World Bank agency guarantees are supporting green energy transition in Africa

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank had so far supported 16 renewable energy projects in South Africa, with a total generating capacity of 1.4 GW, reported MIGA VP... 

Western Cape already being hit by climate change, seeking to make itself resilient

The Western Cape is already feeling the effects of climate change, provincial Premier Alan Winde highlighted on Wednesday. He was addressing the Africa Green Economy Summit 2024, in Cape Town. The... 

MeerKAT radio telescope a beacon of technological development in South Africa

More than 260 scientific papers have so far been published, using data gathered by South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array, with 40% of them being published in the past year, highlighted... 

Major solar power project in the DRC is now set to start development

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and SkyPower Global have signed a joint development agreement to implement the first phase of an ultimately 1 000 MW capacity solar power project in the... 

Western Cape agency identifies key aviation trends during 2024

Western Cape trade, tourism and investment promotion agency Wesgro has identified five key air travel trends for this year. These are, in the agency’s terminology and order, “the race to meet... 

Durban’s Dube TradePort air cargo terminal sees demand spike because of harbour issues

Air freight through the Dube TradePort cargo terminal, at King Shaka International Airport, at Durban, spiked sharply during the last quarter of last year, in quarter-on-quarter terms. This... 

South African satellite control systems company secures venture capital funding

South African spacecraft attitude determination and control systems (ADCS) developer and manufacturer CubeSpace has secured R47-million in venture capital funding, to allow it to expand its... 

Mining’s focus switching to critical minerals, with ESG pressures increasing

The need to transform the global energy system and to cut carbon emissions, to counter the danger of climate change, is shifting the mining spotlight away from traditional high-value resources,... 

Aviation firm announces inverter technology breakthrough

UK-US zero carbon emissions aviation company ZeroAvia has announced that the initial testing campaign for its in-house developed 200 kW continuous power inverter has been successfully concluded.... 

Proposed underground lab in South Africa moves into project stage

A proposal to build South Africa’s and Africa’s first underground science laboratory has now moved into the project stage, with the launch of the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (PAUL),... 

Mining services companies facing climate conundrums

The need to counter climate change is raising a whole range of important issues for mining services companies, which, in comparison with the mining groups they served, are small in scale. This was... 

Barrick highlights importance of socioeconomic development in poor countries

The need to counter climate change and protect the environment should not distract attention from the need to achieve socioeconomic development in poor countries, Barrick Gold corporate... 

Global Reporting Initiative formally launches new biodiversity, mining standards

More than 50% of global gross domestic product was moderately or highly dependent on biodiversity, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) vice chairperson Bola Adeeko highlighted in Cape Town on... 

Threat of climate change has transformed the image of mining

The need to reduce global carbon emissions, to counter climate change, has transformed the public image of the mining industry, because of the urgent need to ramp-up the production of clean energy... 

Transformed AECI to go big globally

JSE-listed South African multinational AECI aims to be the global number three company in its core market segment of mining explosives and mining chemicals, by 2030. Of the company’s business, 80%... 

Procurement extortion, copper theft serious issues for South African miners

One of the major crime problems facing South African mining companies is that of the so-called “construction mafias”, or perhaps more accurately (as far as mining is concerned) “procurement... 

Harmony Gold highlights the fight against illegal mining

Effectively dealing with the problem of illegal mining operations really needs the recreation of specialised units by the South African Police Service (SAPS). So highlighted Harmony Gold executive... 

No-emissions transport companies team up to analyse new hydrogen technology for aviation

US-UK zero carbon emissions aviation company ZeroAvia and US hydrogen storage and refuelling technology startup company Verne have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the... 

South African food inflation decelerated in December

After three consecutive months of moving up, South African food and non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) inflation (henceforth to be referred to simply as food inflation) decelerated again in December.... 

IATA reports that the air cargo sector regained lost ground during 2023

Global total air cargo demand in December was “exceptionally strong”, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA was the representative body for the worldwide airline... 

IATA reports that total air passenger traffic is now very close to pre-Covid levels

Total air passenger traffic in December, worldwide, reached a level very close to that recorded before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has... 

Embraer reports significant increases in its aircraft deliveries and services business

Brazil-based major aerospace and defence group Embraer has announced that its commercial and business aircraft deliveries last year were 13% higher than in 2022, reaching a total of 181 aircraft... 

IATA welcomes release of some blocked airline funds by Nigeria

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has welcomed the announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that it has... 

Three of Africa’s five youngest airliner fleets are in East Africa

The five African airlines which currently have the youngest airliner fleets are, in order from youngest to less young, Uganda Airlines, Jambojet, Air Tanzania, Air Cairo and Air Austral. This was... 

Stellenbosch, Western Cape universities receive muon detector from France

Research into cosmic rays by scientists at Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has been energised by the delivery, from France, of a muon detector. The... 

NNR approves the separation of the operating timelines of Koeberg’s nuclear reactors

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has announced that it has approved the request of national electricity utility Eskom to separate the operational timelines for the two reactors of the Koeberg... 

Airline association and European regulator agree on global threat posed by GNSS jamming

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), have agreed on the dangers posed... 

A prototype dish for the SKA has started early science work in the Karoo

Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) has announced that a prototype dish for the SKA-Mid radio telescope array has commenced initial astronomical observations, known as “first... 

Global air passenger traffic now almost at pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels

Global total air passenger traffic in November last year passed 99% of the figure for November 2019, which was the last November before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the International... 

Zero carbon aeroengine company reports breakthrough in inverter technology

UK-US zero carbon emissions aviation company ZeroAvia has announced that the initial testing campaign for its in-house developed 200 kW continuous power inverter has been successfully concluded.... 

The Global Reporting Initiative has released a new Biodiversity Standard

Independent international standards organisation, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), on Thursday published a significantly updated version of its Biodiversity Standard. This was a response to... 

Airbus Helicopters reports orders increased in 2023 by about 10%, year-on-year

Airbus Helicopters, part of the Europe-based global major aerospace and defence group Airbus, has reported that it secured 410 gross orders, or 393 net orders, for its aircraft last year. These... 

Proposed underground lab in South Africa moves into project stage

A proposal to build South Africa’s and Africa’s first underground science laboratory has now moved into the project stage, with the launch of the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (PAUL),... 

Johannesburg golf club has implemented solar power system

In what is believed to be the biggest such project implemented, so far, at a major South African golf club, a solar power and battery microgrid has been commissioned at the Royal Johannesburg and... 

IATA, ICAO extend cooperation on air transport of dangerous goods

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the intergovernmental agency responsible for overseeing the regulation of civil... 

Airlink updates on aircraft runway excursion incident in Mozambique

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink on Monday issued an update regarding one of its Embraer ERJ135 37-seat regional airliners, which suffered from a runway excursion when landing at... 

Wesgro, Standard Bank, facilitate new agricultural export deal with China

Western Cape provincial trade, tourism and investment promotion agency Wesgro and Standard Bank South Africa have collaborated to support the conclusion of an export deal worth R300-million a year... 

South African woman to head Brussels aircraft maintenance facility

Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company ExecuJet MRO Services Europe has appointed South African Nadia Coetzee as GM of its facility at Brussels International Airport. She was... 

Global nuclear energy summit announced for March

The intergovernmental International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo have... 

Nuclear energy conference in Ghana in May to be hosted by that country’s President

The Africa Nuclear Business Platform (AFNBP) has announced that its 2024 conference, to be held in Accra, Ghana, from May 27 to May 30, will be attended by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa...