Western Cape small-scale fishers finally obtain their rights
Fisheries department announces long-awaited permits finalised in the Western Cape
Rossgro Eggs Brings MK Kosher Certification to South African Kitchens
MK Kosher Certification’s expansion in South Africa continues with the certification of Rossgro eggs, a Johannesburg-based producer renowned for its high-quality egg white liquid and egg pulp. This marks a significant step for Rossgro eggs and the kosher community alike, as it allows kosher kitchens throughout the nation to incorporate these top-tier products into their …
Mr. Fudge: A Sweet Addition to South Africa’s Kosher Delicacies
South Africa’s kosher community is set to enjoy a richer, sweeter experience with the introduction of Mr. Fudge’s MK Kosher Certified confections. The new line-up, featuring Cholov Yisroel Vanilla and Chocolate Fudge, exemplifies the perfect blend of traditional flavors and stringent kosher compliance. Rabbi Yossi Baumgarten, MK Kosher’s African Regional Director, has praised the …
MultiChoice Group: Resilient Operational Performance and Significant Progress
MultiChoice Group (MCG, or the group) (www.MultiChoice.com), Africa's leading entertainment company, executed well on its operational objectives during the six months ended 30 September 2023 (1H FY24).
Building on its track record of investing in technology to be ahead of the curve, and to accommodate shifts in consumer video consumption trends to support future growth, the group continued to transition strategically with an increased investment in Showmax, ahead of an exciting re-launch in the second half of this financial year.
“We remain focused on developing our leading entertainment platform that caters for consumer needs across sub-Saharan Africa, on leveraging our footprint to build a differentiated ecosystem and on developing additional revenue streams,” says Calvo Mawela, Chief Executive Officer.
The overall excitement around three world cups, culminating in the Springboks emerging victorious as back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions, supported subscriber activity. A highlight of the interim period was the South African Premium customer base, which grew 5%, a positive trend for the first time in many years.
Although profitability came under pressure due to ongoing power interruptions, cost of living pressures and sharp depreciation in local currencies against the US dollar, the impact was mitigated by a change in focus towards subscriber retention, an improved customer mix, as well as ongoing pricing and cost saving disciplines to protect the resilience of the business. As a result, the group maintained a positive trading profit margin of 3% in the Rest of Africa (a ZAR2.2bn organic improvement YoY) and delivered a 31% trading margin in South Africa.
Salient points for the 1H FY24 period included:
- Group revenue: ZAR28.3bn, down 1% (up 4% organic) due to weaker local currencies and consumer pressure, offset by conversion benefits of a weaker ZAR on the group's USD reporting segments and inflationary-led price increases in the majority of the group's markets.
- Subscription revenues: 3% higher on an organic basis, attributed to strong growth in Rest of Africa (+14%) and Showmax (+25%), offset by pressure in the South African business (-4%).
- Group trading profit: increased 18% on an organic and like-for-like basis (excluding the additional investment in Showmax), reducing to a 10% improvement once the investment in Showmax is considered. On a reported basis, trading profit was 18% lower at ZAR5.0bn, impacted by foreign exchange headwinds of ZAR1.7bn, Showmax trading losses of ZAR0.8bn and a lower contribution from South Africa. Focus on cost optimisation delivered ZAR0.5bn in cost savings.
- Total content costs: up 10% (+ 4% organic), driven by ongoing investment in local content (+16% YoY) and several World Cups hosted in the first half of the year.
- Core headline earnings: ZAR1.9bn, down 5%, impacted by the same drivers weighing on trading profit, with some offset from realised gains on forward exchange contracts and lower tax and minorities in South Africa.
- Adjusted core headline earnings (incorporating the impact of losses incurred on cash remittances in markets such as Nigeria): increased 25% to ZAR1.5bn, resulting from lower losses on cash remittances as the gap between the official and parallel naira rates narrowed following the material depreciation in the official naira rate during the period.
- Free cash flow: ZAR1.1bn, impacted by the increased investment in Showmax and a lower contribution from the South African business.
- Retained cash and cash equivalents of ZAR5.6bn and access to ZAR9.0bn in undrawn facilities; financial debt stable at ZAR8.1bn with Net debt:EBITDA of 1.30x.
The group continued to deliver compelling local content and enable its audiences to access internationally renowned entertainment shows. Playing a vital role in supporting and developing the continent's wider video entertainment industry, it has increased its spending on local content by 16% YoY, taking its local content library to almost 80,000 hours. Going forward, the group plans to enhance the monetisation of each hour of content produced by leveraging both its linear and streaming platforms.
Several new titles were launched to maintain strong momentum in leading local language programming. In addition to the successful debut of Shaka iLembe on Mzansi Magic; Gqeberha: The Empire replaced The Queen in its time slot; and Umkhoka: The Curse continued to grow in viewership and social media engagement during the period. M-Net launched the higher-end series 1802: Love Defies Time on 1Magic. kykNET introduced a new medical procedural drama, Hartklop, and a new cooking reality show, Kokkedoor: Vuur & Vlam, both of which commanded strong audience share. Big Brother Naija entered its eighth season, delivering record advertising revenues in local currency.
Following on from the success of the FIFA World Cup in FY23, SuperSport yet again demonstrated its ability to deliver an exceptional sport offering, successfully broadcasting three World Cup events in the period — the FIFA Women's World Cup, the Netball World Cup and the Rugby World Cup — followed by the Cricket World Cup, which aired post period-end.
As part of its broader “Here for Her” campaign, SuperSport provided a world-first all-female broadcasting crew to produce the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, which was shortlisted at the Sports Business Awards for “Best Sporting Event of 2023”.
Beyond World Cup coverage, SuperSport's broadcast of the Comrades Marathon in June 2023 was the biggest production in SuperSport's history. The group continued telling the best of local sport stories and is proud of its latest documentary series, Pulse of a Nation, which documents the history of football in South Africa. SuperSport also secured several rights in its portfolio to provide viewers with a wide variety of choice.
MultiChoice also remains committed to making school sport accessible to all levels of society through its SuperSport Schools platform, which grew its user base by 69% over the last six months, providing a valuable stage for identifying the next generation of South Africa's sporting stars.
Operational performance review
South Africa
The challenging consumer environment persisted into 1H FY24. Loadshedding remained the most immediate challenge in terms of subscriber activity, with the number of active days per subscriber declining by 5% due to a significant increase in both frequency and intensity of loadshedding, especially in Q1 of the reporting period. Premium and Compact bases showed improved stability compared to the latter part of FY23.
The group reported a 5% decline in 90-day active customers to 8.6m (3% of which can be attributed to the decision to end the short-term campaigns implemented in the prior year to support customers during loadshedding), with active customers amounting to 7.8m. More stable trends in the mid- and upper segments of the customer base, along with inflation-linked average price increases of around 4%, helped limit the decline in monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) to 2%.
Various initiatives were implemented to protect the economics of the segment and to help offset macro and consumer challenges weighing on the performance of the business into the second half, a period which is typically affected by the seasonally higher cost of the football content rights and festive season promotional activity. Key amongst these was the reduction in decoder subsidies through increased device pricing in our linear business and the relaunch of DStv Stream, which has more than tripled its subscribers since March 2023, albeit off a low base. Encouragingly, over 90% of DStv Stream subscribers added in the period are new subscribers to DStv, who find the connected product without hardware installation more appealing. The pricing and value proposition of the DStv Business Play packages were also recalibrated which led to a 37% increase in month-on-month revenues for this segment in September 2023.
Revenues declined by 3% to ZAR16.5bn, impacted by a 4% decline in subscription revenues and a reduction in decoder revenues due to the shift in strategy, offset by 31% growth in insurance premiums and a doubling of DStv Internet revenues. The segment delivered a trading margin of 31%, with Showmax now reported as a separate trading segment. In absolute terms, the lower revenues and negative operating leverage resulted in trading profit trending 17% lower to ZAR5.2bn, impacted by the ongoing investment in local content and sport, partially offset by cost saving initiatives and reduced decoder subsidies.
Rest of Africa (RoA)
After adding 1.4m new subscribers in FY23, subscriber growth in the Rest of Africa was more subdued in 1H FY24. This was due to the impact of inflationary pressures in key markets like Nigeria, and similar trends to previous periods which followed a FIFA World Cup or northern hemisphere football off-season. A total of 0.1m subscribers were added to end the period at 13.0m 90-day active subscribers. The active subscriber base was broadly stable at 8.9m subscribers and subscription revenues grew 14% organically.
Revenue of ZAR10.5bn was flat (+13% organic) with a weaker ZAR against the USD on conversion, offsetting the impact of weaker local currencies relative to the USD. The RoA segment delivered a trading profit of ZAR330m (+ZAR2.2bn YoY on an organic basis) which was underpinned by specific cost interventions around decoder subsidies and content costs.
