#northerncape — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/africa/230614/ Today’s weather: Western Cape braces for powerful cold front and severe weather conditions #EasternCape #FreeState #IolNews #NorthernCape #Orange #OrangeLevel5 #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanWeatherService #WesternCape #winds

South Africa’s wine grape production heads into 2026 with optimism https://www.diningandcooking.com/2637320/south-africas-wine-grape-production-heads-into-2026-with-optimism-4/ #2026Harvest #AgriculturalGrowth #agriculture #HarvestSeason #LaNiu00f1a #lead #NorthernCape #OptimisticNews #ProductionConditions #rainfall #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricaWine #SouthAfricanWine #SouthAfricanWineIndustry #vineyards #WeatherConditions #WesternCape #Wine #Wine(Industry) #WineFromSouthAfrica #WineOfSouthAfrica

South Africa’s wine grape production heads into 2026 with optimism https://www.diningandcooking.com/2637320/south-africas-wine-grape-production-heads-into-2026-with-optimism-4/ #2026Harvest #AgriculturalGrowth #agriculture #HarvestSeason #LaNiu00f1a #lead #NorthernCape #OptimisticNews #ProductionConditions #rainfall #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricaWine #SouthAfricanWine #SouthAfricanWineIndustry #vineyards #WeatherConditions #WesternCape #Wine #Wine(Industry) #WineFromSouthAfrica #WineOfSouthAfrica

South Africa’s wine grape production heads into 2026 with optimism https://www.diningandcooking.com/2637320/south-africas-wine-grape-production-heads-into-2026-with-optimism-4/ #2026Harvest #AgriculturalGrowth #agriculture #HarvestSeason #LaNiu00f1a #lead #NorthernCape #OptimisticNews #ProductionConditions #rainfall #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricaWine #SouthAfricanWine #SouthAfricanWineIndustry #vineyards #WeatherConditions #WesternCape #Wine #Wine(Industry) #WineFromSouthAfrica #WineOfSouthAfrica

https://www.europesays.com/africa/227771/ Govt declares national disaster as severe storms, floods and snow batter several provinces #cogta #EasternCape #flooding #FreeState #mpumalanga #NorthWest #NorthernCape #ServiceDelivery #SouthAfrica #weather #WesternCape

https://www.europesays.com/africa/226131/ South Africa braces for a weekend of severe weather as cold front approaches #bloemfontein #CapeTown #ColdFront #country #durban #EastLondon #FreeState #gauteng #Gqeberha #iol #Johannesburg #NorthernCape #Orange #polokwane #Pretoria #SAWS #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanWeatherService #temperatures #upington #weather #WeatherConditions #Western #wet #winds

https://www.europesays.com/africa/225300/ Cold front brings chilly weather to South Africa ahead of a wet weekend #bloemfontein #CapeTown #ColdFront #conditions #country #durban #EastLondon #EasternCape #FreeState #gauteng #Gqeberha #iol #Johannesburg #KwaZuluNatal #Limpopo #much #NorthernCape #parts #polokwane #Pretoria #SAWS #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanWeatherService #spell #upington #weather #Western

https://www.europesays.com/africa/207999/ Dry tap reality: The growing water infrastructure crisis in SA #BlueDropReport #EasternCape #gauteng #KwaZuluNatal #Limpopo #mpumalanga #NorthWest #NorthernCape #SouthAfrica #WaterCrisis #WesternCape

The growing water infrastructure crisis in SA

Access to clean and reliable water is a constitutionally enshrined human right, but an increasingly bleak picture of…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #BlueDropreport #easterncape #environment #Gauteng #kwazulu-natal #Limpopo #Mpumalanga #northwest #northerncape #Science #SouthAfrica #UK #UnitedKingdom #Watercrisis #westerncape
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/553864/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/922502/ Dry tap reality: The growing water infrastructure crisis in SA #BlueDropReport #EasternCape #Environment #Gauteng #KwazuluNatal #Limpopo #Mpumalanga #NorthWest #NorthernCape #Science #SouthAfrica #UK #UnitedKingdom #WaterCrisis #WesternCape

