Government economic programme Coega Development Corporation, in partnership with scientific and technology research organisation Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have embarked on an initiative known as the Biofibre Hub Project. Positioned within the expansive 9 003 ha Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, this project seeks to harness the potential of plant-based fibres, particularly bast and leaf fibres, to innovate in the automotive sector and beyond.

Agricultural technology company Hello Tractor, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, aims to improve small-scale farming practices through its app Hello Tractor, which facilitates increased access to farming equipment. With a core focus on improving African agriculture through mechanisation, Hello Tractor aims to make its services more farmer-friendly, deepen its impact and expand its reach, says Hello Tractor founder and CEO Jehiel Oliver.

Smart technology, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned vehicles, can counter various challenges in the agricultural sector, boosting productivity, reducing costs and assisting in preserving precious resources, says drone technology company DJI product manager Ruan Botha. Innovative solutions are required for long-term sustainability and growth amid the host of challenges impacting the agriculture industry, he asserts.

High-impact South African startups have until May 5 to submit their applications for the Irish Tech Challenge South Africa, which promises to provide winners global market access. The challenge is a partnership between the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the Technology Innovation Agency, and implementing partners, University of the Witwatersrand’s Tshimologong Digital Precinct, and Dogpatch Labs in Ireland.

Ford South Africa has appointed Ryan Searle as its new sales director, effective May 1. Searle joins Ford after six years as the head of Volkswagen passenger sales where he was responsible for sales and market share performance for its South African dealer network, including sales strategy and demand planning for the various sales channels.

TransUnion Africa CEO Lee Naik says a tough economic environment characterised by cost-of-living challenges, high fuel costs and currency depreciations have resulted in a notable decline in vehicle sales and financing in South Africa. However, while this contraction is expected to persist, manufacturers and dealerships are stepping up their efforts to help consumers enter, or re-enter the auto market, he notes.

Independent power producer Mulilo reports that Jan Fourie has officially assumed the role of CEO, where he will oversee the company’s growth ambitions in South Africa’s public-procurement and private-offtake markets for both renewable energy and battery storage. Fourie, who is an electrical engineer with a master’s in business administration, has 17 years of experience in the African power sector, most recently as a senior executive as Scatec.

Industry organisation the Energy Council of South Africa has welcomed the passing of the Climate Change Bill by Parliament on April 25. “The Climate Change Bill is a critical piece of legislation that seeks to enable the development of an effective climate change response and a long-term just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society for South Africa,” the council points it.

City of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda announced on Thursday that the City intends to add an additional 50 MW of power to its grid by bringing online the Durban Street Substation, in the next financial year. Gwamanda was presenting the State of the City Address in Johannesburg, where he said the City has also planned for an additional 100 MW of energy by the financial year's end. “Our dedication towards avoiding loadshedding reflects in these actions aimed at protecting our citizens from discomfort and distress,” he said. He said that for “too long” the city had been struggling with the “endemic loadshedding” that has plagued South Africans. “…however, I am pleased to declare that we are taking firm measures to confront this obstacle directly. We recognise that we cannot tackle this crisis alone. It is for this reason that we have established partnerships with the Gauteng provincial government and Eskom to address it collectively,” he said. He noted and said he appreciated the increased focus on planned maintenance at Eskom, which he said had allowed the City to enjoy a temporary reprieve from loadshedding over the last month, with predicted record low stages of loadshedding for the coming winter months. Gwamanda noted that through the City’s partnership with the Gauteng government and Premier Panyaza Lesufi in particular, the John Ware substation's open gas turbine has been brought back into operation, enabling the infusion of a noteworthy 50 MW into the City’s network.

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) CEO Kobus Verster has confirmed that the company will be converting one of its three blast furnaces into an electric arc furnace (EAF) within the next four years. The company currently has two blast furnaces in operation at its Vanderbijlpark facility. However, since one of these is due for a refurbishment and relining in 2029, the decision has been made to take the opportunity to rather convert it to an EAF, as the latter produces fewer emissions.