UK creating regulatory framework for nuclear fusion plants – simpler, easier, than for fission

The UK Government has initiated the consultation process for its proposed policy to regulate the siting of commercial nuclear fusion reactors in England. (Siting policies for Scotland, Wales and... 

Weekend’s geomagnetic storm was the strongest to hit South Africa in over 20 years

The solar storm which hit Earth on Friday and Saturday was the most severe to affect South and Southern Africa in 21 years, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) has reported. The SANSA... 

New clean cooking equipment factory opened in Paarl

Clean and renewable energy solutions company Ener-G-Africa (EGA) on Thursday officially opened its new biomass stove and cookware manufacturing facility, in the Western Cape province town of Paarl.... 

AFC-led consortium financing large-scale road infrastructure development in Angola

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) announced on Friday the signing of a €381.5-million financing package for road transport infrastructure development in Angola. The AFC, founded in 2007, serves... 

ATNS, CSIR making important progress in their joint passive radar project

South Africa’s national air traffic control (ATC) agency, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), have started joint measurement... 

Energy transition to vary in different regions, countries – TotalEnergies

The energy transition – from high carbon-emitting energy sources to low and zero carbon-emitting energy sources – will vary across different regions and countries, pointed out TotalEnergies VP... 

New clean cooking equipment factory opened in Paarl

Clean and renewable energy solutions company Ener-G-Africa (EGA) on Thursday officially opened its new biomass stove and cookware manufacturing facility, in the Western Cape province town of Paarl.... 

Airlink adopting IATA’s New Distribution Capability

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has announced that it is to implement the New Distribution Capability (NDC) for its transactions with the travel trade, with effect from July 31... 

Personality affects susceptibility of people to cybercrime

Personality type is a major factor in people’s vulnerability to cybercrime, a Stellenbosch University (SU) researcher has established. People with an “agreeable” personality were more vulnerable... 

South Africa appoints new Honorary Consul in the UK to promote trade

South Africa has appointed a new Honorary Consul in the UK, it was announced on Wednesday. An Honorary Consul serves to promote South African exports to the country (or a specific region within a... 

New fellowship programme, to bring researchers into government policymaking, launched  

The pilot phase of a joint programme of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), to bridge the gap between government and academia, was officially... 

Local textile company opens new factory and launches worker shareholding programme

Cape Town-based bedding and linen manufacturer Sheraton Textiles (Sheraton) on Monday officially inaugurated its new factory and launched its Workers Trust employee share ownership programme... 

CSIR Coastal Engineers help ports and ship owners with physical and computer model tests

Although South African ports are sheltered from swell waves, three of them – Cape Town, Ngqura and Saldanha – can and do experience what are called infra-gravity waves. These are a category of... 

Boeing ups sustainable aviation fuel purchases

American aerospace giant Boeing has announced that it is to buy 35.6-million litres of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for use by its US commercial operations this year. This is its... 

Stellenbosch space company winning international orders

South African specialist microsatellite high-speed communication systems company Cubecom, part of the Alphawave Group, has announced that it has secured “substantial orders from multiple... 

Manufacturing overcapacity drives down solar PV module prices by almost 50%

The growth of the photovoltaic (PV or solar) sector worldwide has resulted in a current manufacturing overcapacity, which has driven down the prices of PV modules by almost 50%, solar PV... 

Air passenger demand continues strong growth, reports IATA

Total air passenger demand grew by 13.8% in March, in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports. (IATA is the global representative body for the airline... 

IATA reports continued strong air cargo growth in March

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported that March was the fourth month in a row in which global air cargo demand grew by double digits, in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms. IATA... 

IATA calls for more research into aircraft contrail formation and effects

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has called for urgent action to deepen knowledge about the formation and... 

International maritime security conference being held in Ghana

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo will be the guest of honour at the second meeting of the African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS), being held in Accra, Ghana, from Tuesday to Thursday inclusive.... 

Nuclear associations call on G7 States to strengthen the sector to fight climate change

Eight major international and national nuclear industry associations have urged the Group of Seven (G7) major democratic industrial economies to take steps to further develop nuclear energy... 

Airbus announces its next generation of Earth observation satellites

Airbus Defence and Space, part of the Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus, has announced that it is to augment its in-house Earth observation (EO) satellite constellation capability... 

Africa Aerospace and Defence organisers confident of a successful 2024 exhibition

More than half of the exhibition space for the 2024 iteration of the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) trade exhibition and air show has now been booked, the organisers have announced. AAD 2024... 

US group selects technology partners for SAF project

US clean fuels company DG Fuels has selected a technology, jointly developed by UK multinational advanced metals chemistry and sustainable technologies group Johnson Matthey and UK multinational... 

Africa has to get involved in carbon markets

The oil and gas industry is evolving, and has to, highlighted commodities trading and risk management company Ion Commodities VP product strategy Lance Fogtman, in a panel discussion at the 2024... 

Energy transition will take place in different ways at different rates in different regions

The energy transition – from high carbon-emitting energy sources to low and zero carbon-emitting energy sources – will vary across different regions and countries, pointed out TotalEnergies VP... 

Financing African hydrocarbon projects needs a segmented approach

In an era in which raising finance for major hydrocarbons projects was increasingly challenging, the developers of such projects in Africa should consider segmenting them and separately seeking... 

TotalEnergies committed to the energy transition, assures company executive

French multinational energy group TotalEnergies was committed to the energy transition and has a strategy for this, highlighted the group’s MD and CEO marketing and services and country chair and... 

UK innovation agency highlights quality of the emerging African space sector

Innovate UK, Britain’s national innovation agency, has, in a new report, highlighted that Africa is becoming a hub for globally competitive space technology, development and research. In... 

L’Oréal, Unesco launch the 2024 South Africa Women in Science Young Talent Search

The Foundation L’Oréal announced on Monday that the sixth edition of the Women in Science Young Talent Search had been launched in South Africa. This initiative is a partnership between the... 

Embraer reports strong increase in airliner order backlog

Brazil-based global major aerospace group Embraer – the world’s number three maker of jet airliners – has released its deliveries and order backlog report for the first quarter of this year (1Q24).... 

Research group reports that the latest El Niño had a significant impact on South Africa

A South African research group has reported that the 2023/24 El Niño phenomenon was the fourth strongest yet recorded, and that it had a noticeable impact on South Africa. The research team,... 

Norwegian airline to start low-cost London-Cape Town service in six months

Norwegian long-haul but low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways announced on Thursday that it was going to launch flights between London, in the UK, and Cape Town, during the Northern... 

Nehawu has called a strike at the Dube TradePort at King Shaka International Airport

The Dube TradePort Corporation, an agency of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, has announced that 112 employees, members of the Nehawu trade union, have gone on strike. The workers work in... 

Joint report on the main roadmaps for aviation to reach net-zero emissions released

The ‘Aviation Net Zero CO2 Transition Pathways Comparative Review’, which is a joint initiative of the International Air Transport Association (IATA – the global representative body for the airline... 

NRF to participate in significant African-European scientific collaboration forum

The National Research Foundation (NRF) will participate in the fourth AERAP Africa-Europe Science Collaboration Forum, which will be hosted by the South African Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, next... 

Boeing dramatically increases its sustainable aviation fuel purchases

American aerospace giant Boeing has announced that it is to buy 35.6-million litres of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for use by its US commercial operations this year. This is its... 

Cape Town technology enterprise incubator celebrates birthday with launch of new products

Cape Town-based ‘techpreneur’ incubation hub The Creative Lab has announced that it would mark its first anniversary with the launch of a diverse array of cutting-edge products, developed by a... 

Stellenbosch space company winning international orders

South African specialist microsatellite high-speed communication systems company Cubecom, part of the Alphawave Group, has announced that it has secured “substantial orders from multiple... 

Solar PV sector provides many opportunities for South Africa, but there are challenges

The growth of the photovoltaic (PV or solar) sector worldwide has resulted in a current manufacturing overcapacity, which has driven down the prices of PV modules by almost 50%, solar PV...