Research to take centre stage at agro-processing symposium

Government funded research will come to the forefront at the Technology and Human Research for Industry Programme (THRIP) Agro-processing Symposium that will be hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry this week. The main purpose of the two-day conference, which gets underway on Tuesday, is to create a platform where government-funded research is showcased to the relevant industry for possible exploitation and industrialisation. The conference also aims to engage important stakeholders on critical issues in the agriculture and agro-processing value chain. Minister Rob Davies said the symposium will also…

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Desalination plans underway for SA

Plans are underway to ensure that South Africa gains the capacity to desalinate its own seawater. Speaking at the 38th Expert Group meeting of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) on Monday, acting Director General of the Department of Energy, Tseliso Maqubela, said the City of Cape Town at which the meeting was held is facing drought and the highest level of water restrictions. GIF is a co-operative international endeavour which was set up to carry out the research and development needed to establish the feasibility and performance capabilities of…

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Energy efficiency a must for construction industry

Public Works Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko on Monday called on the construction industry to embrace innovative technologies that have superior energy efficiency performance compared to conventional materials. “Energy efficiency will contribute to sustainable development, while [eco-labelling construction products] will contribute towards South Africa’s green building policy,” said Minister Nhleko following his recent visit to the innovative construction product assessments entity, Agrément South Africa, located at the CSIR buildings in Pretoria. Minister Nhleko pledged support for Agrément South Africa’s Vision 2030 aimed at ensuring that innovative, modern and improvement methods of construction…

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China bans foreign waste – but what will happen to the world’s recycling?

The dominant position that China holds in global manufacturing means that for many years China has also been the largest global importer of many types of recyclable materials. Last year, Chinese manufacturers imported 7.3m metric tonnes of waste plastics from developed countries including the UK, the EU, the US and Japan. © paul Prescott – 123RF.com However, in July 2017, China announced big changes in the quality control placed on imported materials, notifying the World Trade Organisation that it will ban imports of 24 categories of recyclables and solid waste by the end of the year. This campaign against yang laji or…

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How SA turned gold mining riches into rusty ruins

While our attentions have been focused on the ever-engrossing political manoeuvrings this past week, one important event might have escaped our attention: SA’s greatest gold mining company has in effect left the country. ©Neil Lockhart 123rf.com You can tell it has left because AngloGold Ashanti spokesmen have told us the company is definitely not leaving the country. But the fact remains that the group has just one mine and a tailings operation left in SA. This follows the sale of the Moab Khotsong mine, the mothballed Great Noligwa mines and its…

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More than half a billion investment boosts East London Port

Several major infrastructure and equipment projects at the Port of East London have seen Transnet pump a collective R542 million into South Africa’s only river port in the last few years. The latest project – rehabilitation of the sheet pile wharf adjacent to the dry dock – was completed earlier this month, with labour and material sourced locally. The R108 million project set out to rehabilitate the 83 metre wharf adjacent to the Princess Elizabeth Dry Dock and Latimer’s Landing. With multiple functions including use as a ship repair facility…

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How SA honey production could see R20bn turnover

Johannesburg – A structural approach and strategic business model could see South Africa’s honey industry turnover reach R20bn, according to experts. Rishad Ahmed, project funding expert and specialist from Incentives SA said the inclusion of various industry stakeholders in a combined effort could aid in the growth of the industry. The local honey industry currently sees an average annual turnover of R3.2bn, producing 2 000 tonnes per annum, according to the South African Biodiversity Institute. Ahmed, however, believes these numbers could drastically increase, given a proper business model and investments made. READ: Ethiopian…

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Mahindra latest car group to invest in SA plant

Mahindra on Friday announced it would start assembling its products in SA in 2018. The Indian company, which has a market cap of $12bn, has 34 plants around the world for its passenger vehicles, bakkies, trucks, tractors and agricultural machinery. The announcement came in a year in which huge investments have been made in the country by motoring giants such as BMW, Isuzu Motors and Chinese car maker BAIC. It also came after US car maker General Motors withdrew from SA, citing its “global business priorities”. “We believe it is…

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