Debt-for-nature swaps need commitment

A financing instrument often referred to, regarding green development and conservation, is the debt-for-nature swap. But what is a debt-for-nature swap? This was the topic for a panel discussion on... 

South African firm John Thompson has re-entered Australia through a partnership

South African industrial services company John Thompson, part of the local ACTOM group, has announced that it is returning to the Australian market. It is doing so via a partnership between its... 

Parliamentary committee concerned at poor performance by arms trade regulatory agencies

Following a meeting with the South African Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association (AMD), Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence has expressed serious concern about the... 

HSRC signs an MoU with the University of Mpumalanga to strengthen mutual cooperation

South Africa’s social sciences and humanities science council, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Mpumalanga (UMP), to... 

UAE-based agro-business group expanding across Africa

Agro-food specialist investment holding group Invictus Investment has reported that it entered eight new African markets last year. The group, based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had... 

UK project to use Fischer-Tropsch technology to produce sustainable aviation fuels

UK-based power-to-liquid sustainable e-fuels development company Carbon Neutral Fuels has announced its choice of technology partners for its flagship e-fuels facility, to be constructed at... 

Ten new African astronomy-for-development projects being funded this year 

The Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), which is a partnership between South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) – an agency of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation... 

New Thungela CEO bullish about coal mining

Thungela Resources’ recently appointed CEO Moses Madondo, who was recruited from the diamond-mining sector, was confident about the future of the mining sector in general, and coal mining in... 

Global green hydrogen production is set to surge, forecasts global analytics group

Global production of green hydrogen has started to surge, driven mainly by major policy initiatives in North America, UK-based international data analytics and consultancy group GlobalData has... 

Diageo warns increasing excise on spirits yet again will benefit criminals, not the State

Spirits producer Diageo South Africa has warned that any further increases in taxes on these alcoholic drinks would likely only strengthen organised crime networks in the country. Above 6%... 

New board for KwaZulu-Natal development funding agency

The new board for KwaZulu-Natal Growth Fund Agency (KZNGFA) has been announced. The agency is a provincial public entity which falls under the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development,... 

Airlink announces change in airports at Luanda

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has announced that, with effect from March 1, its service to the Angolan capital city of Luanda will be operated to and from the new Dr Agostinho... 

South African marine researchers have new species named after them

Three South African researchers have been honoured by having new marine species named after them. This has been jointly highlighted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment... 

AI and geologists both essential for exploration

The latest technologies, such as AI, neutral networks, and deep learning, are now of great importance regarding minerals exploration. But human field work remains essential. This was the consensus... 

Bank sees move to value chain development in African mining

Mining in Africa is moving away from the 'pit to port' model, highlighted West Africa-based pan-African banking group Ecobank Group executive corporate and investment banking Michael Larble, at the... 

Railway industry body accelerating localisation programme

The local railway manufacturing, maintenance, engineering and supply industry representative body, the Africa Rail Industry Association (ARIA), has announced an acceleration of its localisation... 

France seeks African input on critical minerals for G7 summit

Critical minerals will be one of the topics discussed at this year's G7 summit, pointed out French government Interministerial Delegate for the Supply of Strategic Ores and Minerals Benjamin... 

Miners need to adopt the concept of sustainability, says Barrick exec

Mining has to move from the traditional environmental, social and governance (ESG) approach to an inclusive sustainability approach, argued Barrick Mining group sustainability executive Grant... 

US focusing on critical minerals, stresses robust due diligence

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) currently has, regarding mining, a particular focus on critical minerals, pointed out USTDA deputy director and COO Thomas Hardy. He was speaking in a... 

Automation and AI needed for future of mining

Worldwide, the mining industry, indeed all sectors of the economy, face a major structural limit, warned Microsoft worldwide mining industry leader Joseph Starwood. A large number of people are... 

Technology transformation is really people transformation – Mining Indaba panelists

Mining currently faces the challenge of adopting the latest technologies, notably, but not exclusively, AI. This was the topic for a panel discussion on the first day of Investing in African Mining... 

