military... 

Airbus partnering with lessor Avolon on hydrogen aviation and LanzaJet on SAF production

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus and Ireland-based global major aviation finance and aircraft leasing company Avolon have announced that they are partnering to support the... 

US company successfully executes regional-range test flight with hydrogen-electric air taxi

US-based electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi company Joby Aviation announced on Thursday that its hydrogen-electric demonstrator air taxi had successfully completed a 523-mile... 

First SKA dish assembled on site in the Karoo

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Observatory (SKAO) has announced that the first telescope dish for its SKA-Mid array has been assembled on site, in the Karoo region in the Northern Cape province.... 

ACSA seeking to grow its air cargo business at OR Tambo

The State-owned Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is to step up its activities to stimulate air cargo traffic growth, particularly at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA). This... 

African airlines forecast to acquire 600 new smaller jetliners and turboprops by 2043

Over the next 20 years, African airlines will acquire 380 new jet airliners in the small single-aisle (or small narrowbody) segment – that is, aircraft with fewer than 150 seats – and 220 new... 

Satellite communications company launches new solution for African miners

UK-based fully integrated satellite communications and connectivity services and solutions company Avanti Communications (Avanti) has launched, in Johannesburg, its new solution for the global... 

Rolls-Royce awarded grant by UK Space Agency to advance its space nuclear reactor project

UK-based global major propulsion and power (including nuclear power) systems group Rolls-Royce has announced that it has been awarded £4.8-million by the UK Space Agency, to further develop and... 

Global major aerospace groups call for more research into aviation non-carbon emissions

The Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) of global major aerospace groups Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, GE Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, RTX (formerly Raytheon), and Safran have issued a joint statement...