Welcome to the 13th edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa, supported by an e-book edition and website at www.southafricanbusiness.co.za.
A special feature in this journal focusses on the vital focus on infrastructure that is seizing the attention of the political and business leadership of South Africa. This is not the arena of endless talk shops. Rather, 160 CEOs of some of the country’s most influential companies are rolling up their sleeves and trying to make things work better. The article looks at steps being taken by a combination of the public and private sectors to beef up the country’s railways, ports and energy network. Crime is also under the spotlight. As this journal goes to print, South Africa will ascend to the presidency of the G20, a singular honour and an opportunity for the country to put its best foot forward. A brief overview of each of the country’s provinces is also provided.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com. These unique titles are supported by a monthly business e-newsletter with a circulation of over 35 000. The Journal of Africa Business joined the Global African Network stable of publications as an annual in 2020 and is now published quarterly.
Cars powered by hydrogen
Cars powered by hydrogen are on the road.market. Some of the new aggregator companiesinclude Discovery Green, NOA, Etana Energy andLyra Energy.Battery storage is increasingly becoming animportant part of hybrid projects and a movein November 2023 by the JSE, Africa’s biggeststock market, signalled another landmark on therenewable energy landscape.JSE Ventures has initiated a Voluntary Carbon Markettogether with US company Xpansiv, with the aim ofcreating a market for carbon credits.Wind power is not being left behind, though.In Mpumalanga, Seriti Green has broken groundon a project that will deliver 750MW of wind from130m towers when it is complete. In addition, thehybrid model will include 100MW of solar and800MW of battery.The greater Humansdorp Jeffreys Bay area hostsno fewer than 13 wind farms so the announcementin March 2024 that Nordex Energy South Africais to start making concrete tower sections at amanufacturing facility in Humansdorp makeseconomic sense.Up to 300 jobs will be created and work at thetower factory is expected to start in Q1 2024 with thefirst set of turbines due to be installed in the secondhalf of the year. Having invested in the Eastern Capesince 2013, Nordex Energy South Africa boasts asignificant footprint in the province, including awarehouse in Gqeberha and 573MW of installedcapacity across five wind-power plants.The latest large resources company toannounce a 20-year power-purchase agreementis Richards Bay Minerals. Khangela Emoyeni WindFarm will supply the miner with 140MW from thehuge renewable-energy generator that rolls over aseries of mountains on the edge of the Western andNorthern Cape provinces.Certain manufacturing companies thathave access to biomass that results from themanufacturing process, such as woodchips forSappi and bagasse in the case of sugar producerssuch as Tongaat Hulett and Illovo, are in a positionto produce their own energy.However, there are industries where signingofftake agreements with renewable energyproducers is the more logical route to take. In fact,even PGM miner Ivanhoe Mines, despite having itsown plans to produce solar power, has signed anofftake agreement with Renergen. ■ONLINE RESOURCESGreenCape: www.greencape.co.zaSouth African Independent Power Producers Association:www.saippa.org.zaSouth African Wind Energy Association: www.sawea.org.zaSOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 202554PHOTO: BMW
Empowering Africa’s energygrowth with sustainable solutionsPartner with Forvis Mazars to tackle energy poverty across Africa.Let’s work together to drive sustainable growth and create lastingimpact.Scan the QR codeto learn moreforvismazars.com/zaforvismazars.com