Improvements at Richards Bay and on the railway allowing higher coal export volumes

Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) has seen a 56% improvement in its security situation, reported RBCT CEO Alan Waller at the recent Southern African Coal Conference 2026, held in Cape Town. “We’re... 

Transnet successfully rebuilding its coal (and other) rail transport capacity

Transnet is on track to return to profitability by the end of next month, Group CEO Michelle Philips told delegates on the second day of the twenty-first annual Southern African Coal Conference, in... 

New African defence exhibition, set for October, formally launched in Nigeria

The launch of the first ever Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) has been officially announced. The event will be held from October 26 to October 29 this year at Eko Atlantic,... 

New Thungela CEO bullish about coal mining

Thungela Resources’ recently appointed CEO Moses Madondo, who was recruited from the diamond-mining sector, was confident about the future of the mining sector in general, and coal mining in... 

Minister Mantashe highlights the Coal Reimagined Programme in conference keynote

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe used his keynote address at the twenty-first annual Southern African Coal Conference (being held in Cape Town) on Thursday to highlight South... 

African countries pushing forward with nuclear energy programmes

African countries are aiming to achieve a total nuclear power generating capacity of 15 GW by 2035, most of it in West Africa. This would require a capital investment of $105-billion. This was... 

Airlink has started services between Johannesburg and Nacala

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink started operating its new regional route, between Johannesburg and Nacala in Nampula province in Mozambique, on Monday. The route will initially... 

AfDB has launched Phase II of continental electrification programme

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched the next stage of the Mission 300 initiative, which is a joint AfDB-World Bank programme to connect 300-million Africans with electricity by 2030.... 

DHL boosts its African air logistics network with Boeing 737 freighter aircraft

DHL Aviation, a subsidiary of Germany-based global logistics group DHL, has announced that it has taken delivery of two Boeing 737-400 freighter aircraft, in full DHL branding, to serve the West... 

Redefine Properties’ building at Coega awarded 5-star Green Star environmental rating

Redefine Properties’ modern logistics distribution centre, located at 62 Umlambo street, Zone 1, Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in the Eastern Cape province, has been awarded five-star Green... 

Africa to see modest acceleration in economic growth this year, says UN report

The UN has released its 'World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026' report, and its launch in Africa took place at the Addis Ababa head office of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).... 

German group DEKRA has sold its South African NDT business to local consortium Raysonics

The sale, by Germany-based global group DEKRA, of its South African non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection company DEKRA Industrial RSA, to local consortium Raysonics Investment, has now been... 

Railway industry body is focusing on skills development for the sector

The local railway manufacturing, maintenance, engineering and supply industry representative body, the Africa Rail Industry Association (ARIA), has announced an acceleration of its localisation... 

The CSIR’s wildfire detection and monitoring system now accessible without needing a log-in

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has announced that its satellite imagery-based Advanced Fire Information System’s (AFIS’) active fire location layer is now available to... 

CHIETA highlights its support for maths and science education in under-resourced areas

The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) has stressed that providing equitable access to high-quality maths and science education, especially for learners in... 

Durban Direct welcomes Qatar Airway’s decision to increase flights to the city

Air travel and cargo development initiative Durban Direct has highlighted the recent decision by global major airline group Qatar Airways to increase the number of its flights between its home... 

Association warns consumer electrical product safety in South Africa not as good as it should be

South African voluntary safety association Safehouse has highlighted that while many electrical products found on local store shelves were assumed, by consumers, to have been vetted by the retailer... 

Innovative rural Limpopo small business benefits from inventor patent support programme

South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), which is the local partner for the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO’s) Inventor Assistance Programme (IAP), is... 

South Africa’s SALT telescope plays key role in solving a cosmic mystery

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) has been used, by international astronomers, to solve a “cosmic mystery”. Located in the South African Astronomical Observatory complex at Sutherland in...