Weaker currencies remained a significant impediment to improvements in profitability, with average first half exchanges falling sharply against the USD. The sharp fall of the naira resulted in a large proportion of the previously recognised losses incurred on cash remittances now being recorded in trading profit. The net effect of these forex movements was a negative ZAR1.6bn impact on the segment's trading profit for the period.
Showmax
The Showmax partnership with Comcast (owners of NBCUniversal, Sky and Peacock) was concluded on 4 April 2023 and significant progress has been made in preparing for launch later in this financial year. This service, which is set to benefit from rising connectivity and smart device uptake that enhances accessibility and scalability, will enable MultiChoice to double its customer base and deliver an additional USD1bn revenue in the medium term.
Showmax (now reported separately from the South African segment) saw its active subscriber base increase by 13% YoY, resulting in revenues growing 46% (+45% organic) to ZAR0.6bn. As the group continues to support the existing business and invest behind the new platform, operating costs increased in the short term, resulting in trading losses increasing by ZAR0.5bn to ZAR0.8bn.
Technology segment
Irdeto's external business delivered 17% topline growth (+4% organic) due to the weaker ZAR against the USD, market share gains in its core media security business and the provision of its managed services. Irdeto's connected industries initiatives continue to build momentum, most notably in the Keystone product line where Irdeto secured additional customer wins in the construction equipment space.
Trading profit was affected by once-off restructuring activities in the core media security business as the business adapts to the changing media landscape, and increased by a modest 1% on an organic basis.
On a standalone basis, Irdeto generated revenues of USD98m (ZAR1.8bn), down 7%. Trading profit of USD15m (ZAR0.3bn) was lower than the prior period as a result of the non-recurring benefit from elevated FIFA World Cup orders in the prior year, as well as the restructuring costs.
KingMakers
KingMakers continued to deliver strong underlying operating momentum despite the impact of the weaker naira and challenging macro environment in Nigeria. The business delivered organic revenue growth of 22%, led by strong growth in its online sportsbook which saw active users increase 17% and its revenue contribution grow by 40% YoY. The weaker naira resulted in reported revenues increasing only 2% to USD95m (ZAR1.8bn). KingMakers reported USD10m in EBITDA and narrowed its loss after tax to USD8.6m (ZAR0.2bn) for the first six months to June 2023.
The core development focus for KingMakers was preparations for the soft launch of SuperSportBet in South Africa on 9 November this year. The expertise of the KingMakers team combined with the strength of the SuperSportBet brand and exclusive partnerships uniquely positions the group to leverage the opportunity for future revenue and gain market share in this large and growing addressable market.
KingMakers is focused on optimising the profitability of its agency business and growing its higher-margin online business that, together with the opportunity presented by the new South African business, will support its path to sustainable profitability.
The product and market expansion plans are fully funded with KingMakers having USD134m (ZAR2.5bn) of cash at period end (being June 2023).
Moment (Fintech)
The Moment joint venture made significant progress in integrating with group core payments infrastructure and remains on track to commercialise its local services in 2H FY24.
In addition, Moment prioritised payment service integrations for the Showmax business to support the streaming platform's launch in 2H FY24. The platform is set to deliver returns equal to the initial investment within a 20-month timeframe and will become increasingly important to the success of the group's ecosystem in future, providing simplicity to customer payment options, more integrated rewards platforms and B2B revenue opportunities.
Future Prospects
“MultiChoice has a compelling growth strategy in place, which is partly driven by the opportunity to capture sustainable long-term growth through our targeted investment in streaming and partly by the need to absorb increased external economic pressure on the business and its consumers in the short-term. Our priority is to navigate both sets of demands to ensure the group operates sustainably through the current economic cycle and long into the future, while delivering attractive shareholder returns.” says Mawela.
The focus remains on driving further efficiencies in operating expenditure, as well as working capital and capex decisions, to ensure consistent and optimal returns on all capital deployed. At the same time, the group continues to seek ways to support or improve the economics of the business through pricing decisions, optimising customer mix and content monetisation, as well as calibrating decoder subsidies according to the macro-economic backdrop.
The group is also carefully investing behind nascent or future business lines, taking into account the strategic importance and prospects of success.
