What South Africa’s base metals mining aspirant Orion Minerals has been trying to do over the last two years is to drive a very typical historic project financing arrangement for junior mining. This very typical historic project financing model involves getting banks in for between 60% and 70% of the project finance and equity in [...]

Ratings agency S&P Global Ratings has placed its ratings on State-owned utility Eskom on CreditWatch with positive implications, including its ‘CCC+’ issuer credit rating and 'zaB' South Africa national scale long-term rating. S&P attributes this to the South African government’s planned R254-billion ($14-billion) debt relief agreement, which the agency expects will address Eskom’s near-term debt [...]

As the world undergoes a revolution towards greener and more digitalised technology, and the need to feed almost ten-billion people by 2050 looms, there is consensus from experts speaking at Africa Agri Tech 2023 that farmers need to equip themselves with knowledge and planning for the future. Industry body BerriesZA CEO Brent Walsh says the [...]

The winner of a technology innovation challenge geared towards improving underground mine safety was recognised and showcased at a ceremony in Johannesburg last month. Darren Parker tells us more.

The Constitutional Court has conclusively ruled that water rights holders are entitled to transfer such rights in accordance with the provisions of the National Water Act, dismissing the appeal by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Agri SA and the South African Association for Water Users Associations (SAAFWUA) said in a joint statement on [...]

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has granted Eskom exemption that will enable it to operate temporary stacks at the Kusile power station, in Mpumalanga, for 13 months without using the flue-gas delsuphurisation (FGD) mechanism. The exemption, which was granted on March 14, has not been extended in terms of the newly published [...]

The Central Energy Fund (CEF) Group of Companies on March 14 provided an update on the merger of its subsidiaries Petro SA, iGas and the Strategic Fuel Fund, to create a single entity called the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC). In addressing the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, CEF chairperson Ayanda Noah [...]

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel reports that that energy one-stop-shop to speed up the regulatory processes required for private investment in electricity generation has been established and is being managed by InvestSA. In a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, Patel reported that the one-stop shop had been established in [...]

Funding for the R2.5-billion construction of the Mintails tailings project has been completed, with Pan African Resources managing to capitalise on the current attractive rand gold price to secure the final component of the full funding package without any dilution to its shareholders. “We’re excited to commence with the project’s construction in the next months,” [...]

Labour union the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has expressed its support for Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s pro-coal stance, alleging “coercion” efforts to move away from the carbon-intensive fuel are driven by an “anti-fossil fuel agenda”. As he has done on numerous occasions, Mantashe reaffirmed his strong pro-coal convictions most recently at [...]

Standard Bank says it is at the ready to support renewable energy and infrastructure projects. The bank, which this week delivered record 37%-higher headline 2022 earnings of R34.2-billion and paid the highest dividend in its 161-year history, expresses the view that meaningful structural reform and an improvement in the electricity supply in South Africa could lift [...]

Consumer goods company Premier Group has released an abridged pre-listing statement relating to the admission to listing of the ordinary shares of Premier Group in the “Food Products” sector of the main board of the JSE with effect from the start of business on March 24. In connection with the admission is an offer to [...]