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High Commissioner Jeremiah Nyamane Mamabolo (left) and Honorary Consul Bassim Haidar (right) in the East of England port of Felixstowe

South Africa appoints new Honorary Consul in the UK to promote trade

Published: 08 May 24

South Africa has appointed a new Honorary Consul in the UK, it was announced on Wednesday. An Honorary Consul serves to promote South African exports to the country (or a specific region within a country) in which he or she is based, act as contact person for visiting South African businesspeople, distribute general information on South Africa, and represent the country at receptions and other functions. The new Honorary Consul is businessman Bassim Haidar. Born in Nigeria, he is the founder of mobile financial services and fintech company Optasia, which is active in 30 countries. He also has agribusiness interests in South Africa.

Panel highlights the urgency of climate change governance

Published: 08 May 24

A panel experts recently underscored the critical importance of climate change governance for businesses and governments worldwide in a webinar hosted on April 17, 2024, by Creamer Media Webinars in collaboration with ESG Africa Conference. The session, which was moderated by ESG Africa Conference co-founder Wendy Poulton, provided insights into the evolving landscape of climate governance and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

A rescue worker and his dog search for survivors of the building collapse

Engineering organisations, labour dept urge patience as cause of George building collapse awaits determination

Published: 08 May 24

Civil engineering and construction industry organisations the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice), Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) and Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) have urged patience to allow for investigations into the cause of the building collapse in Victoria street, George, on May 6. Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has committed the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) to undertake an Occupational Health and Safety Act investigation of the site once the rescue and recovery interventions have been completed.

Spar Group to list on A2X

Published: 08 May 24

Retailer Spar Group has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets (A2X) and its shares will become available for trade on the exchange from May 15. Spar has wholesale warehousing and distribution operations in Southern Africa and parts of Europe that support over 4 500 stores through 14 distribution centres. It operates in 11 countries and reported revenue of R149-billion in 2023.

Messe Frankfurst South Africa MD Michael Dehn

Commercial vehicle industry poised to grow, grasp new opportunities despite challenges

Published: 08 May 24

The commercial vehicle industry in South Africa is getting to understand the opportunities in the automotive sector, such as in the autonomous vehicles space, despite various macroeconomic challenges, event organiser Messe Frankfurt South Africa MD Michael Dehn said during the Futureroad vehicle trade exhibition on May 3. He highlighted how the commercial vehicle industry continued to be a key driver of innovation and how it boosted the overall automotive industry’s ability to contribute 4.9% to gross domestic product and keep more than 110 000 people employed.

A graph showing the share of hydropower, solar and wind electricity generation growth

Renewables provided record 30% of global electricity in 2023, Ember says

Published: 08 May 24

Growth in solar and wind power pushed renewable generation to a record 30% of global electricity production in 2023, putting a global target to triple renewable capacity by 2030 within sight, a report by think tank Ember said. Cutting fossil fuel use and emissions in the power sector is seen as vital to meeting global climate targets. More than 100 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last year agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.

Zimbabwe aims to use FDI to develop a competitive economy by 2030

Published: 07 May 24

Zimbabwe held an investment conference on May 2 and 3 in South Africa during which its officials explained that the country of 16-million people wants to use local and international investments into key sectors of its economy to further develop the country by 2030. This objective is encapsulated in its National Strategy Vision 2030 and, to attract investors, the country has entered into negotiations to settle compensation claims linked to land seizures from farmers two decades ago, as well as to settle its international debt default to tap into international finance markets.

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel

Patel believes industrialist policy needs continued investment to yield full potential

Published: 07 May 24

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has called for rapid scaling up of infrastructure spending, among other urgent initiatives, to ensure current industrial policy can succeed. He was speaking at the launch of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (dtic’s) newly launched Industrial Policy and Strategy Review at the newly established Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ), on May 7.

New rail-focused logistics organisation launched

Published: 07 May 24

A new logistics industry body the Multimodal Inland Port Association (MIPA), formed by organisations in the transportation sector, has been launched to enhance logistics performance, reduce costs and boost efficiency. The association is dedicated to improving Southern Africa's supply chain. Specifically, the MIPA aims to optimise efficiency and cost-effectiveness by increasing cargo transportation on rail through the use of more inland ports.

New fellowship programme, to bring researchers into government policymaking, launched

Published: 07 May 24

The pilot phase of a joint programme of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), to bridge the gap between government and academia, was officially launched on Tuesday. Called the DSI-NRF Policy Placement Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme, it is intended to allow excellent researchers and academics to contribute directly to government agencies and inform their policy-making processes. “This programme fills two very important gaps: one in which we ...