“The second half of FY24 will be an important period in our journey to expand our ecosystem beyond Africa's leading linear pay-TV operator into a broader ecosystem of interactive entertainment and consumer services to enable us to double our customer base to 50 million over the next five years. The relaunch of Showmax, combined with KingMakers' entry into the South African market with SuperSportBet, and Moment's platform launch are all important milestones as we accelerate growth and drive additional scale, creating a ‘world of more' for customers and additional value for shareholders.” Mawela concluded.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of MultiChoice Group.
Court rules OUTA not entitled to financial information on N3TC toll concession
OUTA accepts judgment but is considering whether to appeal due to concern over the need for transparency on public-private partnerships OUTA has lost a court bid to get financial information from Sanral which would expose the scale of profits which N3TC makes on its 30-year toll concession contract. On 14 November 2023, the Pretoria High …
CoGTA pushes ahead with councillors’ code of conduct
CoGTA pushes ahead with councillors' code of conduct
Government is forging ahead with the reinforcement of the code of conduct for councillors in an effort to address challenges, strengthen local government and look into motions of no confidence.
This is according to the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, who was updating the media on Wednesday on the state of local government.
“In the past two weeks, we’ve put in the code of conduct for councillors, this was as the result of what happened in the City of Tshwane and in the City of eThekwini where councillors physically attacked one another instead of sitting and debating about disagreements,” she said.
The code of conduct, according to Nkadimeng, zooms into measures that need to be applied jointly with the council if disruptions are the order of the day.
“We need to link with the thought of that we’re trying to micromanage but with the thought of instability. Because, if the meeting is disrupted, it means council can’t conclude on when the operations are supposed to be done and it gets to be postponed again and again,” she explained, adding that it was not only coalitions that are unstable.
The Minister has since called for political maturity.
“We also want to regulate on the motions of no confidence... There are critical areas on how they should come about, which are fraud, corruption and not providing service delivery. But it can’t be based on slight provocation, like not greeting and now you’re angry with party B.”
She shot down the view that government was trying to micromanage councils.
“From 2016 to 2021, Nelson Mandela Bay didn’t build a single RDP house. Not only that they didn’t have the money, they turned no less than R500 million back,” she said, adding that the metro had seen numerous mayors come and go within that period.
However, Nkadimeng said these interventions are driven by the desire to protect citizens.
“It's fair and well for the parties to win elections and govern how they want. But we need to protect citizens who were supposed to receive a house in Nelson Mandela Bay when funds were provided and were not utilised and no one was held accountable.”
According to the State of Local Government report, 64 municipalities were categorised as dysfunctional, 111 were at medium risk, 66 at low risk, and 16 deemed stable.
Infrastructure
Shifting her focus to infrastructure, she said 117 out of 144 Water Service Authorities’ bulk water and sanitation infrastructure has been assessed.
“The assessments report with recommendations are being implemented and used to prioritise projects identification and funding through own funding, private sector funding and conditional grants.”
In addition, the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (Misa), deploys built environment professionals to municipalities to provide technical support throughout all infrastructure product life cycles.
To date, Misa has deployed 103 technical professionals, of which 86 of are professionally registered with statutory bodies as engineers and town planners.
Nkadimeng said the state was also pushing for all municipalities to have municipal managers and chief financial officers.
In addition, the Minister touched on the pillars that make a functional municipality.
These include putting people first, delivering basic services, good governance, sound financial management, building capable local government institutions and local economic development. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 15:28
144 views
Good Heart Kosher MK Certification
In a significant development for South Africa’s kosher food market, Good Heart has announced an expansion of its product range with a new lineup of MK kosher-certified products. This diversification is a boon for the burgeoning kosher community, providing a variety of options from coated rice cakes in exotic flavours to a selection of …
Jap Burger’s revelations expose ongoing ‘state capture’ at Eskom
Dear Editor In a significant development, former Brigadier Jap Burger of the South African Police Service (SAPS) testified before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) today. Burger, who was subpoenaed, addressed allegations of corruption and fraudulent activities, shedding light on maladministration at Eskom. The hearing stems from a process initiated in April, when SCOPA …
Trophy Tour Death in East London
SA Rugby has been advised of the death of a spectator following an accident with a police vehicle during the final stage of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour. President, Mr Mark Alexander said: “SA Rugby is deeply saddened by news of a tragic incident during the festivities celebrating South Africa’s 2023 Rugby World Cup …
Rand Water CEO has to go
Dear Editor Today, concerned citizens, DA representatives, and community leaders united to march and deliver a memorandum of demands to the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu. The memorandum emphasises the urgent need for immediate action to address water supply challenges in Gauteng. Under the current government, systemic failures persist, leading South Africans to …
Risk management measures are vital to prevent GBV incidents at universities
Dear Editor Today the DA conducted an unannounced oversight visit to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) accredited student accommodation residence, South Point The Orchard, to observe their safety and security and risk mitigation measures in order to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) incidents at the residence. This is the residence where the CPUT student …
FIFA+ to stream every Confederation of African Football (CAF) qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 26™
First two matchdays of CAF qualifying will be played from 15 to 21 November; All matches will be streamed on FIFA+; Find out below which countries the matches will be available in.
Africa's qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 26™ kick off on Wednesday 15 November and you'll be able to watch them all live on FIFA+.
Nine African teams are guaranteed to compete at the World Cup. Another will participate in the FIFA Play-off Tournament as the global showpiece will host 48 teams for the first time ever.
Everything you need to know about African qualifying (https://apo-opa.co/47xtb3H)
Where to watch the CAF qualifiers for FIFA World Cup 26™
You will be able to watch all Matchday 1 African qualifiers on FIFA+ with English commentary from anywhere in the world, with the exception of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, sub-Saharan Africa*, India and Portugal.
* It will be possible to follow the matches live in sub-Saharan Africa in the following countries: Benin, Burundi, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Sao Tome e Principe, Seychelles, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Highlights of all the matches will also be available on FIFA+ worldwide.
Where can I watch FIFA+ content? (https://apo-opa.co/40FfYDJ)
CAF qualifiers schedule
Click on the links for each match to go to the streaming page. (all kick-off times local)
Matchday 1
15 November
Equatorial Guinea v Namibia (Group H) | 1400 | Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Rwanda v Zimbabwe (Group C) | 1500 | Butare, Rwanda
Congo DR v Mauritania (Group C) | 1500 | Kinshasa, Congo DR
Ethiopia v Sierra Leone (Group A) | 2000 | El Jadida, Morocco
16 November
Botswana v Mozambique (Group G) | 1500 | Francistown, Botswana
Burundi v The Gambia (Group F) | 1600 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Gabon v Kenya (Group F) | 1700 | Franceville, Gabon
Nigeria v Lesotho (Group C) | 1700 | Uyo, Nigeria
Algeria v Somalia (Group G) | 1700 | Baraki, Algeria
Cape Verde v Angola (Group D) | 1800 | Praia, Cape Verde
Egypt v Djibouti (Group A) | 1800 | Cairo, Egypt
Sudan v Togo (Group B) | 1800 | Benina, Libya
17 November
Guinea v Uganda (Group G) | 1400 | Berkane, Morocco
Eswatini v Libya (Group D) | 1500 | Nelspruit, South Africa
Liberia v Malawi (Group H) | 1600 | Paynesville, Liberia
Ghana v Madagascar (Group I) | 1600 | Kumasi, Ghana
Comoros v Central African Republic (Group I) | 1600 | Moroni, Comoros
Zambia v Congo (Group E) | 1800 | Ndola, Zambia
Côte d'Ivoire v Seychelles (Group F) | 1900 | Ebimpe, Côte d'Ivoire
Mali v Chad (Group I) | 1900 | Bamako, Mali
Tunisia v Sao Tome e Principe (Group H) | 2000 | Rades, Tunisia
Cameroon v Mauritius (Group D) | 2000 | Douala, Cameroon
Burkina Faso v Guinea Bissau (Group A) | 2000 | Marrakesh, Morocco
18 November
South Africa v Benin (Group C) | 1500 | Durban, South Africa
Niger v Tanzania (Group E) | 1700 | Marrakesh, Morocco
Senegal v South Sudan (Group B) | 1900 | Diamniadio, Senegal
Matchday 2
19 November
Zimbabwe v Nigeria (https://apo-opa.co/49CLrKF) (Group C) | 1500 | Butare, Rwanda
Mozambique v Algeria (Group G) | 1500 | Maputo, Mozambique
Burundi v Gabon (Group F) | 1600 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Sierra Leone v Egypt (Group A) | 1600 | Paynesville, Liberia
Sudan v Congo DR (Group B) | 1800 | Benina, Libya
20 November
Djibouti v Guinea Bissau (Group A) | 1500 | Cairo, Egypt
Liberia v Equatorial Guinea (Group H) | 1600 | Paynesville, Liberia
Seychelles v Kenya (Group F) | 1900 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
The Gambia v Côte d'Ivoire (Group F) | 1900 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Mali v Central African Republic (Group I) | 1900 | Bamako, Mali
Chad v Madagascar (https://apo-opa.co/40E03p4) (Group I) | 2000 | Oujda, Morocco
21 November
Somalia v Uganda (Group G) | 1400 | Berkane, Morocco
Botswana v Guinea (Group G) | 1500 | Francistown, Botswana
Malawi v Tunisia (Group H) | 1500 | Lilongwe, Malawi
Eswatini v Cape Verde (Group D) | 1500 | Nelspruit, South Africa
Rwanda v South Africa (Group C) | 1500 | Butare, Rwanda
Lesotho v Benin (Group C) | 1500 | Durban, South Africa
South Sudan v Mauritania (Group B) | 1600 | Diamniadio, Senegal
Togo v Senegal (Group B) | 1600 | Lome, Togo
Sao Tome e Principe v Namibia (https://apo-opa.co/49E13NY) (Group H) | 1700 | Agadir, Morocco
Libya v Cameroon (Group D) | 1800 | Benina, Libya
