R300m fund for SMMEs in renewable energy sector launched

Specialist risk finance group Business Partners has launched a dedicated R300-million fund earmarked for the financing of new or existing small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) in the... 

Fossil fuels to remain key component of energy mix, reiterates DoE

As South Africa continues to await the tabling of the country’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) by Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Department of Energy (DoE) energy planning chief director... 

S African coal exports unsustainable at long-term prices – Prevost

XMP Consulting coal analyst and Eskom consultant Xavier Prevost has again argued against the continued large-scale export of coal from South Africa, telling delegates at the Fossil Fuel... 

Samancor to cut 500 jobs – Solidarity

Trade union Solidarity says a “major” restructuring process at Samancor Manganese’s Metalloys plant, in South Africa, will affect 500 employees in various sections of the company. According to... 

Aureus buys gold corridor licences adjacent to its Liberia mine

West African gold producer Aureus Mining has inked a deal that will see it acquiring three exploration licences contiguous to the company's Bea Mountain mining licence and located close to the New... 

W Cape bee population threatened by bacteria strain, govt warns

The bee population of the Western Cape is being seriously threatened by American Foulbrood (AFB) – an infection caused by the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae – with knock-on effects... 

Threat of Zim airport closure a cautionary tale, Gibb asserts

Black-owned engineering consulting firm Gibb has intensified calls for the upgrade of Africa’s ageing airport infrastructure, arguing that aviation investment is becoming increasingly critical as... 

PTM secures $80m to advance WBJV mine

TSX- and NYSE-listed Platinum Group Metals (PTM) has delivered notice to Sprott Resource Lending Partnership for the drawdown of a $40-million working capital facility, executed in February. The... 

10% of S African firms victims of cyberattack in past year

As State Security Minister David Mahlobo delivered his opening address at the State Security Cybersecurity Conference, in Pretoria, on Monday, new global research from Grant Thornton’s... 

Imperial offloads industrial equipment company for R1.03bn

JSE-listed Imperial Holdings has reached an agreement to dispose of the group’s interests in industrial equipment importer and distributor Goscor to the current management and minority acquirers of... 

Development delays at Lace mine to hit 2016 Q1 cash flow

South African diamond asset developer DiamondCorp continues to advance development at the Lace diamond mine, in the Free State, with work on the Upper K4 (UK4) block focused on preparing the 310 m... 

S Africa lambasts developed countries’ stance ahead of COP21

Four weeks ahead of the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Paris, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa... 

PetroSA announces departure of suspended CEO

South African national oil company PetroSA has reached an agreement with CEO Nosizwe Nokwe-Macamo that will see her employment terminated, with effect from November 1, the company said in a... 

Singapore investor eyes stake in CoAL’s coking coal project

Singaporean private investment firm Yishun Brightrise Investment has kicked off a due diligence investigation of Coal of Africa Limited’s (CoAL’s) Makhado coking coal project, in Limpopo,... 

Education to get a larger slice of 2016 budget pie, says Nene

A little over a week after delivering his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to Parliament as students protesting under the #FeesMustFall campaign amassed outside, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene... 

‘Resilient’ small businesses now face funding, cash flow headwinds

South African small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continue to show resilience in the face of lingering economic headwinds, funding shortfalls and delayed client payments, results from the... 

JSE property newcomer Acsion posts H1 NAV of R10.42

Amid an operating environment that remained challenging and which drove a focus on cost control, real estate investment trust (Reit) Acsion – a relative newcomer to the JSE – recorded revenue of... 

Pivotal, Redefine, Abland buy Jhb land parcel in three-way deal

Development-focused investment fund the Pivotal Fund has bought a 45% share in S&J Industrial – a 160 ha industrial parcel of land in Germiston, Johannesburg.   This followed a joint venture... 

Goldplat returns to profitability, seeks S American prospects in Q1

Aim-listed Goldplat has reported “robust” gold production of 9 581 oz for the quarter ended September 30, pointing to stability across its South African, Ghanaian and Kenyan gold operations that... 

Localisation by oil, gas companies in Africa should go beyond ‘box-ticking’ – Deloitte

Multinational oil and gas companies should embrace the concept of localisation in the countries in which they operate, partnering with governments and local communities to lower supply-chain costs,... 