https://www.europesays.com/ie/392935/ African Telescopes Are Driving Frontier Space Discoveries ##AwesomeSA #Africa #Astronomy #Awesome #BirdStoryAgency #ChangeOneThing #CHECKED #DoGood #Don'tMiss #Éire #Featured #Ghana #GoodNews #IE #inspiration #Ireland #MeerKATRadioTelescope #NorthernCape #Science #SouthAfriCAN #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanRadioAstronomyObservatory #SouthernAfricanLargeTelescope(SALT) #Sutherland #WoW

https://www.europesays.com/africa/141817/ African Telescopes Are Driving Frontier Space Discoveries ##AwesomeSA #Africa #Astronomy #Awesome #BirdStoryAgency #ChangeOneThing #CHECKED #DoGood #Don'tMiss #Featured #Ghana #GoodNews #Inspiration #MeerKATRadioTelescope #NorthernCape #SouthAfriCAN #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanRadioAstronomyObservatory #SouthernAfricanLargeTelescope(SALT) #Sutherland #WOW

Rural businesses in Northern Cape score big with R1.5m funding head start

A POWERFUL partnership between Anglo American’s Zimele programme and Sigma has injected R1.5 million into 45 rural entrepreneurs…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Entrepreneurship #akashsingh #AngloAmerican #angloamericanzimele #b20 #Business #dfa #Entrepreneurs #G20 #larishanaidoo #northerncape #Programme #sigma #zimele
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/420763/

Rural businesses in Northern Cape score big with R1.5m funding head start

A POWERFUL partnership between Anglo American’s Zimele programme and Sigma has injected R1.5 million into 45 rural entrepreneurs…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Entrepreneurship #akashsingh #AngloAmerican #angloamericanzimele #b20 #Business #dfa #Entrepreneurs #G20 #larishanaidoo #northerncape #Programme #sigma #zimele
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/420763/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/710460/ Rural businesses in Northern Cape score big with R1.5m funding head start #AkashSingh #AngloAmerican #AngloAmericanZimele #b20 #Business #dfa #Entrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #G20 #LarishaNaidoo #NorthernCape #programme #sigma #UK #UnitedKingdom #zimele

https://www.europesays.com/ie/295456/ Rural businesses in Northern Cape score big with R1.5m funding head start #AkashSingh #AngloAmerican #AngloAmericanZimele #b20 #Business #DFA #Éire #Entrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #g20 #IE #Ireland #LarishaNaidoo #NorthernCape #programme #SIGMA #zimele

Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 2 November 2025

https://www.samdb.co.za/blogs/blog/2025/10/31/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-2-november-2025/

#CarteBlancheTV #MNet101 #DeathInChina #NellieFrans #Roodepan #NorthernCape #TannieNellieFrans #SavingSandfish #FakeVet #HighOnInk #online #series #streaming #actuality #tv #television

Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 2 November 2025

https://www.samdb.co.za/blogs/blog/2025/10/31/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-2-november-2025/

#CarteBlancheTV #MNet101 #DeathInChina #NellieFrans #Roodepan #NorthernCape #TannieNellieFrans #SavingSandfish #FakeVet #HighOnInk #online #series #streaming #actuality #tv #television

Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 2 November 2025

https://www.samdb.co.za/blogs/blog/2025/10/31/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-2-november-2025/

#CarteBlancheTV #MNet101 #DeathInChina #NellieFrans #Roodepan #NorthernCape #TannieNellieFrans #SavingSandfish #FakeVet #HighOnInk #online #series #streaming #actuality #tv #television

Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 2 November 2025

https://www.samdb.co.za/blogs/blog/2025/10/31/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-2-november-2025/

#CarteBlancheTV #MNet101 #DeathInChina #NellieFrans #Roodepan #NorthernCape #TannieNellieFrans #SavingSandfish #FakeVet #HighOnInk #online #series #streaming #actuality #tv #television

Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 2 November 2025

https://www.samdb.co.za/blogs/blog/2025/10/31/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-2-november-2025/

#CarteBlancheTV #MNet101 #DeathInChina #NellieFrans #Roodepan #NorthernCape #TannieNellieFrans #SavingSandfish #FakeVet #HighOnInk #online #series #streaming #actuality #tv #television

