Joburg pilots scheme to improve energy access in informal settlements

To address the challenges of supplying electricity to informal settlements in Johannesburg, the city’s electricity utility City Power is managing a pilot project to supply residents in the Lawley... 

Pay-as-you-go microgrids seen offering rural electrification alternative

Pay-as-you-go solar microgrid solutions, coupled with energy storage, is proving to be a boon for the African communities they power and offers opportunities to entrepreneurs to tap into this... 

Solar, liquid-energy storage solution seen having big off-grid potential

Containerised liquid-energy storage machines, or flow machines, coupled with solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation, could provide Africa with the most cost-effective and energy efficient... 

De Beers receives conservation award

Diamond mining company De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM) received the biodiversity and social responsibility award last month for its approach to ecological management at the Wildlife Ranching... 

Bushveld Minerals to proceed with Namibia tin project acquisition

Diversified mineral development company Bushveld Minerals will pursue the acquisition of the Uis tin project, in Namibia, following the successful completion of a due diligence. Accordingly,... 

Goldplat to take dispute with Rand Refinery to the courts

Aim-listed Goldplat earlier this month said it would take immediate legal action against Rand Refinery. This follows after an independent expert’s report concerning the ongoing contractual dispute... 

Solar industry registers quality and safety training programme

Fifteen representatives from tertiary learning institutions in South Africa attended the first workshop – Inform the Trainer – at the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC) last... 

RBPlat lifts Q1 output while expansion projects advance

Platinum group metals (PGMs) miner Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) achieved a 6.5% year-on-year increase in platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (4E) metals in concentrate production to 72 300 oz... 

Pretoria property development to incorporate lagoon technology

Multinational water innovation company Crystal Lagoons has partnered with JSE-listed Balwin Properties to construct and operate South Africa’s first local Crystal Lagoon, a proprietary technology... 

SA firm delivers underground rolling stock to Chinese mine

South African original-equipment manufacturer Galison in March completed the delivery of an automated underground rolling stock solution to Chinese State-owned copper mine Pulong, in Yunnan... 

Testing of world’s first fuel-cell-powered train under way

Railway systems and equipment company Alstom successfully completed an 80 km/h test run of the Coradia iLint, the world’s first fuel-cell-powered passenger train, at the company’s test track in... 

Junior miners to benefit as a result of investment incentive

Junior mining companies stand to benefit greatly from increasing investments into venture capital companies (VCCs), which offer investors significant financial returns owing to the Section 12J tax... 

Bushveld Minerals to proceed with Uis tin acquisition

Diversified mineral development company Bushveld Minerals will pursue the acquisition of the Uis tin project, in Namibia, following the successful completion of a due diligence. Accordingly,... 

Goldplat, Rand Refinery to take contract dispute to court

Aim-listed Goldplat on Tuesday said it would take immediate legal action against Rand Refinery. This follows after an independent expert’s report concerning the ongoing contractual dispute between... 

Shipping group expects SA auto exports to continue to grow

Shipping group Safmarine believes the immediate outlook for automotive exports from South Africa is positive in light of ongoing investments by established and emerging original-equipment... 

Platinum beneficiation champion poised to launch fuel cell components plant

South Africa’s much anticipated platinum beneficiation drive is about to start, following the arrival of local beneficiation company Isondo Precious Metals’ (IPM’s) fuel cell component... 

Barloworld launches incubation hub to assist SMMEs

JSE-listed Barloworld launched the Barloworld Siyakhula Incubation Hub at its Barlow Park head office in Sandton, Johannesburg, earlier this month to assist small business suppliers and companies... 

Productivity at SA gold, platinum mines declined 49% from 1999 to 2014 – Chamber of Mines

Productivity in the platinum and gold mining sectors declined by 49% from 1999 to 2014, while labour costs increased by about 309% during the same period, Chamber of Mines (CoM) modernisation and... 

Property body investigates municipal rates and taxes

The South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) announced last month that it had reappointed specialist consultants Rates Watch to monitor rates policies for the next five years, owing to the... 

Explosives innovation helping to drive mining costs down – new report

Steady technological advancements in the mining industry are reducing mining costs, improving blasting efficiencies and driving explosives sales, thereby boosting growth in the South African mining... 