Comoros v Ghana (https://apo-opa.co/3G4ObTu) (Group I) | 1900 | Moroni, Comoros
Niger v Zambia (Group E) | 2000 | Marrakesh, Morocco
Mauritius v Angola (Group D) | 2000 | Saint Pierre, Mauritius
Ethiopia v Burkina Faso (Group A) | 2000 | El Jadida, Morocco
Tanzania v Morocco (Group E) | 2200 | Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Live streaming on FIFA+
During this international break, FIFA+ will be your point of reference for World Cup 2026 streaming, with all the African qualifiers and the CONMEBOL qualifier between Bolivia and Peru.
CAF schedule
- 15-21 November, 2023: 1st and 2nd matchdays
- 3-11 June, 2024: 3rd and 4th matchdays
- 17-25 March, 2025: 5th and 6th matchdays
- 1-9 September, 2025: 7th and 8th matchdays
- 6-14 October, 2025: 9th and 10th matchdays
- 10-18 November, 2025: CAF play-off tournament
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FIFA.
Contact for African media:
AfricanMedia@fifa.org
Load shedding requires urgent intervention, Ramokgopa tells Parliament
Load shedding requires urgent intervention, Ramokgopa tells Parliament
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has told the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises that load shedding is an existential problem, both in economic and social terms, which requires urgent intervention.
The Minister said the South African economy could be losing up to R1 billion a day, depending on the intensity of load shedding.
“This is severe. The amount of jobs that have been lost as a result of load shedding are projected to be upwards of 800 000 just for the current year, if you were to go by the modelling that has been done by some of the reputable institutions.
“I'm trying to convey the message that we are dealing with a major problem that undermines the overall growth of the South African economy,” he said on Wednesday.
Ramokgopa said as a result of this, President Ramaphosa found it appropriate to provide a comprehensive and compelling response to the crisis by unveiling the Energy Action Plan (EAP), which has about five outcomes.
The five priority outcomes, Ramokgopa said, are to fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply; enable private investment in new generation capacity; accelerate procurement of new capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage; unleash investment in rooftop solar PV for businesses and households, and to "undermine the political interest calculation, ensuring that there's transparency in how costs are located and how tariffs are determined".
Expanding on the first priority, the Minister said they have to improve the availability of existing suppliers.
“So the focus will be on the existing fleet of Eskom coal-fired power stations, a focus on Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and also the importation of hydro that we are getting from Mozambique, ensuring that first we address the reliability of this unit... [and reduce] the rate of abrupt failure of these units, and address their efficiency as they run, then approximate their design capacity,” he said.
Turning to the second priority, Ramokgopa said that it exists to ensure that significant private sector investment is attracted, and this is supported by the reforms that were introduced on the generation side.
He said there is a significant amount of project pipeline as a result of the reforms that have been introduced on the generation side, which focuses on the private sector and new generation capacity.
Generation performance
On the overall performance of units, Ramokgopa told the portfolio committee that the trendline has essentially been going up.
"If you look at the available capacity, you can see that it is beginning to pick up from what the situation was in May, which was used as a baseline."
The Minister said they were addressing factors that have contributed to increased load shedding over the past week.
"... There is the good and there's also the bad. The good is that the trendline is going up and the bad is that there are things that we admit that we can improve on, especially better planning, returning the units on time, and ensuring that gradually, we continue to reduce the intensity of load shedding,” the Minister said.
He said they are taking advantage of the warmer period the country is now in.