South Africa’s undervisited wineries worth the journey

There is a new side to South African wine waiting quietly to be discovered. Kym Ell…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #SouthAfricanWine #Franschhoekwinefarms #Kwa-ZuluNatalwine #KwaZulu-Natal #northerncape #NorthernCapewine #NorthernCapewineries #southafrica #WesternCape #Wine #WinefromSouthAfrica #WineofSouthAfrica #winelands #winelandsofsouthafrica
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2331820/south-africas-undervisited-wineries-worth-the-journey/

South Africa’s undervisited wineries worth the journey

There is a new side to South African wine waiting quietly to be discovered. Kym Ell…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #SouthAfricanWine #Franschhoekwinefarms #Kwa-ZuluNatalwine #KwaZulu-Natal #northerncape #NorthernCapewine #NorthernCapewineries #southafrica #WesternCape #Wine #WinefromSouthAfrica #WineofSouthAfrica #winelands #winelandsofsouthafrica
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2331820/south-africas-undervisited-wineries-worth-the-journey/

South Africa’s undervisited wineries worth the journey

There is a new side to South African wine waiting quietly to be discovered. Kym Ell…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #SouthAfricanWine #Franschhoekwinefarms #Kwa-ZuluNatalwine #KwaZulu-Natal #northerncape #NorthernCapewine #NorthernCapewineries #southafrica #WesternCape #Wine #WinefromSouthAfrica #WineofSouthAfrica #winelands #winelandsofsouthafrica
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2331820/south-africas-undervisited-wineries-worth-the-journey/

South Africa’s undervisited wineries worth the journey

There is a new side to South African wine waiting quietly to be discovered. Kym Ell…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #SouthAfricanWine #Franschhoekwinefarms #Kwa-ZuluNatalwine #KwaZulu-Natal #northerncape #NorthernCapewine #NorthernCapewineries #southafrica #WesternCape #Wine #WinefromSouthAfrica #WineofSouthAfrica #winelands #winelandsofsouthafrica
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2331820/south-africas-undervisited-wineries-worth-the-journey/

South Africa’s undervisited wineries worth the journey https://www.diningandcooking.com/2331820/south-africas-undervisited-wineries-worth-the-journey/ #FranschhoekWineFarms #KwaZuluNatalWine #KwaZuluNatal #NorthernCape #NorthernCapeWine #NorthernCapeWineries #SouthAfrica #SouthAfricanWine #WesternCape #Wine #WineFromSouthAfrica #WineOfSouthAfrica #winelands #WinelandsOfSouthAfrica

Another #gay #man #murdered in #SouthAfrica

#LazarusIkanengThomas’s #body was found in #NorthernCape #province on Sept. 7

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Africa #SouthAfrica #Hate #Bigotry #Violence #Homophobia #SayHisName

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/09/18/another-gay-man-murdered-in-south-africa/

Branch’s Rain #Frog Rediscovered After 15 Years https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/branchs-rain-frog-rediscovered-after-15-years/

"The Branch’s #RainFrog has been rediscovered after 15 years; the elusive frog was found alongside another, reigniting hope to #conservationists... This species has only been seen once before – in 2008 – when a single specimen was found north of #PortNolloth in the #NorthernCape."

#ConservationOptimism #Conservation #Frogs #Animals #Amphibians

Branch’s Rain #Frog Rediscovered After 15 Years https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/branchs-rain-frog-rediscovered-after-15-years/

"The Branch’s #RainFrog has been rediscovered after 15 years; the elusive frog was found alongside another, reigniting hope to #conservationists... This species has only been seen once before – in 2008 – when a single specimen was found north of #PortNolloth in the #NorthernCape."

#ConservationOptimism #Conservation #Frogs #Animals #Amphibians

Branch’s Rain #Frog Rediscovered After 15 Years https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/branchs-rain-frog-rediscovered-after-15-years/

"The Branch’s #RainFrog has been rediscovered after 15 years; the elusive frog was found alongside another, reigniting hope to #conservationists... This species has only been seen once before – in 2008 – when a single specimen was found north of #PortNolloth in the #NorthernCape."

#ConservationOptimism #Conservation #Frogs #Animals #Amphibians

Branch’s Rain #Frog Rediscovered After 15 Years https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/branchs-rain-frog-rediscovered-after-15-years/

"The Branch’s #RainFrog has been rediscovered after 15 years; the elusive frog was found alongside another, reigniting hope to #conservationists... This species has only been seen once before – in 2008 – when a single specimen was found north of #PortNolloth in the #NorthernCape."