South African OEM completes equipment delivery to Chinese copper mine

South African original-equipment manufacturer Galison earlier this month completed the delivery of an automated underground rolling stock solution, comprising 40 underground wagons and two tipping... 

Saice in High Court bid to have ECSA council suspended

Civil engineering voluntary association (VA), the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice), on March 3 submitted to the High Court an application to have the current council members... 

First continuous hydrothermal liquefaction production plant launched at NWU

South Africa’s first continuous hydrothermal liquefaction plant was launched at North-West University (NWU) earlier this month, which will result in the production of bio-oils, bio-char,... 

‘Gold mining not only contributor to seismic events in Gauteng’

Historical research by the Council for Geoscience (CGS) has found that the gold mining sector is not the sole cause of seismic events in and around Johannesburg but has, however, amplified the... 

Former Anglo head offers advice to mining’s future leadership

Global conglomerate Vedanta chairperson Cynthia Carroll discussed some of her career highlights and how she overcame challenges in the mining industry working environment at this year’s Women in... 

Tech metals supply lagging demand as electric car production increases

The burgeoning lithium-ion battery market, buoyed by increased demand for and production of electric vehicles (EVs), among other end-uses, is making it increasingly difficult for producers of tech... 

Off-grid solutions attractive proposition for private-sector investors

Small-scale off-grid electricity solutions may be the best method to help reduce the electricity deficit in Africa, argued global power and automation group ABB senior VP and ABB Africa director... 

DRA launches two-year graduate programme for engineering students

Global engineering firm DRA launched a two-year graduate programme earlier this month that will see the firm provide practical industry experience to six engineering graduates. DRA human resources... 

Outgoing Barloworld CEO on surviving tough times and the group’s prospects

JSE-listed Barloworld announced the appointment of new CEO Dominic Sewela, who replaced the outgoing Clive Thomson last month. Thomson was appointed in December 2006 and managed the South African... 

Mining equipment orders ‘rebuilding’ after slump – Barloworld

Orders from Russian and Southern Africa mining customers are starting to rebuild for JSE-listed Barloworld, following a period of limited capital expenditure (capex) owing to commodity prices,... 

Tech metals supply lagging demand as electric car production increases

The burgeoning lithium-ion battery market, the result of increased demand for and production of electric vehicles (EVs), among other end-uses, is making it increasingly difficult for producers of... 

Research finds mining not the only contributor to seismic events

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Historical research by the Council for Geoscience (CGS) has placed almost beyond doubt that it is the gold mining sector that is solely responsible for causing... 

Entries open for Aveng Trident Steel Awards

Entries are open for the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction’s (Saisc’s) Aveng Trident Steel Awards 2017 and Cadex Systems South Africa Photo Competition. Saisc CEO Paolo Trinchero... 

German-backed initiative to help increase use of solar energy in industrial processes

The South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) and the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAGCCI) announced last month that they had teamed up for the... 

Newly installed system helps KZN factory recover 1.63 Mℓ of process water

A 500 000 ℓ rainwater harvesting system was handed over to global healthcare company BSN Medical’s Pinetown factory, in KwaZulu-Natal, in January, helping the company to reduce its environmental... 

African land disputes arise primarily as a result of forced removals – research

Research released earlier this month by UK-based consultancy TMP Systems, and the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) found that 63% of disputes related to private-sector land and natural... 

New cleaning solution launched into Southern African markets

Goscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE) launched its latest cleaning equipment solution – the GM1ze zero-emission refuse picker from German environment-friendly cleaning equipment manufacturer Green... 

South African gold production remained flat in 2016 – WGC

Despite generous mineral reserves and high-grade orebodies, South Africa’s gold mining industry continues to see the sparkle it once held as the best gold producer in the world, dimming, having... 

Pockets of resilience, but SA’s manufacturing outlook remains fragile

South Africa’s manufacturing sector is expected to grow by 0.5% this year and by 1.2% in 2018, according to data from economic analysis and forecast provider FocusEconomics. Financial institution... 

New black-owned compressed-air company launched

The South African compressed-air industry has celebrated its first 100% black-owned company following the launch of Enza Air, a division of industrial holdings company Asani Group, in Johannesburg...