User-targeted public transport subsidy to be submitted to Cabinet by month-end

The proposed new Public Transport Subsidy Policy should reach Cabinet before the end of June, says Department of Transport deputy director-general Mathabatha Mokonyama. Government’s economic... 

Risk of total blackout not keeping me awake at night, says acting Eskom boss

The risk of a total blackout in South Africa is not keeping him awake at night, says Eskom acting CEO Calib Cassim, but rather any escalation in loadshedding beyond Stage 6. “One of the biggest... 

Association claims ‘something is rotten’ in construction sector as five of its long-standing members fold

The Master Builders Association (MBA) North reports that five of its long-standing members went out of business during the course of last year.  The association’s executive director, Mohau... 

Car imports from China, India surge as cash-strapped consumers buy down

The domestic new-vehicle market saw a surge in imports from India and China last year, with buyers increasingly opting for cheaper imported cars than those made in South Africa. India led the... 

Raubex sees 17% uptick in order book, 35% jump in profit

Construction group Raubex says it has seen a “pleasing” 17% increase in its order book for the financial year ended February 28, to R20-billion, up from R17.1-billion in the previous year. About... 

New-vehicle sales 0.2% lower in April

New-vehicle sales in April declined by 0.2%, to 37 107 units, compared with the same month last year. The new passenger car market reached 24 174 units in April – a 6.1% decrease on the same month... 

Daimler Truck SA opens new head office in R200m investment

Daimler Truck Southern Africa (DTSA) has officially opened its new head office in Centurion in a R200-million investment into the country. The group also spent R20-million on upgrading its truck... 

Electric car demand booming, with sales forecast to increase by 35% this year

Global sales of electric cars are set to surge to yet another record this year, says the International Energy Agency (IEA). The newest edition of the agency’s ‘Global Electric Vehicle Outlook’... 

World’s largest RORO vessel docks at Durban port

The world’s largest roll-on-roll-off (RORO) vessel, MV Salome, docked at the Durban Car Terminal at the end of April on her maiden voyage to Africa. The vessel carried a consignment of 644 fully... 

Electric trucks can work in South Africa, insists Volvo Trucks

As the charge towards electric mobility continues unabated in Europe, the US and China, many questions are being raised around electric trucks in South Africa.  Can they travel the distances... 

BMW appoints new plant director at Rosslyn operations

BMW Group South Africa (BMW SA) has announced the appointment of Dr Niklas Fichtmüller as the director of its assembly plant in Rosslyn, in Tshwane, effective this month. Fichtmüller succeeds Johan... 

Chery, Haval move into new, larger parts warehouses

Chery South Africa (SA) has moved into its new parts warehouse in Boksburg, Gauteng, 14 months after opening the doors to its previous facility.  The new facility represents a doubling of storage... 

Functional passenger rail service will sustain 51 493 jobs – City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has completed its preliminary financial analysis and impact assessment report as part of a feasibility study on the devolution of commuter rail services from the... 

Cape Town to spend R5.2bn on MyCiTi network expansion over next three years

The capital budget for the City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate amounts to roughly R8.3-billion over the next three financial years, with more than R543-million set aside for projects to... 

Firm investigating viability of Eastern Cape battery plant

South African energy company Aqora is investigating the possibility of opening a vertically integrated gigafactory in the country, able to produce anodes, cathodes and lithium-ion batteries for the... 

SA transport sector’s shift to zero emissions requires move to rail, ban on new ICE vehicle sales by 2035

For South Africa to cut greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the transport sector to zero, 15% to 20% of road traffic must move to rail. This shift is also key in addressing road congestion, and improving... 

SVI sees strong growth in armoured vehicle demand as crime surges

SVI Armouring Solutions expects to armour about 200 vehicles this year, up from 130 vehicles in 2020. SVI business development director Nicol Louw says the recent surge in the domestic crime rate,... 

Born in Cape Town and now cleaning waterbodies worldwide – meet the WasteShark

It’s like a Roomba for water, and it has its roots in Cape Town. If you don’t know what a Roomba is, it is a robotic vacuum cleaner that hoovers your carpets and floors autonomously.  

Chery reached new sales record in March

Chinese vehicle importer Chery has reached a new sales record in the domestic market, with 1 502 Tiggo models sold in March. The Chery Tiggo 4 Pro was the brand’s most popular model, with 918 units... 

Intercape sues Police Minister for failure to act on attacks 

Intercape is suing Police Minister Bheki Cele for what it terms the “complete and utter failure” of the police to stop attacks against the long-distance bus service operator. The company has... 

PRASA has restored 16 corridors to date, says Transport Minister

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has restarted the Langa to Nyanga commuter rail service on Cape Town’s Central Line after three years of dormancy. “The devastation that we... 

