Volkswagen to invest R4-billion to produce third model at Kariega plant in show of commitment to South Africa

Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA) will invest R4-billion in its manufacturing plant in Kariega, in the Eastern Cape. The investment will be used to prepare the plant for the addition of a third model... 

New-vehicle sales plummet 11.7% in March, extending months-long slide

New-vehicle sales plummeted by 11.7% in March, to 44 237 units, compared with the same month last year. Sales for the first quarter of the year are now 5.3% below the same period last year. 

Record R12.1bn set aside for infrastructure in Cape Town’s R76.4bn budget for 2024/25

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has tabled a R76.4-billion draft budget for the city for the 2024/25 financial year. The budget proposes record infrastructure investment of R12.1-billion for the... 

Metair reassures market amid huge debt, challenges at Türkiye battery business

Metair is still very much open for business and the group is able to accommodate new clients should they need automotive components or energy storage solutions, says new CEO Paul O’Flaherty.... 

GAC Motor joins inflow from China

China’s GAC Motor has appointed Salvador Caetano Auto as the distributor and retailer of GAC vehicles, spare parts and related services in South Africa (SA). GAC Motor is a subsidiary of the... 

Cape Town to depoly camera-fitted aircraft in war against crime

The City of Cape Towns’ (CoCT’s) Safety and Security Directorate is enhancing its crime prevention capabilities with the inclusion of new aerial surveillance technology. The information,... 

Cape Town’s MyCiTi depot construction 65% complete

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says construction work on two new MyCiTi depots, located on the corner of Spine Road and Mew Way between Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, is now 65% complete. City... 

Toyota, Ford and VW shine in AutoTrader report

In 2023, Toyota took top position as South Africa’s most sold used-car brand, with 60 296 units changing hands, while the Ford Ranger reigned supreme as the country's most sold model, at 20 156... 

Toyota adds Hilux, Fortuner hybrids to its local production line-up

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has added the Hilux double-cab and Fortuner 48 V mild hybrids to its local production line-up at its Durban plant, in KwaZulu-Natal. The addition of the new models... 

Reforms to cut red tape starting to bear fruit – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa believes that government’s efforts to cut the red tape holding back infrastructure development are beginning to bearing fruit. Delivering the keynote address at... 

Govt turns to private sector to fix public facilities

Given the current economic downturn, government does not have the resources to look after all its assets, says Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) property management trading... 

Infrastructure SA names 12 projects it will unlock in 2024/25

Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) unveiled 12 “infrastructure projects for preparation” for the 2024/25 financial year at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2024... 

Infrastructure SA gets R600m boost from Treasury for project preparation

The National Treasury has allocated Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) a budget of R600-million over three years to “prepare projects”, says ISA head Mameetse Masemola. Addressing a media conference... 

New online portal launched to aid Cape Town’s solar PV boom

The City of Cape Town has launched a new online application portal for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. More than 5 000 solar PV systems have been authorised to date, totalling 126 MVA, with... 

Varsity, private firm in partnership to develop protocol for production of radiopharmaceuticals

Stellenbosch University (SU) and high-tech company Enlightened Isotopes, a subsidiary of ASP Isotopes, have entered into an R8.5-million research partnership to develop a protocol for the... 

Toyota launches expanded accessories programme in SA

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) has launched a new programme called Associated Accessory Products (AAP). The local arm of the Japanese carmaker says this one-stop-shop offering will complement... 

Ctrack transport, freight index shows deterioration in all but one of six sectors tracked

After increasing somewhat in December, the Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (TFI) declined notably in January to a level of 119.3 – a drop of 2.1%, compared with December’s 121.9. The extent of... 

BW8 last under IRP 2019, nuclear ambitions not a pipe dream – Mantashe

Bid Window 8 of government’s Renewable Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme will be the last bid window under the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019, says Mineral Resources and Energy... 

Grindrod to spend big at Maputo’s Matola drybulk terminal to grow capacity

Ports and logistics group Grindrod is set to invest big in its Matola drybulk terminal in Mozambique. Announcing Grindrod’s financial results for the year ended December 31 earlier this month, CEO... 

