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Hope and angst grip South African markets as coalition era dawns

Published: 31 May 24

Election results from South Africa have left investors swinging between anxiety over the different permuations that coalition may take and lingering hopes that whatever it is will result in a market-friendly government. Before the vote, investors were bullish, confident the ruling African National Congress would secure enough votes for a coalition with a smaller party. That drove gains in the rand and the nation’s other assets.

DMRE again delays bidding deadlines for procurement of new renewables and battery storage

Published: 31 May 24

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has confirmed another extension to the bid submission deadlines for the current renewables procurement round, as well as the second battery storage bidding round. The deadline for Bid Window Seven (BW7) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) which had already been moved from April 30 to May 30, has been extended to August 15.

How it’s made: A new Ford Ranger every two minutes

Published: 31 May 24

Ford’s Silverton manufacturing plant, in Pretoria, is one of five global manufacturing hubs for the Ranger bakkie. The plant is able to produce up to 200 000 vehicles a year and, based on three-shift 24-hour production, it is capable of producing up to 720 vehicles a day – or one vehicle every two minutes.

Electricity, logistics reforms in the spotlight as coalition govt looms

Published: 31 May 24

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the coalition scenarios facing South Africa as the election results are being tallied and what this could mean for the reforms under way in electricity and freight logistics.

Students should use AI to interrogate knowledge, not just answer questions, IT experts advise

Published: 31 May 24

AI-based systems can provide personalised learning experiences, as well as identify students' strengths and weaknesses and adjust teaching to better facilitate and accelerate learning, IT industry experts said during a discussion on AI in education hosted by Regenesys Business School, in Sandton, on May 28. They stressed, however, that using AI-based systems, such as generative AI (genAI), to only generate answers without a student applying critical thinking and reasoning does not help to develop skills and is merely skimming the surface.

Air passenger demand continues to grow strongly, reports IATA

Published: 31 May 24

Global air passenger demand continued to increase in April, in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported. (IATA was the representative body for the global airline industry.) Total passenger demand was up 11%, with international demand rising 15.8% and domestic demand increasing 4%. Total capacity rose 9.6%, with international capacity increasing by 14.8% and domestic capacity by 2.1%. The total global load factor in April was 82.4%, which was a one percentage point (ppt) increase, y-o-y. The international load factor was 82.2% (up 0.7 ppt) and the domestic load factor reached 82.6% (a rise of 1.5 ppt).

Nigeria secures $500m World Bank loan for electricity sector

Published: 31 May 24

Nigeria has secured a $500-million World Bank loan for its electricity sector to boost power distribution, after last month's hike in tariffs for top consumers in Africa's most populous nation. The Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), the country's privatisation agency, on Thursday said the loan was approved by the World Bank in 2021 and included the government's borrowing plan this month after achieving some milestones.

UKZN student support services manager Dr Saloschini Pillay

UKZN using automated solution to monitor, support students' academic and holistic wellness

Published: 31 May 24

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has piloted an automated student academic and holistic wellness solution among 9 000 students in the College of Health Sciences and aims to roll the solution out to the entire university of 53 000 students, UKZN student support services manager Dr Saloschini Pillay has said. The automated student wellness and academic transformation (SWAT) programme evolved from the Teaching and Learning and Student Support Services, and the Academic Monitoring and Support programmes the university put in place in 2005 to support especially first-year students through regular engagement.

Unpacking the conditions for meeting burgeoning copper demand

Published: 31 May 24

With copper demand expected to increase from 28.3-million tonnes in 2020 to 41-million tonnes by 2040 at a compound yearly growth rate of 1.85%, and many regions gearing up supply chains for critical metals, JSE- and ASX-listed Orion Minerals CEO and MD Errol Smart says it will be the responsible mining companies that will rise to the demand challenge and be competitive in the market. Copper mining sites globally have “less than satisfactory” environmental and social management practices, but funders and offtakers are increasingly supporting mining companies with solid environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials, he tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly.