ROSSLYN, Pretoria, March 2020 – As we celebrate International Women’s Month globally, we should be aware of the need to continuously invest in women’s empowerment on personal and professional levels as there is an incredible amount of evidence to support the positive ramifications. This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme is #EachforEqual, which promotes the concept that an equal world is an enabled world and individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. Diversity in the workplace A study by McKinsey indicates gender…
Read MoreDay: 16 Mar 2020
Young leaders from Canada, Fiji, Pakistan, Uganda win Commonwealth Youth Awards 2020
Four outstanding young people have won Commonwealth Youth Awards for innovative projects that are delivering sustainable development in their countries. The awards recognise exceptional contributions by young people whose ventures are helping their countries achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The regional award winners are: Africa and Europe: Brian Galabuzi Kakembo, Uganda, turning plastics into eco-friendly briquettes (focus on SDG 8: decent work and economic growth) Asia: Hafiz Usama Tanveer, Pakistan, bringing clean water to poor communities (focus on SDG 6: clean water and sanitation) The Caribbean and Canada: Sowmyan Jegatheesan,…
Read MoreCoronavirus a catalyst for deciding on a new global manufacturing hub
PRETORIA – The book ‘In the Eyes of Darkness’ (1981) by Dean Koontz details about the global rat race to see who has better weapons among the superpowers, China, Russia and the United States. It has always been known that biological warfare is real but very people understand what it entails. There are claims that that the coronavirus (or Covid-19) is part of biological warfare but it is unclear who is attacking whom as the crisis grows. No formal sources have commented on this except for Russia after it…
Read MoreIs the coronavirus outbreak a risk for South Africa’s agriculture?
There is a strong sense of unease in the world right now. The coronavirus outbreak in China is fast spreading across Asia and other regions, and the health implications present risks for global value chains. From a macroeconomic perspective, we have already seen organisations such as the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development slashing growth forecasts for the year. Some of the economic data released in China this week was quite weak. In my own world of the agricultural economy, I have started to pick up concerns from various stakeholders…
Read MoreLoad-shedding is killing South Africa’s manufacturing industry
Sentiment in South Africa’s manufacturing industry fell to the lowest level in more than a decade in February as the prospect of continued power cuts and concern about the global economy weighed on confidence. That makes the recovery of an economy that the government estimates expanded at the slowest pace in 10 years in 2019 even more challenging. Absa Group Ltd.’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research, dropped to 44.3 from 45.2 in January, the Johannesburg-based lender said in an emailed statement Monday. That’s the…
Read MoreMozambique gas can spur SA construction and manufacturing sector
The discovery of vast quantities of gas offshore of Mozambique’s northern province could catalyse the economic development South Africa needs. Mozambique’s Rovuma basin holds the biggest natural gas discoveries in recent history with the basin estimated to hold about 32 billion barrels of equivalent (boe), enough to supply Europe’s gas needs for a decade. Speaking at the Africa Gas Forum in Cape Town on Monday, recently retired executive director of SA Oil and Gas Association (Saoga) Niall Kramer, said South Africa – coupled with last year’s discovery of an estimated…
Read MoreAlpla builds new manufacturing plant in Lanseria, South Africa
Austrian packaging manufacturer Alpla is building a new production site near Johannesburg which will combine activities from five existing plants. As part of the consolidation, the production of five existing plants in Harrismith, Denver, Isando, Kempton Park and Samrand will be transferred to the new plant in Lanseria. Located in the province of Gauteng, the factory aims to simplify and optimise manufacturing processes while also contributing to improving logistics and transport. Standard bottle solutions and tailor-made packaging for the food, personal care, home care, chemical, detergent and pharmaceutical industries will…
Read MoreManufacturing contracts for 8th straight month, but mining sees surprise jump
Mar 12 2020 14:43 Londiwe Buthelezi Manufacturing production in South Africa decreased for the eighth consecutive in January 2020 as sectors such motoring, wood and as chemicals producers extended declines that they’ve registered in the past few months. Production fell by 2% in January, which was, however, better than the 5.9% contraction recorded in December, when Eskom implemented unprecedented stage 6 load shedding. Nine out of 10 manufacturing divisions in the country experienced a drop in activity, said Statistics SA’s director of industry statistics, Nicolai Claassen. Wood, paper, publishing and…
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