Multibillion-rand Cape Winelands Airport aims to receive first passengers in 2027  

 Cape Town’s proposed second big commercial airport, Cape Winelands Airport (CWA), should receive its first passengers in 2027, says RSA.Aero MD Nick Ferguson. RSA.Aero is the project developer,... 

Port of Maputo reports record volume for 2023

The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) says the Port of Maputo achieved a record volume of 31.2-million tons in 2023, up 16% on the previous year. MPDC is a public–private partnership between... 

Transnet needs ‘the right, permanent management, quickly’ – Havenga

State-owned rail and port operator Transnet could, potentially, show significant improvement this year compared with last year’s dismal performance, says transport economist and macrologistics... 

Ashok Leyland enters Southern African market with Dost workhorse

India’s Ashok Leyland has entered the Southern African commercial vehicle market with its Dost 1.5 l ℓturbodiesel workhorse. Headquartered in Chennai, with nine manufacturing plants, Ashok Leyland... 

Bell Equipment founder’s grandson named CEO

Bell Equipment has appointed Ashley Jon Bell (41), grandson of company founder Irvine Bell, as new group CEO, effective January 1. This follows the July resignation of outgoing group CEO Leon... 

City of Cape Town issues independent power tender

The City of Cape Town has issued the latest in a series of power-related tenders aimed at mitigating the impact of loadshedding and diversifying its energy supply from Eskom. The city says this is... 

Metair appoints O’Flaherty as new CEO

Automotive and energy group Metair has appointed Paul O’Flaherty its new CEO, starting from February 1. This follows Sjoerd Douwenga’s resignation at the end of last year. 

Takealot rolls out ten JAC battery-powered delivery trucks

Online retailer Takealot has deployed ten JAC N75 EV battery electric trucks to make deliveries in Gauteng and the Western Cape. The company in November welcomed four N75 four-ton electric trucks... 

DTSA launches online parts platform

Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has launched a new e-commerce platform – the Daimler Truck Parts Portal. The platform works on a click-and-collect basis, which means customers can buy parts... 

Eagle Eye Defence aims to roll out in-vehicle biometric security system this year

South African startup Eagle Eye Defence has developed an in-vehicle security system that uses fingerprint verification to start the powertrain. Cofounder Iviwe Mosana describes Eagle Eye Defence as... 

SA-made nature-mimicking shark-barrier tech scores first commercial installation

The ecofriendly SharkSafe Barrier technology, developed by marine biologists at Stellenbosch University (SU) and their collaborators, and manufactured in the Western Cape, has been installed at a... 

DHL to test Volkswagen’s electric ID.Buzz Cargo vans in South Africa

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has partnered with DHL Express for the pilot testing of the electric ID.Buzz Cargo van in South Africa. Four ID.Buzz Cargo units have been placed at DHL Express... 

Vehicle sales up 0.5% in 2023 – Naamsa

New-vehicle sales in the domestic market inched up by 0.5% in 2023 compared with 2022, says Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council. This follows jumps of 13.9% in 2022 and 22.2% in 2021. 

Barloworld expects slowdown in mining equipment sales as commodity cycle cools

Barloworld expects a 10% to 15% decline in the 2024 Southern African mining equipment industry on the back of slowing commodity demand and weak commodity prices. “Having said that, we are... 

Transnet expects 175 vessel calls as cruise liner season opens

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) says it expects 175 vessel calls at South African port cities in the 2023/24 cruise liner season, which opened earlier this month. The vessels are expected... 

Volkswagen, Egyptian govt to undertake feasibility study on shared painting facility

Volkswagen and the government of Egypt have signed an agreement to develop a feasibility study on a shared automotive painting facility in the East Port Said Automotive Zone (EPAZ) within the East... 

Cape Town to announce preferred bidders for power projects in mid-2024

The preferred bidders for the City of Cape Town’s 200 MW embedded independent power producer programme will be announced in mid-2024, says Energy MMC Beverley van Reenen. The first power from these... 

Toyota Gazoo Racing SA to contest Dakar 2024 with three new crews as Al-Attiyah bows out

Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGR SA) will field three crews at the 2024 Dakar Rally, with all three drivers hailing from South Africa.  Former TGR SA star and Dakar 2023 overall winner Nasser... 

GWM launches its first EV in South Africa – priced below R700 000 

Great Wall Motors (GWM), also the owner of the Haval brand, has launched its first electric vehicle (EV) in the domestic market. Ora is the Chinese carmaker’s new-energy-vehicle-specific brand,... 

Business vehicles twice as likely to be hijacked as stolen – Tracker

Tracker statistics for the period January to June show that hijackings still dominate national vehicle crime, accounting for 55% of incidents, versus theft at 45%.  However, while the... 

Report shows uptick in truck collisions

The 2023 Webfleet Road Safety Report shows a jump in collisions involving trucks this year, at 1 313 incidents, compared with 1 252 collisions in 2022. The survey for the report was conducted... 

PRASA sets sights on big recovery in passenger trips by 2030

Like many other State-owned entities, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has had its share of scandals. Its board chairperson was fired following an investigation into abuse of PRASA... 

China’s cheaper EVs challenging Western market dominance – report

A divide in the global transition to electric vehicles (EVs) has emerged as Chinese manufacturers seem to be rushing ahead of their Western counterparts in the production and sale of EVs.  This is... 

Stellantis to launch Strada half-tonner in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding S Africa

Stellantis has announced that it will launch the Fiat Strada half-ton bakkie in left-hand-drive markets in sub-Saharan Africa, starting this month. This excludes South Africa, where the Strada was... 

Contractors urge dialogue on the back of 88 liquidations

Contract changes within the construction industry and conditions that are slashing margins are becoming a growing threat to contractors, “contributing to the downward spiral of the construction... 

Mercedes-Benz SA, BEE partner to roll out 127 electric vehicle charging stations

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) will roll out 127 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country in a R40-million investment. As demand for EVs continues to grow, “ensuring robust... 

Barloworld expects slowdown in mining equipment sales as commodity cycle cools

Barloworld expects a 10% to 15% decline in the 2024 Southern African mining equipment industry on the back of slowing commodity demand and weak commodity prices. “Having said that, we are... 

Increased exposure, cost concerns among insights revealed by AutoTrader’s EV buyers survey

AutoTrader’s 2023 South Africa Electric Vehicle (EV) Buyers Survey shows that 63% of respondents believe they would purchase an EV within the next five years, down from 65% in 2022. Some marginally... 

Avis launches iLease as an alternative to vehicle ownership

Avis Fleet has introduced iLease, the company’s first leasing product in South Africa. iLease allows consumers the use of a vehicle for any duration between 12 and 48 months, as an alternative to... 

Electric vehicle market stymied by slow public charging roll-out – global study

A new study from Juniper Research has found that the lack of public infrastructure is severely limiting electric vehicle (EV) adoption in urban environments.  In particular, as flat and apartment... 

TNPA issues Eol for small, medium-scale LNG imports

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has published an expression of interest (EoI) document to determine market appetite for small- to medium-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports through... 

City of Cape Town study proves business case for electrification of vehicle fleet

The City of Cape Town has wrapped up a three-year electric vehicle (EV) pilot project, which it says proves the business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets.  “Battery EV... 

Rubicon aims to more than double its charging network by the end of 2024

Technology group Rubicon aims to expand its electric vehicle (EV) charging network from the current 90 chargers to more than 250 by the end of next year, says e-mobility director Greg Blandford.... 

Serco’s Gauteng premises now fully solar powered

Truck and trailer body-building company Serco is now fully powered by solar energy at its Boksburg facility in Gauteng. The installation consists of a 150 kW hybrid solar system with 370 x 405 W... 

South Africa should not be ‘pushed into a corner’ on energy funding, say SANEDI and Eskom

While any funding of South Africa’s embattled energy sector is welcome, South Africa should not “be pushed into a corner” on how this money should be spent, said South African National Energy... 

New Hyundai boss expects negative 2023 as consumers battle tide of bad news

Newly appointed Hyundai Automotive South Africa (HASA) CEO Gideon Jansen van Rensburg steps into his new role at a challenging time. Not only is the domestic passenger-car market cooling, but the... 

Energy crisis being addressed, but implementation is slow, admits DMRE DG

One of the biggest positive developments over the last 12 months has been the “convergence of ideas on what we need to do to resolve the energy crisis”, said Department of Mineral Resources and... 

Broad-based strain evident in the logistics sector, Ctrack index shows

The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (CTFI) retreated further during August, to an index level of 118.8, the lowest since February, when it was at 116.7.  This represents a 1.5% decrease. It is... 

Association warns of looming spate of retrenchments at dealerships, retail stores

The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) says a number of dealerships and retail stores have announced their intent to restructure, which could lead to a spate of retrenchments in the automotive... 

Africa using only ‘very small’ percentage of its wind power potential, says GWEC

Africa is using less than 1% of its wind power potential, which is “very, very, very little”, says Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Africa director Wangari Muchiri. A new report released at...