Kelp Blue plans to issue Africa’s first corporate blue bond next year to expand its giant kelp forests along Namibia’s coast. The De Beers-backed startup will list the first $20-million tranche of a four-year program, in which it seeks to raise as much as N$3-billion, on the country’s stock exchange in 2025, it said in [...]

The GDP of sub-Saharan Africa’s mobile industry is projected to reach $170-billion by 2030 – if key connectivity barriers are addressed – with opportunities in AI, 5G and satellite connectivity set to bridge a 60% use gap. In 2023, the mobile industry contributed $140-billion, or 7%, to the GDP of the region, with mobile connectivity a [...]

With climate change perceived as one of the critical challenges threatening the viability of businesses, infrastructure and natural ecosystems, industry bodies Minerals Council South Africa and Business Unity South Africa (Busa) have welcomed the gazetting of the Climate Change Act (CCA) into law, highlighting its benefits while acknowledging some of its shortcomings. The organisations – [...]

The large solar electricity plant at DRDGOLD’s Ergo gold tailings retreatment operation has received a formal grid connection certificate from Eskom, Ergo reported ahead of flying journalists over the operation’s expansive array of solar panels and batteries, which provide a collective 187 MW of installed capacity. “We run the plant off the batteries whilst being [...]

The newly appointed head of Scatec’s sub-Saharan Africa business, Alberto Gambacorta, says the group is pursuing a 5 GW pipeline of renewable energy and storage opportunities in the region and especially South Africa, which is already the Norwegian group’s global hub for engineering and operations. Gambacorta, who was named GM for Scatec sub-Saharan Africa on [...]

Skills development firm Resolution Circle has secured a grant from the National Skills Fund (NSF) for 700 tertiary students to attend its Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programmes. Students from universities of technology (UoTs), technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and recent graduates can apply to the programmes, which bridge the gap between theoretical [...]

In an effort to advance ilmenite up the value curve as titanium dioxide pigment, producer Nyanza Light Metals is progressing the construction of a Richards Bay plant to process ilmenite produced from the mining of heavy mineral sands.

Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ) has invested $3-billion on infrastructure over the past few years and has plans to invest a similar amount over the next few years as it works to attract investors, its chairman said in an interview. The zone, a collection of six ports and four industrial areas alongside, or near [...]

Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi has acknowledged that the group stands at the “threshold” of a potentially difficult energy transition but he has also disputed assertions that the carbon-heavy chemicals and fuel producer has now entered an inevitable “sunset” phase. Speaking at an environmental, social and governance roundtable, Baloyi reported that work was under way on [...]

Engineering and contracting group Murray & Roberts (M&R) has advised that its interim earnings for the six months ended December 31 will be impacted on by the loss of business it had in place with De Beers’ Venetia operation, in South Africa, as well as continued liquidity constraints. M&R’s mining business in South Africa, Murray [...]

The cruise industry contributed R1.32-billion to the Western Cape economy during the 2023/24 season, up from R1.2-billion in the previous season, despite a slight drop in ship calls. This is according to Cruise Cape Town, powered by Wesgro, as it released the Western Cape Cruise Liner Industry 2023/24 Season Report.

The R7-billion rollout of the second phase of Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service, linking Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and other communities across the metro south east corridor, is 50% complete, says City of Cape Town (CoCT) Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Work on the 44-month project started in 2022.