Academy aims to increase number of qualified draughtspeople

Software company CAD Corporation in partnership with CAD Corporation Draughting Academy has opened the new academy to assist in filling the gap for skilled draughtspeople, designers and... 

Plan to bolster farm-supporting infrastructure starting to take shape

South Africa’s agriculture sector faces a number of serious challenges and constraints. The spatial-zoning policies enforced before and during apartheid resulted in the extreme marginalisation of... 

New scanner able to measure stockpiles

Power and automation technology developers ABB Group has developed a level and volume measurement laser scanner, the VM3D laser scanner, for process and utility applications. 

Pilot Crushtec CEO buys out minorities

Crushing and screening specialist Pilot Crushtec SA CEO Sandro Scherf has bought out his partners and increased his stake in the company, which is has also been renamed Pilot Crushtec... 

Contractor moves to accelerate delivery of water-treatment capacity

Construction company Liviero reports that it is fast-tracking the implementation of parts of a R231-million contract at Rand Water’s Panfontein water treatment residue disposal site, near... 

SA office furniture designs making domestic and global inroads

Local office furniture design and manufacturing company Angel Shack reports that it is experiencing rising domestic and international interest in its new product range, known as the GameChanger.... 

New stay-at-home system for low-risk offenders

Nongovernment organisation (NGO) the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro), which provides remedial services for adults and children who have been in... 

FLSmidth opens ‘super centre’ in Delmas

Equipment and services supplier to the cement, minerals and materials handling industries, FLSmidth, opened its fifth global Supercenter, in Delmas, Mpumalanga, this month. 

Construction injuries going unreported, legal expert warns

There are a significant number of unreported incidents of workplace injuries and deaths that occur in the construction industry, owing to an ineffective and stressed reporting system and the... 

Eastern Cape showing signs of recovery, says ECDC

Development financier the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) says the province is showing signs of economic recovery characterised by increased consumption levels, which were last recorded... 

Roadshow bringing light to rural communities

Royal Philips Electronics is continuing its programme of installing more than 100 Community Light Centres across Africa with six new ones in South Africa. 

Partnership aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality

The University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Gauteng Department of Health and electronics manufacturer Royal Philips Electronics launched a cooperative project this month, which focuses on the... 

Development financier backing niche tourism prospects

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) tourism unit is developing and diversifying the South African local tourism offering for foreign and especially local tourists, in response to the... 

R300m air separation unit investment for Coega

Industrial and specialised gas producer Air Products South Africa broke ground at its latest capital investment in the Eastern Cape earlier this month. 

WTO website to improve trade monitoring for countries and companies

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) launched its new trade-monitoring database earlier this month. It provides detailed information on trade- policy measures implemented by WTO members and observers... 

Mangaung pursuing Bram Fischer airport-city plan

The State-owned Airports Company South Africa is positioning itself to develop an aerocity around the Bram Fischer International Airport, near Bloemfontein, in the Mangaung metropolitan... 

Soweto features on anniversary airship’s global tour

Pharmaceutical manufacturer for healthcare, agriculture and high-tech materials, Bayer, has had an airship built to celebrate its 150th anniversary. The airship is being deployed to five continents... 

Mine mechanisation helping to tackle safety, cost and productivity issues

The recent focus on South Africa’s platinum and gold mines has intensified owing to labour problems and this has, in turn, brought into sharp focus the bloated mine work-forces, which surprises the... 

Industrial gas group invests R200m in Pretoria West air-separation unit

Gas products and services company Africa Oxygen (Afrox) launched its new 200 t/d, R200-million Pretoria West air-separation unit (ASU) this month. 

Book unpacks how good design improves quality, reduces cost

Winning by Design is a new book that provides an in-depth view of the Simpler Design System (SDS) and how it can be used to improve quality, reduce cost and expedite lead time during the new... 