“We have been ramping up planned maintenance... [We need to] make sure that we fix [the units] and when they come back, they're healthier and they're able to perform,” he said.
As part of improving the issues at Eskom, Ramokgopa said they have returned two of the three units that failed at Eskom last year in October as a result of challenges related to the Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) unit, which is a mechanical component that houses a chemical process meant to reduce the amount of sulphur content that is emitted into the environment.
“We asked for a special dispensation to bypass that Flue-gas desulfurization unit and then we accepted that there are environmental costs, and that's why we put together a comprehensive health plan to... mitigate the environmental costs, and those were approved by the Minister of Environment.
“Of course, we are going to return to normality, essentially to go back to the original design of going through the Flue-gas desulfurization by the end of the year 2024.
“But now we've got that relief and two of those three units are back. Unit 1 and 3 are back, and we anticipate to bring Unit 2 by end of the month, and then we'll be firing Unit 5 at Kusile by the third week of December. So we project to get another 1 600 megawatts,” the Minister said.
The Minister told the portfolio committee that they are currently focusing on four broad areas, which include the facilitation of renewables.
"It's important to not just over rely on Eskom, which is aging. We have committed to a decarbonisation agenda. We're committed to the nationally determined contribution the net zero path. Of course, we have extended the life of these power stations as a result of the challenges that we're currently facing.
“So we [have] delayed the decommissioning. It will happen but it's delayed. The key is facilitating renewables, and transmission is a big part of that." – SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 12:51
318 views
Transnet must urgently table its turnaround plan
Dear Editor While Transnet continues to bleed the economy, it also continues to limit parliamentary oversight by failing to comprehensively table its turnaround plan in Parliament with the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises (Committee). Given that the plan has been presented to both the Ministers of Public Enterprises and Finance and to pockets of the …
King Price donates nearly 40% of annual profits to charity via shareholding
According to The Trialogue Business in Society Handbook, South African companies invested around R10.9 billion into corporate social investment (CSI) in the 2022 financial year – a 6% increase from 2021. Contributing to this, South African insurer King Price has donated nearly 40% of its profit to charities across southern Africa via its main shareholder …
Good Progress Being Made On The Refinery Interchange Project
The 30-month, R285-million project to improve the capacity and safety of traffic operations at the Refinery interchange is progressing according to plan. While there have been minor delays (28 days over the 30 months) which can be mainly attributed to weather conditions, the project is still on track to finish by the end of the …
Women Ministry commends student suspension after stabbing incident
Women Ministry commends student suspension after stabbing incident
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities says it is encouraged by the University of Western Cape’s (UWC) bold step to suspend a student from its campus after he allegedly stabbed his wife at a private student residence.
The student, Ntembeko Myalo, made a brief appearance at the Bellville Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where he was charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his wife at a private student residence in Belhar, Cape Town, on Saturday.
It has been reported that his 26-year-old wife, a Student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), underwent surgery.
The department has commended Myalo’s arrest and the university’s decision to suspend him.
The department said it is sad that despite concerted efforts put in place over the years to address gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), the scourge continues relentlessly.
“There is ongoing instances of femicide with some deaths committed in [the] most heinous manner imaginable. The recent attack of a student at an institution of higher learning is appalling and should never happen again,” the department said.
The National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP on GBVF) states: “The rate of femicide in South Africa continues to be amongst the highest globally with three women reported killed each day by their intimate partners.”
The NSP on GBVF centres around six pillars, including accountability, coordination and leadership; Prevention and Rebuilding Social Cohesion; Justice, Safety and Protection; Response, Care, Support and Healing; Economic Power; and Research and Information systems.
The 2022 Presidential Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide also acknowledged that the GBVF in South Africa continues to be a national pandemic, and many women continue to be victims of it.
“The success of the NSP on GBVF is dependent on all of us working together in a coordinated and multisectoral approach to ensure that we prevent this scourge,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 13:08
154 views
Hemel-En-Aarde Road Reopened For Traffic: Stop-And-Go In Place
The Hemel-en-Aarde Road which connects Sandbaai (Hermanus) and Caledon has been reopened with Stop-and-Go traffic accommodation. The first vehicles traversed the pass on Tuesday, 14 November 2023. This comes exactly a week after the reopening of the Franschhoek Pass. The road was closed following a severe weather system which hit the Western Cape during the …
Government welcomes increase in employment
Government welcomes increase in employment
Government has welcomed the results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), which indicate that the number of employed persons increased by 399 000 to 16. 7 million in the third quarter of 2023, compared to 16. 3 million in the second quarter of 2023.
