Category: CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

Amazon to set up African headquarters in Cape Town

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  E-commerce tech giant Amazon will have an African base of operations in Cape Town, South Africa. This comes after the City of Cape Town has given the green light for a new R14 billion development that will host Amazon’s new African headquarters. The 15-hectare parcel of land has been approved for development by the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust. The development design intends to create a 150 000 sqm2 mixed-use space, divided into commercial and housing uses across two precincts. The developer intends 31 900 sqm2 to be used for…

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SA construction associations form an umbrella body

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  Casa’s intention is not to compete with existing associations and bodies but to complement them. Almost 30 South African construction sector associations and bodies have united to form an umbrella body, Construction Alliance South Africa (Casa), with the aim of speaking to government with one voice. Casa chairperson John Matthews said on Thursday that Casa is a product of the collective effort of the entire construction industry in South Africa and its formation is a historic moment with far-reaching effects that will transform, grow and improve the industry. “Its…

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Sustainable cement: the simple switch that could massively cut global carbon emissions

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August 22 is Earth Overshoot Day, which marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. This results from massive consumption of ecological resources and accumulation of waste. A large portion of this comes from heavy industry and the way we build our cities. Interestingly, Earth Overshoot Day in 2020 is almost exactly two years since Greta Thunberg initiated the first school strike for the climate. Over the past two years, she has inspired millions of people to fight for…

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Critical shortage of building and construction materials in SA

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  A threat to government’s plan to stimulate the economy through infrastructure investment. The manufacture of bricks was halted for three months during the Covid-19 lockdown, and it’s four- to six-month process. Image: Shutterstock Critical shortages of building and construction materials, including cement, steel, bricks and timber, are suffocating the sector’s recovery from the Covid-19 lockdown and diminishing its impact on the recovery of the economy. David Metelerkamp, senior economist at construction market intelligence firm Industry Insight, said the shortages, if they continue for an extended period of time, have…

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Construction sector is critical to SA’s post-COVID economic recovery

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Traditionally, the development of risk management plans is tailored to address assessed and quantified risks. There is however always the ‘the unknown factor’. Enter the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, we have faced localised pandemics before, but never one on such a globally synchronous scale, thanks to global travel and trade. It propelled the entire world into unchartered territory as mass economic and travel lockdowns were implemented, and contingency plans were hurriedly rolled out. For many industry sectors and businesses already teetering on the brink, it has been a crisis of…

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No flash in the pan’: Betterect and DryTech achieve a trio of mineral concentrate drying plant successes

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  Betterect, a South African fabricator and erector of large processing equipment structures, undertakes steel fabrication projects within the mining, petrochemical and other industries, for clients as far afield as Austria, Italy, Germany and Australia, as well as throughout Southern and Central Africa. With more than four decades in the industry, they are the recognised leaders within their field. As such, Betterect has conceptualised and developed the ‘Team Africa’ concept, in which steel industry suppliers and manufacturers join forces and share skills and expertise to supply mining, power generation, industrial…

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Dekra Industrial: keeping industry ‘on the safe side’ with holistic NDT and solutions

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Dekra Industrial: keeping industry ‘on the safe side’ with holistic NDT and solutions

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Infrastructure: Construction industry ready and able to deliver

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  But it’s concerned about projects taking too long to be awarded, the skills flight and corruption. By Roy Cokayne 30 Sep 2020  00:01 Gautrain Management Agency CEO William Dachs has said the construction sector will be hiring, training and skilling up people as soon as it can bank on a consistent supply of projects. Image: Shutterstock Concerns about the capacity of South Africa’s depleted and financially-distressed construction industry to deliver the government’s massive infrastructure investment plan have been debunked by industry associations and analysts. However, there are concerns about how long it…

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New law to bar foreigners doing business in Gauteng townships

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  Johannesburg – Foreign nationals living in Gauteng will soon be barred by law from doing business in the province’s townships unless they obtain permanent residency status. The Gauteng provincial government wants to stop foreign nationals from operating some businesses in the townships as part of plans to revitalise the economy in a number of the region’s most densely populated areas. A proposed new law drafted by the Gauteng economic development department and premier David Makhura’s policy unit will reserve certain economic activities in townships for South African citizens and…

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A ‘Heads-up’ from Rand-Air for the mining sector

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A ‘Heads-up’ from Rand-Air for the mining sector

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