Sephaku expects hefty 579% lift in H1 earnings

Sephaku Holdings expects its earnings a share for the six months to September 30, to rise by up to 579% to between 9c and 9.4c apiece. Headline earnings a share were likely to increase by a similar... 

African Potash secures finance deal for offtake partners

Aim-listed explorer African Potash has advised that its investment banking adviser Loita Capital Partners International has arranged an offtaker finance facility term sheet with local bank Ecobank... 

Cesa youth forum calls for more jobs to be created

Consulting Engineers South Africa’s (Cesa’s) Young Professionals Forum (YPF) has expressed its solidarity with students at tertiary institutions across the country in their fight against what it... 

Tribunal chair urges caution on potential Competition Act transgressions

Competition Tribunal chairperson Norman Manoim has urged chartered secretaries and compliance officers to exercise caution during their governance of a company’s corporate activity, telling the... 

Changes to investment Bill a ‘self-inflicted’ economic blow, think tank warns

As Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry continues to mull the Protection of Investment Bill, Johannesburg-based think tank the Institute for Race Relations (IRR) has described the... 

Minbos awarded licence over additional Angolan deposits

ASX-listed Minbos Resources has secured licences for all deposits within its 50%-owned Cabinda phosphate project, in Angola. The company announced on Tuesday that the Angolan Ministry of Mines and... 

Kenmare’s Moma mine lifts Q3 heavy minerals concentrate output

Mineral sands production from Kenmare Resources’ Moma titanium minerals mine, in Mozambique, continued to increase in the third quarter ended September 30, as the mine resumed steady operations... 

Aquarius lifts Q1 output; metals prices cut profits

Triple-listed Aquarius Platinum has lifted attributable production for the quarter ended September 30 by 8% year-on-year to 93 513 oz of platinum-group metals (PGMs). The group’s Kroondal mine... 

True Gold names former Nevsun finance man CFO

Replacing Ryan Torvik, who had been with the company since the prefeasibility stage of the flagship Karma gold mine, in Burkina Faso, TSX-V-listed True Gold Mining has appointed Peter Hardie as... 

Developing countries lose economic ground in Q2 – report

Major emerging economies “once again” posted disappointing performances in the second quarter of the year, with growth broadly less dynamic than during the first quarter, owing to weaker... 

WTO trade agreement could lift global exports by $1tn a year – report

The first detailed study into the potential impact of the implementation of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) has pointed to its potential to increase global... 

Denel announces upcoming launch of maritime division

After just under a year ago establishing its Integrated Systems & Maritime (ISM) division, South African State-owned aerospace and defence technology conglomerate Denel plans to officially launch... 

IFM stalls annual report as subsidiary’s business rescue process advances

Ferrochrome producer International Ferro Metals (IFM) expects to publish the business rescue plan for its embattled South African subsidiary IFM South Africa (IFMSA) by November 30, noting in a... 

Commission refers case against WBHO, Group Five to tribunal

Marking the end of the Competition Commission’s investigation into the alleged collusive conduct in the construction sector arising out of the fast-track process, the commission has referred to the... 

Govt announces paper, packaging recycling plan

South Africa is soon to introduce a Paper and Packaging Industry Plan that will require separation-at-source from a household level, bringing about a significant change in the current waste... 

Cabinet ratifies relaxation of controversial immigration laws

The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has welcomed the ratification by Cabinet of changes to unpopular immigration regulations, noting that, while the organisation required... 

Cesa yearly conference to place infrastructure delivery at its centre

Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) has rebranded its yearly conference and exhibition, dubbing the event, which looks to stimulate debate on key issues in the consulting engineering and... 

MTN named Africa’s top brand

Demonstrating that established brands continue to hold sway on the continent, telecommunications provider MTN has retained the Best Brand in Africa title, clinching the Grand Prix award at the... 

Northam, Heraeus sign R300m platinum offtake, development deal

Platinum producer Northam Platinum has agreed terms to extend a cooperation agreement with offtake partner Heraeus Deutschland and Heraeus South Africa (HSA), the terms of which will see Heraeus... 

First ‘fully local’ solar PV projects selected under REIPPPP

The 5.8 MW Adams and 5.8 MW Bellatrix solar projects, in the Western Cape, have been selected under the Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement...