Mining Weekly | Issue | Magazine Content

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March 25, 2022

TREND OR FAD?

Office-to-housing conversions hold some potential, but conditions apply

Cover Story

Office-to-housing conversions hold some potential, but conditions apply

By: Tasneem BulbuliaAs South Africa looks to recover from the impacts of Covid-19, the viability of the trend of converting office buildings into residential properties is under scrutiny, with local and international interest having seemingly been piqued, building on the momentum those property companies dabbling in... →

First Word

Well done to private sector for responding so promptly to renewables opportunity

By: Martin CreamerThe government lifted the limit on the generation of non-government renewables energy and, in no time at all, the private sector delivered plans for a Koeberg-equivalent of mainly clean solar power, with a bit of wind thrown in. Pleasingly, the taxpayer will not be called upon to pay a single... →

Mining Weekly News

Commitment to green economy is crucial, says ARM’s Patrice Motsepe

By: Martin CreamerDiversified mining company African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) has reiterated its commitment to transitioning from coal to renewable energy, with its executive chairperson Patrice Motsepe describing the global commitment to the green economy as being not only important but crucial. Motsepe was... →

Mintek to provide new testing services to gold sector

By: Darren ParkerNational mineral research organisation Mintek will be providing new services to the gold mining and exploration sector. The organisation announced on March 7 that it would be providing oxygen demand and Knelson extended gravity recoverable gold (EGRG) testing services. →

Rosond focusing on consolidation amid plans for further growth

By: Schalk BurgerDrilling technology solutions provider Rosond's main focus for this year will be consolidating the company’s rapid expansion as it plans for further growth by taking on additional work in sub-Saharan Africa, says Rosond MD Ricardo Ribeiro. “This year, we are going to spend a lot of time... →

Royal Bafokeng Platinum’s 30 MW solar power study close to completion

By: Martin CreamerSouth Africa’s only rural community-owned mining company Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat), which delivered record dividend-yielding earnings and production 2021, is close to completing its renewable energy study on the building of an embedded 30 MW photovoltaic (PV) power plant. “It’s almost... →

South Africa must move very rapidly towards green energy, climate webinar hears

By: Martin CreamerThe ratio between green energy and brown energy in South Africa needs to move very rapidly in favour of green energy, says Climate Adaptation Lead to the South African Presidential Climate Commission and Institute for Security Studies Africa senior research associate Dhesigen Naidoo. Naidoo was... →

Editorial Insight

Spillover effects

By: Terence CreamerThere is significant concern, and rightfully so, about the outlook for fuel prices and security of supply following Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in late February. No country is immune from the fallout and South Africa, which is a crude and fuel importer, is expected to feel the effects... →

Engineering News News & Insight

Cabinet approves exploration strategy, but questions remain

By: Marleny ArnoldiCabinet has approved the National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) 2050 for implementation, as well as the publication of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Rollout Strategy of 2022 in the Government Gazette for public comment. The NIP contains catalytic projects that are meant to contribute towards the... →

Eskom in final stages of precontract discussions for R5bn first phase of battery storage roll-out

By: Terence CreamerState-owned electricity producer Eskom says it is in the final stages of pre-contract discussions for the first phase of its much-anticipated battery energy storage system (BESS) deployment, which will involve investments valued at about R5-billion. During Phase 1, the utility aims to introduce... →

Fintech changing the face of payments in emerging markets

By: Natasha OdendaalMobile money, cross-border payments and ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) are transforming the financial sector, particularly in emerging markets, for the better, says Ukheshe business development Africa president Mark Dankworth. The financial sector experienced an unprecedented rate of change last... →

Formula E reveals Cape Town E-Prix track

By: Irma VenterFormula E has revealed the track route for the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix. The proposed race track has been designed for cars to race around the Green Point Park and Cape Town Stadium area during the local leg of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. →

Hybrid, EV and sub-compact sales seen benefiting from rising fuel price

By: Irma VenterFebruary’s new-vehicle sales have brought an interesting statistic to light, says National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) chairperson Mark Dommisse. Combined sales of electric, plug-in hybrid and traditional hybrid vehicles rose by 535% on a year-to-date basis, from only 34 in the first... →

Implications of Godongwana’s recent carbon tax announcements

By: Terence CreamerIn his February Budget, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the first phase of the carbon tax would be extended for three years, that the carbon tax rate had been increased from R134/t to R144/t, and that the carbon tax rate would be progressively increased every year to reach $20/t... →

MTN, M&C Saatchi Abel buy land in Africa’s first virtual reality metaverse

By: Natasha OdendaalSouth African companies, telecommunications giant MTN and advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel, have become among the first to acquire virtual land in Africa’s first virtual reality metaverse, Africarare. Africarare announced in March that it plans to commercialise the three-dimensional (3D)... →

Re-establishment of SA’s air services councils welcomed

By: Rebecca CampbellThe announcement that the South African government had appointed new air services councils was welcomed by the local commercial aviation sector on Thursday. There were two such councils, the International Air Services Council and the (domestic) Air Services Licensing Council. These councils were... →

SA posts largest current-account surplus on record

By: BloombergSouth Africa reported its largest current-account surplus on record last year as import demand was suppressed by the economy recovering from the impact of the coronavirus and the value of gold exports rose to the highest since at least 1960. The balance on the current account, the broadest... →

Sanral dealing with ‘significant backlog’ in procurement

By: Irma VenterThe South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) says it is dealing with a “significant backlog in procurement”. There are a number of reasons for this, including a process between the agency and the National Treasury to seek clarification on the 30% subcontracting clause, which took 18... →

Sonangol working to develop green hydrogen strategy

By: Schalk BurgerAngolan State-owned oil and gas company Sonangol's Research and Development Centre is working to develop a strategy to produce green hydrogen. It has been conducting conceptual and engineering studies in Angola to identify a site for the installation of a plant to produce green hydrogen and its... →

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INFLATION MONSTER

Business Leader

Tim Biesemans

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