Research Channel | Advanced Search - Research Channel Africa

Back NEWS

Lack of funding remains a big concern for coal juniors

Published: 24 May 24

Amid challenging market conditions, junior coal miners in Africa face challenges in securing funding, with about 70% experiencing constraints in exploration and production owing to insufficient financing, said coal procurement and mining development company Alpha Resources and Investments CEO Selim Kaymak, citing statistics from a Mining Technology report. During a presentation at the Junior Mining Indaba on May 22, Kaymak discussed the implications of a challenging coal mining market for junior miners. In his presentation, he cited a Minerals Council South Africa statistic that junior coal miners are significant players in South African coal production, contributing up to 30% of South Africa’s overall output.

Neasa asks Patel, Itac to stop imposing upstream steel import duties

Published: 24 May 24

The National Employers' Association of South Africa (Neasa) says government’s duties on imported steel only serve to support ailing primary steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA). Neasa said the duties would not only fail to save AMSA in the long run, but were also gradually eroding the entire steel industry.

Social elements of ESG in mining more complex, but an established part of mining's legacy

Published: 24 May 24

While there are increasingly complex regulatory requirements governing the social obligations of mines, regulations are only catching up to what some mining companies are doing to benefit mine communities and stakeholders. Mining companies understand the need to obtain a so-called 'social licence to operate' from communities in an area, and many of them also conform to international regulations, such as stock exchanges' environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting rules, as well as international norms and expectations in terms of their social obligations.

AU signs new agreement on Earth observation cooperation with a European organisation

Published: 24 May 24

The African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (much better known by its acronym, EUMETSAT) have signed an agreement to reinforce their cooperation in the sphere of Earth observation (EO). This follows the start of the deployment of the third generation of EUMETSAT’s Meteosat weather- and climate-focused EO satellites. This third generation is known as the MTG satellite system. “The Memorandum of Understanding represents ...

COMRO book editor Brian Protheroe (right) and Mining Weekly's Martin Creamer (left).

Massive water power possibilities in underground mining, says COMRO book editor

Published: 24 May 24

When hydropower was being developed for South Africa’s gold-mining industry, the industry was going through a tough time and the research organisation of the day, the Chamber of Mines Research Organisation or COMRO, ceased to function in the form that it had for 30-odd years. Had COMRO continued with its intense hydraulics research through what was such an uncertain time that it merged the research organisation with the CSIR, water power could conceivably have been playing a much bigger role than it is now.

Pan African announces capital reduction to recover overpaid distributions

Published: 24 May 24

JSE- and Aim-listed Pan African Resources will host a general meeting in London on June 10 to discuss a proposed capital reduction programme. Additionally, the company expects a court hearing to confirm the legality of its capital reduction plans by July 2, before the capital reduction becomes effective on July 3.

Brikor anticipates more than 100% improvement in full-year earnings

Published: 24 May 24

AltX-listed construction materials provider Brikor expects to post earnings a share of between 0.9c and 1.1c for the financial year ended February 29, compared with a loss a share of 0.7c in the 2023 financial year. This equates to a more than 100% year-on-year increase in earnings a share.

IATA African aviation conference to be held in South Africa in July

Published: 24 May 24

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global representative body for the airline industry, has announced that its second Wings of Change Focus Africa Conference (WOCFA) will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 2 and July 3 this year. The host airline for the conference will be South African Airways (SAA). WOCFA forms part of IATA’s Focus Africa initiative, and serves as a platform to examine and review the initiative’s priorities. Focus Africa is intended to reinforce the role of aviation in the continent’s development, social as well as economic, including through improving safety, reliability and connectivity, for both people and cargo.

Shipping losses hit all-time low, shadow fleet growing, says new report

Published: 24 May 24

The 2024 Allianz Safety and Shipping Review notes that 26 large ships were lost worldwide last year – down by a third year-on-year, and the industry’s lowest ever total. Around 90% of international trade is transported across the globe’s oceans.

Staff often have to work on outages at night

Cape Town’s water and sanitation staff victims of 22 hijackings, 52 robberies

Published: 24 May 24

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says its Water and Sanitation staff have been the victims of 22 hijackings and 52 robberies since July 1, last year. Of the hijackings, seven were in Khayelitsha, six in Philippi and three in Mfuleni.