Last year marked a challenging one for the wine industry as volumes declined by 17%, resulting in total export volumes of 306-million litres. However, the value of exports increased to $540-million, or R10-billion, despite the volume decline.

The global and local renewable energy transition is presenting industries, and South Africa, with a once-in-a-century growth trajectory to provide products and components into the value chains of renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESSs). During the second quarter of 2023, more than $1.7-billion worth of solar panels, inverters and lithium-ion battery systems were [...]

South Africa’s national budget day has been confirmed for 21 February at 14:00, according a statement by the National Treasury on Wednesday. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will "announce government’s spending, tax and borrowing plans for the next three years" in Parliament, it said. This year’s event will be closely watched, with Godongwana having said during the [...]

Mozambique approved an extended deal for DP World, Grindrod and other operators of its biggest port, including a $2-billion expansion that will further draw cargoes away from neighboring South Africa’s creaking trade infrastructure. The group, which also includes Mozambique’s state-owned railway operator, won a 25-year extension to run the port in Maputo, the capital, ending [...]

A proposal to build South Africa’s and Africa’s first underground science laboratory has now moved into the project stage, with the launch of the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (PAUL), following a recent science symposium on the concept. Although South African scientists have set up temporary underground labs before, this will be the first permanent such [...]

South African energy company Aqora has rebranded to become Afrivolt, says MD Deshan Naidoo. The firm’s goal, however, remains the same – opening a lithium-ion cell gigafactory in South Africa, able to produce anodes, cathodes and lithium-ion batteries for stationary storage applications and, in the medium term, for electric vehicles (EVs). Procuring and processing the minerals [...]

Keep an eye on Vanadium Resources (VR8). It’s a motivated ASX-listed, JSE-mulling junior that is thinking expansively in line with the potentially very long-life mine that it is setting out to develop in South Africa’s expansive Bushveld Complex. VR8’s Steelpoortdrift mine project’s 680-million-ton resource is poised to give the company a potential 180-year lifespan.

City roads and stormwater agency the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) says the partial closure of the Modderfontein road bridge, between Pretoria road (West) and Wordsworth road, will remain in place until the completion of the rehabilitation works on the northern carriageway, with the southern carriageway open to accommodate counterflow traffic. The rehabilitation project is being [...]

Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company, the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), has committed XOF23.5-billion to a XOF75-billion receivables-backed bond issued by securitisation vehicle Fonds Commun de Titrisation de Créance. This will support West African telecommunications carrier Sonatel's expansion, modernisation and digital transformation plan in Senegal and beyond, boosting the company's network and improving its [...]

The revival of copper mining in South Africa’s prospective Northern Cape province on Tuesday received yet another promising forward nudge along the road to copper-revival in the form of development obstacles being moved out of the way Orion Minerals. New surface right access and property acquisition will now allow Orion to advance its Flat Mines [...]

Energy solutions company KS Energy is targeting financial closure this year for the first phase of a small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain in partnership with a Tanzanian gas producer, with first gas offtake expected in early 2026. The capital expenditure for the liquefication plant will be less than $90-million.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) has agreed to extend the submission date for requests for proposal for the 'Redevelopment of the Six Priority Land Ports of Entry' project to July 4. The six priority land ports of entry earmarked for re-development include Beitbridge on the border with Zimbabwe, Lebombo on the border with Mozambique, Maseru [...]