#ConservationOptimism #Conservation #Frogs #Animals #Amphibians

Branch’s Rain #Frog Rediscovered After 15 Years https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/branchs-rain-frog-rediscovered-after-15-years/

"The Branch’s #RainFrog has been rediscovered after 15 years; the elusive frog was found alongside another, reigniting hope to #conservationists... This species has only been seen once before – in 2008 – when a single specimen was found north of #PortNolloth in the #NorthernCape."

#ConservationOptimism #Conservation #Frogs #Animals #Amphibians

「Lest we forget – SS Mendi 21 February 1917

The #SouthAfricanNativeLabourCorps men aboard her came from a range of social backgrounds, and from a number of different peoples spread over the South African provinces and neighbouring territories. (287 were from #Transvaal, 139 from the #EasternCape, 87 from #Natal, 27 from #NorthernCape, 26 from the #OrangeFreeState, 26 from #Basutoland, eight from #Bechuanaland [#Botswana], five from #WesternCape, one from #Rhodesia and one from #SouthWestAfrica). Most had never seen the sea before this voyage, and very few could swim. The officers and NCOs were white Southern Africans.

[...]

Poignantly, 21 February 2024 did not see military celebrations but the sombre repatriation to South Africa of two SA National Defence force soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a rebel mortar strike last week.」

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/military-history/lest-we-forget-ss-mendi-21-february-1917/

#Mendi #SouthAfrica #MilitaryHistory #History #WorldWarI #France #Congo #SANDF #SouthAfricanArmy #SouthAfricanNavy #NavalHistory

「Transnet personnel changes paying off

Coal export volumes railed to #RichardsBay were up more than 10% in the December quarter, and port backlogs are declining.

Then #PublicEnterprises Minister Pravin #Gordhan took a meat cleaver to the board.

In came #MineralsCouncil vice-president Andile #Sangqu as chair of #Transnet in July 2023, giving a voice to the company’s largest customer, the mining sector – accounting for roughly 80% of Transnet Freight Rail’s business and 50% of overall revenue. The board was loaded with engineers, industry representatives and labour, people who knew how to run an enterprise of this complexity.

Out went #Derby and #Mzimela, replaced by Michelle #Phillips as acting group CEO and Russell #Baatjies as acting CEO for freight rail.

Several former Transnet executives who left the organisation over the years have been lured back, including former programme director Marc Descoins.

#Havenga says several other former top executives have been roped into the Transnet recovery plan, many of them with salaries paid by #BusinessSouthAfrica.

Encouraging signs of progress

Writing in Moneyweb last week, Juanita Maree, CEO of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders – which sounded the alarm on Transnet a year ago – noted the encouraging signs of progress since business got involved in the #NLCC. The turnaround at #Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, with a recovery plan crafted and implemented by the crisis committee, will remove the vessel backlog by the end of this month.

“Cabinet’s approval and activation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap also opens the way for reviving a properly resourced, inter-modal, world-class logistics network for South Africa and the region,” says Maree.

Transnet seems to be embracing the collaboration with business:

[...]

The new management team led by Phillips and Baatjies has changed the culture and mood at Transnet, adds Havenga.

“The improvements we have seen in the last few months have all been achieved without massive investment in locomotives and wagons. These improvements are the result of operating smarter. Transnet has a rail network of about 21 000km, but virtually all of its rail revenue comes from just 1 500km of that network. That’s where we need to focus the attention.

“If we can improve turnaround times on the #Sishen-#SaldanhaBay railway line so we get trains turned around in 80 hours instead of 100 hours, that means we can run an extra train a day using the same rolling stock we have. And this can be done.”

The 861km Sishen-Saldanha line between the #NorthernCape and the port of Saldanha Bay in the #WesternCape handles most of the country’s iron ore exports, and its efficiency has had a direct impact on the revenue and profits of #Kumba Iron Ore and other iron ore exporters.

[...]

Perhaps Transnet has finally turned the corner and demonstrated what can be done when cadres are replaced by industry specialists.
」

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/transnet-personnel-changes-paying-off/

#SouthAfrica #GoodNews #StateCapture #Economy #TFR #TransnetFreightRail

「Transnet personnel changes paying off

Coal export volumes railed to #RichardsBay were up more than 10% in the December quarter, and port backlogs are declining.

