South African imports of solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and inverters climbed to a record $3.8-billion last year, or about R70-billion, while imports of wind turbines began to recover following a two-year lull, analysis compiled by Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies senior economist Gaylor Montmasson-Clair shows. Imports in 2023 were double the $1.7-billion of 2022 and [...]

JSE-listed diversified services, trading and distribution company Bidvest recorded an 8.8% year-on-year increase in revenue to R62.2-billion andan 11.8% increase in trading profit to R6.5-billion for the six months ended December 31, 2023. Acquisitions boosted the revenue growth rate by 2.8% contributing to organic growth of 6%.

The Sasol Energy Business recently launched its new forecourt design, referred to as Mark – V design, to industry. The new retail forecourt and convenience store design, launched in Secunda, Mpumalanga, is said to reflect the future of Sasol forecourt build and design.

Platinum group metals (PGMs) mining company Northam Platinum has begun construction of an 80 MW solar power farm at its Zondereinde operation in Limpopo – and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company will also begin constructing a large wind farm in the Western Cape at year-end. The mining right of the Zondereinde mine, situated roughly 30 [...]

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has announced that the petrol price will increase by R1.21 a litre for all grades from midnight on March 5. The price of 0.05% sulphur diesel will increase by more than R1.05 a litre and the price of 0.005% sulphur diesel by nearly R1.19 a litre.

JSE-listed consumer goods group RCL Foods has posted a 48% year-on-year increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) to R1.5-billion for the six months ended December 31. This was on the back of an 8.4% increase in revenue from continuing operations to R20.1-billion, as well as profits from the sale of the [...]

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has launched the Water and Sanitation Services on Privately Owned Land Policy. The landmark policy, which aims to accelerate the delivery of access to water and sanitation services on privately owned land, followed a 2019 court case that sought to enforce the provision of basic services to farm [...]

Water utility Rand Water has warned of a destabilising financial position as several municipalities' fail to honour their bulk water purchase agreements and debt settlement arrangements with Rand Water, leading to escalating debts that pose a direct threat to the utility’s medium and long-term sustainability. Rand Water, which operates without any allocation from the national [...]

Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose less strongly in 2023 than the year before, even as total energy demand growth accelerated, with continued expansion of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, nuclear power and electric cars helping the world avoid greater use of fossil fuels. Without clean energy technologies, the global increase in CO2 emissions in [...]

Continental trade bloc the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aims to integrate regional trade blocs to unlock synergies to drive more intra-African trade and enable countries to derive mutual benefits from trade in goods and services. To enable the AfCFTA Agreement, various protocols have been developed, including three so far, namely the protocol on [...]

Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed mining company Northam Platinum on Friday declared a cash interim dividend after reporting strong performance from all group operations in the six months to the end of December. Northam’s sale last year of its investment in Royal Bafokeng Platinum strengthened the company’s balance sheet and liquidity significantly with cash on hand and [...]

Platinum group metals (PGM) mining, refining, and marketing company Implats, which reported solid production in a low-price environment on Thursday, is ironically still experiencing strong demand for all major PGMs with the exception of ruthenium. The group generated half-year earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation of R8.4-billion, headline earnings of R3.3-billion or 365 cents [...]