The electricity shortages in South Africa, which have resulted in continuous loadshedding, are severely affecting people and businesses and, consequently, the economy and employment, specialists from law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) noted during a briefing on March 2. They stressed that any directives issued by ministers during the state of disaster – declared to find [...]

Calculations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were that, in Africa, some 600-million people and 10-million small businesses lacked a dependable electricity supply. Nor did connection to a national grid guarantee a reliable supply of energy. The World Bank has reported that nearly 80% of the continent’s businesses suffer from power cuts. The continent [...]

Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by less than 1% in 2022, according to new analysis published by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The ‘CO2 Emissions in 2022’ report, which is the first in a new series called the ‘Global Energy Transitions Stocktake’, shows that emissions grew by 0.9%, or 321-million tonnes, reaching a [...]

Mozambique’s ability to keep servicing its rising debt pile depends on the resumption of TotalEnergies SE’s $20-billion liquefied natural gas project, according to S&P Global Ratings. The project, once touted as Africa’s biggest private investment, stalled in 2021 following terror attacks by Islamic State-linked rebels in Mozambique’s northeast. Progress in containing the violence has led [...]

Platinum group metals (PGMs) mining and marketing company Implats benefitted from strong demand for its primary products in the half-year to December 31, amid a robust rand PGMs pricing environment, which mitigated the financial impact of broad-based inflationary pressures, the JSE-listed company said on Thursday. The company has allocated R4.3-billion over the next five years to [...]

Rail and mobility solutions company Alstom supported more than 9 000 jobs and injected R3.9-billion into South Africa as it continues to grow its local presence. These were the findings of a report it released in collaboration with assurance, strategy and tax services consultancy Ernst & Young (EY) capturing the company’s socioeconomic contributions from April 2021 [...]

The three-phase renewable energy rollout of Harmony Gold is not only driving decarbonisation but the reduction in electricity costs has the potential also to extend the mine life through a triple-win outcome. On the productivity front, strides are being made under the S300 business improvement platform, which involves each of the company’s conventional underground crews [...]

The reform-related conditions outlined by the National Treasury as part of a R254-billion Eskom debt-relief package – including the concessioning of coal power stations to the private sector and allowing for private sector participation in the building and operation of grid infrastructure – “make sense” and are necessary both in the context of the just [...]

JSE-listed industrial and mining chemicals company AECI grew its revenue for the financial year ended December 31, 2022, by 37% year-on-year to R53-billion driven by significantly improved sales in AECI Mining, AECI Water and AECI Agri Health on the back of increased demand. "The group delivered solid results in an environment of high inflation, subdued [...]

Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) this week revealed a record order book as the company reported its financial results for the six months ended December 31. At around R26.5-billion, the order book eclipses the number recorded at the end of June last year by 19%.

Civil society organisation the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) says the newly published state of disaster regulations appear to be intended to allow a quick contract with floating power company Karpowership by fast-tracking or bypassing environmental authorisations, procurement rules, public participation and even legal challenges. “Outa is determined to continue our legal challenge to review [...]

JSE-listed building materials and products retailer Cashbuild says its results for the six months ended December 25, 2022, reflect the current tough economic and trading environment. The company's revenue for the six-month period was 4% lower year-on-year at R5.6-billion. Revenue for the 309 stores that have been in operation prior to July 2021 decreased by [...]