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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.

Tourism Transformation Fund has approved R272m of financing assistance

Published: 24 May 24

The Tourism Transformation Fund (TTF) has approved transactions to the value of R272-million since its inception in 2017. The TTF was launched as a collaborative effort between the Department of Tourism and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) to foster economic transformation and empowerment in the tourism sector.

Desert to Power Initiative to transform Africa’s most vulnerable region into an energy hub

Published: 24 May 24

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has emphasised its role in delivering the Desert to Power Initiative, which aims to energise one of the least developed and most marginal parts of the continent. The Sahel region, which is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world, will become a solar energy hub, targeting 11 countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan. Desert to Power seeks to generate 10 GW of solar power by 2030 by ...

Crime, corruption keep South Africa’s S&P rating in check

Published: 24 May 24

S&P Global Ratings said it is closely monitoring the outcome of South Africa’s elections next week and subsequent government policies to address issues from crime to energy supply that have deterred investment. “We have seen investors being a little bit more cautious this year because of the election uncertainty,” S&P’s Zahabia Gupta said in an interview. “Post-elections, more political and policy stability could lead to increased investment activity.”

Solar PV facilities made up 99 of the registrations, with total capacity of 499 MW and an investment cost of R9.9-billion

Nersa confirms registration of 105 more generators as overall number rises to 1 415

Published: 24 May 24

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) reports that it registered a further 105 generation facilities during the period from January to March 2024, raising to 1 415 the number of facilities registered since the system was introduced in 2018. In a statement, Nersa said the newly registered facilities had a combined capacity of 788 MW and a total investment value of R18.4-billion, increasing the overall capacity of registered projects to 7 158 MW and the total investment value to R131-billion.

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel

Patel to leave Cabinet after elections

Published: 24 May 24

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has announced that he will conclude his service in Cabinet after next week's election. “I wish to thank the President [Cyril Ramaphosa] and the African National Congress for the trust and confidence shown during my period in office and the leadership the President has provided to Cabinet, the country and the continent. “I wish to thank the many people whose collaboration, generosity with their time and ideas, and deep commitment to building a democratic, fairer society has inspired me and helped us to make solid progress in promoting economic development. I am proud of what we have jointly achieved under challenging circumstances,” Patel comments.

Eskom seeks to reserve grid capacity for publicly procured IPP projects

Published: 24 May 24

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses Eskom's application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, seeking permission to preserve and reserve grid capacity for publicly procured IPP projects, as well as the implications should permission be granted.

Technology emphasised as way to increase sustainable mining – Chamber

Published: 24 May 24

The Southern African - German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAGCC) highlights that the development of many countries in Southern Africa is linked to the mining sector. The organisation asserts that the sector has a greater role to play to support demand recovery, which has declined because of global supply chain disruptions. Amid current geopolitical developments, the trend towards environmental consciousness is gaining traction and is visible across the mining sector in Southern Africa.