After declining in the first two months of the year, the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) continued its momentum in April to reach a level of 123.4 – an increase of 2.8% compared with March. This is also 1.5% above the levels seen a year ago.

Repairs to South Africa’s coal-fired stations that have helped the State power utility avoid debilitating blackouts for three months straight is giving solar installers an unintended break. Until March, Eskom had inflicted power cuts for as many as 12 hours a day due to unreliable units prone to breakdowns. The outages have crimped the economy and inconvenienced residents who have burned candles, bought batteries and — for those who can afford it — put up solar panels. But the power is back, for now. And after 77 consecutive days and counting of stable supply from Eskom, demand for such installations from the suburbs to small businesses has cooled, according to De Wet Taljaard, a technical specialist for solar energy at the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association. “Based on anecdotal evidence and if you look at the stats that are available, it does appear as if there has been a significant drop in the capacity that has been installed recently,” he said. Average monthly capacity additions from February to April this year dropped to 26 megawatts from 97 megawatts during the same period in 2023, Taljaard said, citing Eskom data.

South Africa’s Transnet claims the World Bank’s 2023 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) – in which South Africa’s ports rank dismally overall and the Port of Cape Town came in at the bottom of the 405 ports listed –  contains “factual errors” that it had no opportunity to contest or correct. In a statement, Transnet reports it has already met with World Bank representatives to raise its concerns about both the data, derived from Automatic Identification System and liner shipping data, and the methodology employed to compile the index.

A significant reduction in the number of Cabinet Ministers and a fundamental overhaul of the Presidency are important steps towards fixing South Africa’s weak State, says policy research organisation Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) executive director Ann Bernstein. Smaller Cabinets tend to be more agile, more collegial and more accountable, she adds, noting that Cabinet processes would be greatly strengthened by a far more rigorous process of priority-setting, so that government focuses on doing fewer things well.

JSE-listed cement company PPC has informed shareholders that it expects to report increases in its earnings per share (EPS) and headline earnings per share (HEPS) of at least 20% year-on-year for the financial year ended March 31. The company on June 12 attributed the expected increases in EPS and HEPS to a strong performance by PPC Zimbabwe in the financial year under review, compared with a poorer performance in the 2023 financial year on the back of an extended kiln shutdown.

JSE-listed Telkom on Wednesday said it expects a triple-digit increase in its basic earnings per share (BEPS) and headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the year ended March 31, 2024. This is attributed to a stronger operational performance driven by continued demand for next-generation technologies, the revenues of which increased 7% to comprise almost 80% of total group revenue, along with cost-optimisation initiatives.

Original-equipment manufacturer Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has launched a line of electric heavy-duty trucks, the e-Actros range, as part of its Power Up electric mobility offering.

South Africa should consider ways to replicate strategies employed in regions such as South Australia and California to facilitate an accelerated uptake of grid batteries, which a new International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) report states can be introduced to support grid stability and bolster the flexibility required to support variable renewables generation. While stressing that solutions are “location specific”, the report, which is the second in a series by IISD, argues that some replicable strategies could include enabling battery operators to benefit from multiple revenue streams and offering specific financing mechanisms for initial projects.

Africa added over 2 GW of hydropower capacity in 2023 but 90% of the continent’s on-river hydropower potential remains untapped, a new report states. Published by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), the ‘2024 World Hydropower Outlook’ reports that Africa added more new capacity in 2023 than any region besides East Asia, where 8 586 MW was added.

Renergen has completed the shutdown, checks, calibrations and corrective actions at its liquid helium facility, in Virginia, in the Free State, and has restarted the facility, resuming liquid helium production as of June 4. An original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) in April brought the helium cold box to the appropriate temperature to liquify helium in batches from wells at the project area. This process involved the purification of the helium to a level of 99.999% purity, which was validated by an independent third-party laboratory.