Then #PublicEnterprises Minister Pravin #Gordhan took a meat cleaver to the board.

In came #MineralsCouncil vice-president Andile #Sangqu as chair of #Transnet in July 2023, giving a voice to the company’s largest customer, the mining sector – accounting for roughly 80% of Transnet Freight Rail’s business and 50% of overall revenue. The board was loaded with engineers, industry representatives and labour, people who knew how to run an enterprise of this complexity.

Out went #Derby and #Mzimela, replaced by Michelle #Phillips as acting group CEO and Russell #Baatjies as acting CEO for freight rail.

Several former Transnet executives who left the organisation over the years have been lured back, including former programme director Marc Descoins.

#Havenga says several other former top executives have been roped into the Transnet recovery plan, many of them with salaries paid by #BusinessSouthAfrica.

Encouraging signs of progress

Writing in Moneyweb last week, Juanita Maree, CEO of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders – which sounded the alarm on Transnet a year ago – noted the encouraging signs of progress since business got involved in the #NLCC. The turnaround at #Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, with a recovery plan crafted and implemented by the crisis committee, will remove the vessel backlog by the end of this month.

“Cabinet’s approval and activation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap also opens the way for reviving a properly resourced, inter-modal, world-class logistics network for South Africa and the region,” says Maree.

Transnet seems to be embracing the collaboration with business:

[...]

The new management team led by Phillips and Baatjies has changed the culture and mood at Transnet, adds Havenga.

“The improvements we have seen in the last few months have all been achieved without massive investment in locomotives and wagons. These improvements are the result of operating smarter. Transnet has a rail network of about 21 000km, but virtually all of its rail revenue comes from just 1 500km of that network. That’s where we need to focus the attention.

“If we can improve turnaround times on the #Sishen-#SaldanhaBay railway line so we get trains turned around in 80 hours instead of 100 hours, that means we can run an extra train a day using the same rolling stock we have. And this can be done.”

The 861km Sishen-Saldanha line between the #NorthernCape and the port of Saldanha Bay in the #WesternCape handles most of the country’s iron ore exports, and its efficiency has had a direct impact on the revenue and profits of #Kumba Iron Ore and other iron ore exporters.

[...]

Perhaps Transnet has finally turned the corner and demonstrated what can be done when cadres are replaced by industry specialists.
」

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/transnet-personnel-changes-paying-off/

#SouthAfrica #GoodNews #StateCapture #Economy #TFR #TransnetFreightRail

「Transnet personnel changes paying off

Coal export volumes railed to #RichardsBay were up more than 10% in the December quarter, and port backlogs are declining.

Then #PublicEnterprises Minister Pravin #Gordhan took a meat cleaver to the board.

In came #MineralsCouncil vice-president Andile #Sangqu as chair of #Transnet in July 2023, giving a voice to the company’s largest customer, the mining sector – accounting for roughly 80% of Transnet Freight Rail’s business and 50% of overall revenue. The board was loaded with engineers, industry representatives and labour, people who knew how to run an enterprise of this complexity.

Out went #Derby and #Mzimela, replaced by Michelle #Phillips as acting group CEO and Russell #Baatjies as acting CEO for freight rail.

Several former Transnet executives who left the organisation over the years have been lured back, including former programme director Marc Descoins.

#Havenga says several other former top executives have been roped into the Transnet recovery plan, many of them with salaries paid by #BusinessSouthAfrica.

Encouraging signs of progress

Writing in Moneyweb last week, Juanita Maree, CEO of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders – which sounded the alarm on Transnet a year ago – noted the encouraging signs of progress since business got involved in the #NLCC. The turnaround at #Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, with a recovery plan crafted and implemented by the crisis committee, will remove the vessel backlog by the end of this month.

“Cabinet’s approval and activation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap also opens the way for reviving a properly resourced, inter-modal, world-class logistics network for South Africa and the region,” says Maree.

Transnet seems to be embracing the collaboration with business:

[...]

The new management team led by Phillips and Baatjies has changed the culture and mood at Transnet, adds Havenga.

“The improvements we have seen in the last few months have all been achieved without massive investment in locomotives and wagons. These improvements are the result of operating smarter. Transnet has a rail network of about 21 000km, but virtually all of its rail revenue comes from just 1 500km of that network. That’s where we need to focus the attention.

“If we can improve turnaround times on the #Sishen-#SaldanhaBay railway line so we get trains turned around in 80 hours instead of 100 hours, that means we can run an extra train a day using the same rolling stock we have. And this can be done.”

The 861km Sishen-Saldanha line between the #NorthernCape and the port of Saldanha Bay in the #WesternCape handles most of the country’s iron ore exports, and its efficiency has had a direct impact on the revenue and profits of #Kumba Iron Ore and other iron ore exporters.

[...]

Perhaps Transnet has finally turned the corner and demonstrated what can be done when cadres are replaced by industry specialists.
」

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/transnet-personnel-changes-paying-off/

#SouthAfrica #GoodNews #StateCapture #Economy #TFR #TransnetFreightRail

「Transnet personnel changes paying off

Coal export volumes railed to #RichardsBay were up more than 10% in the December quarter, and port backlogs are declining.

Then #PublicEnterprises Minister Pravin #Gordhan took a meat cleaver to the board.

In came #MineralsCouncil vice-president Andile #Sangqu as chair of #Transnet in July 2023, giving a voice to the company’s largest customer, the mining sector – accounting for roughly 80% of Transnet Freight Rail’s business and 50% of overall revenue. The board was loaded with engineers, industry representatives and labour, people who knew how to run an enterprise of this complexity.

Out went #Derby and #Mzimela, replaced by Michelle #Phillips as acting group CEO and Russell #Baatjies as acting CEO for freight rail.

Several former Transnet executives who left the organisation over the years have been lured back, including former programme director Marc Descoins.

#Havenga says several other former top executives have been roped into the Transnet recovery plan, many of them with salaries paid by #BusinessSouthAfrica.

Encouraging signs of progress

Writing in Moneyweb last week, Juanita Maree, CEO of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders – which sounded the alarm on Transnet a year ago – noted the encouraging signs of progress since business got involved in the #NLCC. The turnaround at #Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, with a recovery plan crafted and implemented by the crisis committee, will remove the vessel backlog by the end of this month.

“Cabinet’s approval and activation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap also opens the way for reviving a properly resourced, inter-modal, world-class logistics network for South Africa and the region,” says Maree.

Transnet seems to be embracing the collaboration with business:

[...]

The new management team led by Phillips and Baatjies has changed the culture and mood at Transnet, adds Havenga.

“The improvements we have seen in the last few months have all been achieved without massive investment in locomotives and wagons. These improvements are the result of operating smarter. Transnet has a rail network of about 21 000km, but virtually all of its rail revenue comes from just 1 500km of that network. That’s where we need to focus the attention.

“If we can improve turnaround times on the #Sishen-#SaldanhaBay railway line so we get trains turned around in 80 hours instead of 100 hours, that means we can run an extra train a day using the same rolling stock we have. And this can be done.”

The 861km Sishen-Saldanha line between the #NorthernCape and the port of Saldanha Bay in the #WesternCape handles most of the country’s iron ore exports, and its efficiency has had a direct impact on the revenue and profits of #Kumba Iron Ore and other iron ore exporters.

[...]

Perhaps Transnet has finally turned the corner and demonstrated what can be done when cadres are replaced by industry specialists.
」

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/transnet-personnel-changes-paying-off/

#SouthAfrica #GoodNews #StateCapture #Economy #TFR #TransnetFreightRail

「Transnet personnel changes paying off

Coal export volumes railed to #RichardsBay were up more than 10% in the December quarter, and port backlogs are declining.

Then #PublicEnterprises Minister Pravin #Gordhan took a meat cleaver to the board.

In came #MineralsCouncil vice-president Andile #Sangqu as chair of #Transnet in July 2023, giving a voice to the company’s largest customer, the mining sector – accounting for roughly 80% of Transnet Freight Rail’s business and 50% of overall revenue. The board was loaded with engineers, industry representatives and labour, people who knew how to run an enterprise of this complexity.

Out went #Derby and #Mzimela, replaced by Michelle #Phillips as acting group CEO and Russell #Baatjies as acting CEO for freight rail.

Several former Transnet executives who left the organisation over the years have been lured back, including former programme director Marc Descoins.

#Havenga says several other former top executives have been roped into the Transnet recovery plan, many of them with salaries paid by #BusinessSouthAfrica.

Encouraging signs of progress

Writing in Moneyweb last week, Juanita Maree, CEO of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders – which sounded the alarm on Transnet a year ago – noted the encouraging signs of progress since business got involved in the #NLCC. The turnaround at #Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, with a recovery plan crafted and implemented by the crisis committee, will remove the vessel backlog by the end of this month.

“Cabinet’s approval and activation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap also opens the way for reviving a properly resourced, inter-modal, world-class logistics network for South Africa and the region,” says Maree.

Transnet seems to be embracing the collaboration with business:

[...]

The new management team led by Phillips and Baatjies has changed the culture and mood at Transnet, adds Havenga.

“The improvements we have seen in the last few months have all been achieved without massive investment in locomotives and wagons. These improvements are the result of operating smarter. Transnet has a rail network of about 21 000km, but virtually all of its rail revenue comes from just 1 500km of that network. That’s where we need to focus the attention.

“If we can improve turnaround times on the #Sishen-#SaldanhaBay railway line so we get trains turned around in 80 hours instead of 100 hours, that means we can run an extra train a day using the same rolling stock we have. And this can be done.”

The 861km Sishen-Saldanha line between the #NorthernCape and the port of Saldanha Bay in the #WesternCape handles most of the country’s iron ore exports, and its efficiency has had a direct impact on the revenue and profits of #Kumba Iron Ore and other iron ore exporters.

[...]

Perhaps Transnet has finally turned the corner and demonstrated what can be done when cadres are replaced by industry specialists.
」

https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/transnet-personnel-changes-paying-off/

#SouthAfrica #GoodNews #StateCapture #Economy #TFR #TransnetFreightRail

「Huge uplift for Eastern Cape on way from South Africa’s R105bn green ammonia project

The building of the R105-billion #greenammonia project by Hive Hydrogen South Africa is poised to be a huge economic uplift for the #EasternCape.

The large project is the first phase of a multi-phase venture that will be constructed over 16 years. [...]

The front-end engineering design (FEED) process gets underway next month and tenders will invited shortly after the conclusion of that process in July.

Funding will be a combination of 70% debt and 30% equity. The final investment decision, which is expected by the end of next year, will be followed by construction and commissioning in 2028.

[...]

The building by Hive Hydrogen of 3.6 GW renewable energy capacity is scheduled to begin in early 2025. The solar power component will be built near the town of #DeAar, in the #NorthernCape, and wind component north and south of #BeaufortWest, in the #WesternCape.

A large transmission grid strengthening programme will enable #HiveHydrogen’s 3.6 GW on to the grid and phases two, three and four of the project will each require additional renewable energy of a similar gigawattage. Interestingly, Hive Hydrogen’s initial 3.6 GW on to the grid will enable an additional 14.4 GW from other independent power producers.

The one-million tons of green ammonia a year that the #Coega project will produce will provide clean energy for a variety of applications, with green hydrogen and ammonia being particularly well suited to the decarbonisation of heavy industries and transportation industries.

[...]

Those in the industry will know that one of the most important things that #Eskom is doing and plans to be operational by around 2029, is to put in two 765 kV transmission lines with about 10 GW of capacity, from #Gamma in the Northern Cape to #Grassridge in the Eastern Cape.

[...]

When will 20 000 people be employed by the project [...]

There will be a large number of construction #jobs and because this is a multi-phase project, we're hoping to time the construction jobs so that we have a full 16-year period over which we can employ the people, so that it's not a construction job just for a short period.」

https://www.polity.org.za/article/huge-uplift-for-eastern-cape-on-way-from-south-africas-r105bn-green-ammonia-project-2023-12-14

#SouthAfrica #RenewableEnergy

One to watch: As of November, South Africa's rural #NorthernCape #Health dept accounted for 99% of all late payments to suppliers in the province b/c cash flow issues and/or inadequate budgets. In the past, stats like these have been early warning signs of other crises, including medicine stockouts https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/36104/