Suzuki grows by over 300% in five years

Suzuki Auto South Africa has ended its financial year – it’s fifteenth in South Africa – with total sales of 49 863 vehicles. This is a new record for the Japanese brand, which has now moved into... 

Volvo Trucks’ first extra-heavy electric truck hits SA roads

Volvo Trucks South Africa (SA) has started the homologation of its first extra-heavy battery electric truck units.  The goal is to present the first of these vehicles to a local customer, KDG... 

Firming commodities demand, post-Covid stimulus packages and greater infrastructure spend drive up demand for Bell dump trucks

Increased commodity demand, post-Covid-19 stimulus packages and expanded infrastructure spending in several markets have all combined to drive up demand for Bell’s articulated dump trucks (ADTs),... 

March new-vehicle sales come in 0.6% lower year-on-year

March new-vehicle sales dipped by 0.6%, to 50 157 units, compared with the same month last year. But it’s not all bad news, says WesBank marketing and communications head Lebogang Gaoaketse. 

Durban Car Terminal notches up historic milestone

The Durban Car Terminal (DCT) says it has handled more than 600 000 vehicles this financial year. Towards the end of March, the vessel Cattleya Ace of MOL Shipping offloaded 4 025 fully built... 

Lexus to be first in Toyota stable to dip toe in local electric vehicle market in next two years

Toyota’s premium vehicle arm, Lexus, is set to launch two battery electric vehicles (EVs) in the local market in the next two years. The introduction of these vehicles will most likely be the... 

SVI sees strong growth in armoured vehicle demand as crime surges

SVI Armouring Solutions expects to armour around 200 vehicles this year, up from 130 vehicles in 2020. SVI business development director Nicol Louw says the recent surge in the domestic crime rate,... 

Civil Confidence Index improves for fourth consecutive quarter

The First National Bank (FNB)/Bureau for Economic Research (BER) Civil Confidence Index increased to a more than six-year high of 42 in the first quarter of the year, up from 31 in the fourth... 

Chery to add Omoda brand to its local line-up

Chery’s first Omoda model has gone on sale in South Africa. Omoda, which takes aim at a more premium market than the Chery brand, is already available in South America and Asia, with Europe and... 

Golden Arrow to add 60 locally built electric buses to its fleet next year

Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) aims to add 60 locally built electric buses to its fleet in 2024, says GABS company engineer Gideon Neethling. The Cape Town-based bus operator started testing two... 

Hyperinflation, higher costs take big bite out of Metair’s profits

Metair faced a tough 2022 financial year, with its results significantly impacted on by hyperinflation in Türkiye; project costs to support the launch of the new Ford Ranger; higher logistics... 

A.P. Moller acquires Vector Logistics

A.P. Moller Capital and South Africa’s RCL Foods have entered into an agreement for the Danish firm to acquire Vector Logistics, a division of RCL Foods. Vector Logistics is a South Africa-based... 

Volvo Trucks South Africa ready for May introduction of electric trucks 

Volvo Trucks South Africa has confirmed that it will start delivering heavy electric trucks to its local customers in May. In South Africa, these trucks fall within the extra-heavy commercial... 

Volkswagen takes over vehicle assembly operations in Ghana

Volkswagen has taken over new-vehicle assembly operations in Ghana from the brand’s licensed retailer, Universal Motors Limited (UML).  UML was awarded the assembly contract when Volkswagen... 

Challenges ahead as dealerships move to EVs, says LMG’s Dipela

Legacy Motor Group (LMG) chairperson and shareholder Mpho Dipela says dealerships in South Africa face “significant challenges” as they participate in the transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs).... 

Metair CEO resigns, interim replacement named

Metair CEO Riaz Haffejee has resigned after two years at the helm of the components manufacturer. His last working day was March 31. He will, however, be available for two months, up to the end of... 

Anchor block construction on Msikaba bridge nears completion

The Concor-Mota Engil Joint Venture has almost completed the four massive concrete blocks that will anchor the Msikaba bridge in place. Concor project director Laurence Savage says the blocks... 

Bell boosted by strong demand, autonomous trucks ready to roll 

Increased commodity demand, post-Covid-19 stimulus packages, as well as expanded infrastructure spending in several markets, have all combined to drive up demand for Bell’s articulated dump trucks... 

Top SA car brands could be impacted by arrival of hybrids, EVs – AutoTrader’s Mienie

AutoTrader’s newest Hybrid Car Buyers Survey and Electric Vehicle (EV) Car Buyers Survey show that brand ranks very low in importance among potential buyers of EVs and hybrids. The digital...