Cape farm installs roof-mounted solar solution for produce cooling

Solar power systems manufacturer SolarWorld Africa and its distribution partner, African Technical Innovations (ATI), supplied and installed the agriculture sector’s first and largest roof-mounted... 

New Sandton development is SA’s thirtieth Green Star building

Building developer Abland received a four-star Green Star SA certification from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for the design of its Alice Lane project, in Sandton. This is the... 

Mine mechanisation helping to tackle safety, cost and productivity issues

The recent focus on South Africa's platinum and gold mines, have intensified owing to labour problems. This in turn has shed some light on the massive labour sector, which surprised the... 

Electronics giant backs deployment of solar-powered health centre

Samsung Africa recently launched a mobile solar-powered health centre, in Cape Town, marking the start of a large-scale medical initiative on the continent. 

IBM launches data aggregation project to analyse SA’s water distribution system

Information technology (IT) giant International Business Machines (IBM) South Africa recently launched a crowd-sourcing project to capture, share and analyse information about the water... 

Northen Cape solar project going ahead, despite reported bankruptcy of Suntech’s China facility

Solar panel producer Suntech Power Holdings’ China facility was reported by Reuters to have filed for bankruptcy, but it is going ahead with two projects to supply two separate sites in the... 

Soul searching under way in bid to revitalise SA’s metal casting sector

It is widely accepted that South Africa has substantial remaining resources of unexploited industrial minerals. In fact the newly released Industrial Policy Action Plan 2013/14 concurs with... 

Construction consultancy wins prestigious award

Programme management and construction consultancy Turner & Townsend was named Global consultant of the year at the NCE/ACE Consultants of the Year awards, in the UK, last month. 

Certification improves efficiency, reduces risks

The implementation of effective quality management systems (QMS), such as ISO 9001, will improve businesses’ service to clients and streamline internal processes to ensure best practice in the... 

Packaging firms team up to pursue perishable-foods solutions

Plastic packaging company Astrapak and flexible packaging company Afripack announced a joint venture (JV) to meet the growing demand for packaging solutions in the perishable-foods industry. 

Money-transfer industry growing across Africa

Money transfer company MoneyGram says Africa has the potential to become one of the world’s most important remittance hotspots, if current growth trends continue. 

Development agency moves ahead with housing sale initiative

Development financier the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is processing almost 100 tenant purchase offers, having announced its plan to sell 238 stand-alone houses to the tenants in... 

Varsity launches human-settlements management degree

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale launched South Africa’s first Chair for Education in Human Settlements Development and Management in March at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University... 

Study shows energy-efficiency benefits of material flow cost accounting

Energy efficiency in foundries can be improved through the implementation of material flow cost accounting (MFCA), Environmental & Sustainability Solutions executive director Seakle Godschalk said... 

Metal casting conference seeks to stimulate foundry industry competitiveness

The Metal Casting Conference provided a platform for industry members to share the latest technological developments and opportunities to drive a competitive advantage in the foundry industry. The... 

Builders seek to align themselves with NDP-linked opportunities

The Master Builders Association North (MBA North) indicated at its annual general meeting (AGM) last month, in Midrand, that it planned to establish strategic partnerships for innovation in the... 

Afrox moving ahead with R300m Coega air separation unit

Welding, cutting and gas services company Africa Oxygen (Afrox), a member of The Linde Group, is planning to install a 150 t/d air-separation unit (ASU), valued at R300-million in the Coega... 

Business council to support women-led cooperatives

The South African Women Business Council of Co-Operatives (SAWBCC) will empower historically disadvantaged women to overcome poverty by becoming smart, resourceful and capable business people who... 

First student intake for IT talent building programme

Worldwide information technology (IT) consulting and outsourcing company Wipro has completed the recruitment of the first batch of students for its internship programme in South Africa, which will... 

Panama Canal expansion reaches halfway mark as waterway bids to sustain position as key trade gateway

Mega engineering project the Panama Canal Expansion, in Panama, is being enlarged to double its capacity and accommodate cargo ships carrying up to 12 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs),...