The results further show that the number of unemployed persons decreased by 72 000 to 7.8 million during the third quarter, a 0.9 % decrease in Quarter 3, compared to Quarter 2 of 2023.
“The Quarterly Labour Force Survey findings for the third quarter reflect a positive and encouraging trend for our nation's labour force. The slight but notable increase in employment and decrease in unemployment rates reflect our concerted efforts to address the challenge of unemployment in the country.
“The results are a testament to the collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors, as well as the hard work and dedication of our citizens. These quarterly survey results underscore the progress we are making as a nation in addressing unemployment and fostering employment growth,” Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Tuesday.
Ntshavheni said government is pleased with the promising findings of the third quarter, while at the same time, acknowledges that challenges persist, and there is more work that needs to be done.
“We will continue to implement policies that encourage investment, stimulate economic activity, and promote innovation, all of which contribute to sustained job creation,” the Minister said.
Ntshavheni said government’s commitment to creating a supportive and dynamic labour market remains steadfast. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 12:10
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State Security Agency Head Ambassador Majola resigns
State Security Agency Head Ambassador Majola resigns
State Security Agency (SSA) Director-General, Ambassador Thembisile Cheryl Majola, has resigned, the Presidency announced on Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted the resignation of Majola and wished her well in all her future endeavours.
“Ambassador Majola commenced her role at SSA on 1 March 2022 and her resignation, by mutual consent with the President, will be effective as of 30 November 2023.
“The President has expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Majola for her contribution to the reform and rebuilding of the State Security Agency,” Magwenya said.
Majola is a former Deputy Minister of Energy and was South Africa’s ambassador to Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
She has held several positions in the Presidency and was a deputy coordinator in the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee.
Among other roles, Majola was the observer on behalf of President Ramaphosa to the trilateral negotiations on the Grand Renaissance Dam during South Africa’s tenure as chair of the AU in 2020. - SAnews.gov.za
DikelediM
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 10:20
203 views
Elevate Your Bedroom with Luxurious Bedding
Your bedroom is your sanctuary, a place where you seek rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. To create a haven of comfort and style, the choice of bedding is paramount. In this comprehensive guide, learn more, we’ll delve into essential categories of bedding and linens that can transform your bedroom into a luxurious retreat: BED WRAPS: Bed …
SA Emerging Women To Face Zimbabwe In Six-Match T20 Series In Harare
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is pleased to unveil the SA Emerging Women squad set to compete against Zimbabwe in...
Mashatile to participate in the Annual National Men’s Parliament
Mashatile to participate in the Annual National Men’s Parliament
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will on Sunday, 19 November 2023, participate at the 3rd National Men’s Parliament in Limpopo.
The Deputy President will take part in the Men’s Parliament in his capacity as Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).
According to the Presidency, the 3rd National Men’s Parliament is organised through a partnership which includes government, Parliament and SANAC Men’s Sector and brings together leaders from across all spectrums of society.
Deputy President Mashatile will use the occasion to launch the 2023-2025 Takuwani Riime Programme of Action scheduled to take place at Masia Village, Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Vhembe District.
The programme represents a pivotal milestone in the Men’s Parliament efforts to address the scourge of violence against women, advance socio-economic development and promote men’s health, with a special focus on the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
This year, the gathering will focus on the term of community men’s Parliaments and men championing change.
“Takuwani Riime” is a Tshivenda expression meaning “let us stand up together”.
“This is a clarion call for all men to stand up and be counted as meaningfully organised partners in the advancement of community safety, health and socio-economic development across the country.”
The 3rd National Men’s Parliament will be preceded by the Traditional Council Men’s Dialogue led by the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders.
In recognition of organisations committed to the Men Championing Change Programme, the Department of Social Development will present certificates of recognition to community-based organisations dedicated to developing and implementing programmes that support men and boys to deal with multiple social ills.
Deputy President Mashatile be supported by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, the Premier of Limpopo, Members of the Limpopo Provincial Executive Council, Mayors and senior government officials. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 11/15/2023 - 09:39
125 views
Blockchain as a tool for Entrepreneurs
South Africa, 15 November 2023 – The debate around blockchain technology and the future is almost as old as blockchain itself. Ever since this innovative technology first emerged, it became abundantly clear that its potential goes far beyond merely supporting cryptocurrencies. It has the power to revolutionise the way people conduct financial transactions, and as …