‘It’s not all doom and gloom in our space’ – WBHO boss

With a total pipeline of work of R240-billion, up from R211-billion in June, Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon’s (WBHO’s) short- to medium-term future “should be okay”, says CEO Wolfgang Neff. “It’s not... 

Cape Town businesses, households get R25.8m for excess electricity fed back into grid

The City of Cape Town says businesses and households have earned more than R25.8-million under the city’s Cash for Power programme since the start of the 2022/23 financial year. This comes after... 

Cape Town aims to invest R43bn in infrastructure over next three years – mayor

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city will invest R43-billion in infrastructure over the next three years. The ten-year project pipeline is valued at R120-billion. 

2024 Car of the Year finalists announced

The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has announced the 18 finalists of the Old Mutual Insure 2024 Car of the Year (COTY) competition. “We eagerly await the upcoming competition... 

Ctrack index points to another year of ‘fairly subdued’ transport-sector growth

The Ctrack Transport and Freight Index (Ctrack TFI) forecasts “another year of fairly subdued growth for the transport sector”. This is based on the assumption of mediocre economic growth in South... 

'Asian brothers' coming to SA 'with a force', says Motus boss

Motus’ stable of imported vehicle brands – Hyundai, Kia, Renault and Mitsubishi – all experienced a tough six months towards the end of last year. Speaking at the company’s financial results... 

VWSA could announce third production model this year, expects uptick in 2024 car market

Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) will hopefully this year receive the final confirmation on the production of a third model at the Kariega plant, says MD Martina Biene. This third model will... 

Volkswagen SA spends big to counter loadshedding, now sole Polo supplier

Volkswagen Group South Africa, now trading as Volkswagen Group Africa (VWA), is investing R55-million to generate 3 MW in additional solar energy for its assembly plant in Kariega, in the Eastern... 

African shared mobility sector to almost double in size by 2030 – report

The size of Africa’s shared mobility market, which includes services such as ride-hailing, scooter or e-bike rentals, as well as car-sharing, will almost double by 2030, creating an additional 550... 

Aqora rebrands, aims to make battery cells in Cape Town

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... 

Tyre stakeholders team up against illicit tyre trade

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders, the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), the Tyre, Equipment and Parts Association (Tepa) and the Tyre Importers Association of... 

Households can now apply to sell their excess solar power to the City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town is now enabling households to earn cash for the power generated from their solar photovoltaic generation systems.  Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says a first round of applications... 

Suzuki ends 2023 just shy of 50 000 unit sales, starts January with a bang

Suzuki Auto South Africa (Suzuki SA) ended 2023 with sales of 49 573 vehicles – up more than 460% from the 8 833 vehicles sold in 2017. Over the past six years, the Japanese compact-car specialist,... 

Vehicle crime ramped up towards end of last year, says Tracker

Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for July to December last year show an increase in vehicle crime, with a peak in November. Data from the asset tracking company also shows that a business-owned... 

Premium car market outlook murky as South Africans continue to hunt for Asian bargains

The South African new-car market has been shifting steadily over the last few years as consumers continue to battle persistent economic headwinds. Times are tough. Interest rates, living costs,... 

New-vehicle sales slide continues

New-vehicle sales declined by 3.8% in January, to 41 636 units, compared with the same month last year. This continued the decline in new-vehicle sales witnessed in the last five months of 2023. 

Antidumping duties to be slapped on Chinese windscreens

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition will impose antidumping duties on windscreens imported from China, to be used in the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) area as replacement... 

Initial signs energy supply is stabilising, logistics to endure for longer – Minerals Council 

The domestic mining industry is looking at 2024 as a year of stabilisation, rather than growth, says Minerals Council South Africa CEO Mzila Mthenjane. The industry continues to face persistent... 

Electric buses to be rolled out in Tshwane, eThekwini

Tshwane and eThekwini could see the roll-out of 39 electric commuter buses by the end of next year. The introduction of the zero-emissions vehicles will form part of a pilot project funded by the... 

Cape Town recovers 53 km of stolen cable, 1.2 t of metal

The City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) specialist metals theft unit, the Copperheads, recovered more then 53 km of stolen cable during the last six months of 2023. The unit says it executed 404... 

Transnet needs ‘the right, permanent management, quickly’ – Stellenbosch University academic

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...