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Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, has called for greater global fairness in the sharing of benefits derived from biodiversity. The Deputy Minister made the call as he opened the third meeting of the Steering Committee on the multilateral mechanism for Digital Sequence Information (DSI) at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens …
Malcolm Libera ·7 Apr 2026 The Competition Commission has warned petrol stations and other businesses that it will investigate any attempts to exploit the oil crisis by significantly raising prices. This is the feedback from the Commission’s chief economist, James Hodge, who encouraged any consumers and businesses to report where price gouging may be at …
The Karoo landscape is currently bearing witness to the early architecture of an entirely new industry: one backed by patient capital, export ambition and a financing model designed around how trees actually grow, rather than how banks prefer loans to behave. At a growers’ conference hosted in Prieska by Karoo Pistachios and its primary funding …
Hybrid cars are a good option to consider these days as motorists grapple with the ever-rising cost of fuel. Headlines over the last month have been dominated by updates on the war in the Middle East and its effect on the global price of oil. While South Africa imports most of its oil from Nigeria, …
ActionSA welcomes today’s revenue outcome announced by the South African Revenue Service, marking a historic milestone as SARS collected more than R2 trillion for the first time in the 2025/26 financial year — R155 billion more than the previous year and R25 billion above budget.
The post ActionSA Welcomes SARS R2 Trillion Milestone and Calls for Sustained Investment appeared first on ActionSA.
When the results of our reader survey landed at the beginning of March, I have to confess I expected more of a stir. Surely, I thought, these numbers that revealed our readers at the apex of South Africa’s fine wine culture, would provoke debate, reflection, even dissent from some quarters. Yet the response was surprisingly …
Staff Writer ·7 Apr 2026 South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner-designate Dr Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu says that the R3 per litre fuel tax relief offered to consumers in April will have to be repaid in one way or another. Speaking at an introductory briefing on his appointment as the new SARS head, Makhubu noted that …
Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected both the price and supply of petrol products, with May’s outlook pointing to a nearly R5-per-litre hike in petrol and R13 hike for diesel. This is according to unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) …
The Special Tribunal has ruled that R14-million in contracts for surgical masks and protective jumpsuits bypassed bid processes
College goes by fast. One minute you’re figuring out where the lecture halls are, and the next you’re two semesters in wondering whether you’ve actually done anything worth talking about. The truth is, what you do outside the classroom often matters just as much as what happens inside it and sometimes more. One of the …
Sandringham doesn’t always make the top of people’s lists when they start searching for a place to rent in Johannesburg. Most people head straight to the well-known suburbs Sandton, Rosebank, Melville and assume that’s where the best options are. But Sandringham has quietly been building a reputation as a solid, practical choice for renters who …
Finding out your child has been diagnosed can feel like a lot to take in. There are appointments, assessments, opinions from different people, and a mountain of information to sort through. For many families, the most pressing question after a diagnosis isn’t medical it’s practical. What kind of school does my child need? What kind …
Today, I led a door-to-door campaign and community engagement at Princess Clinic, Ward 71, Roodepoort and surrounding areas.
The post #OperationFixJoburg tour in Roodepoort puts forward Herman Mashaba’s plan to improve the living conditions of residents appeared first on ActionSA.
As distributed energy resources (DERs) scale rapidly across Africa and globally, the pressure to design safe, compliant and grid-stable protection systems has never been greater. ABB, a global leader in electrification solutions for the energy transition, is meeting this challenge head-on with its Application Configurator.
The Application Configurator is a free tool that enables engineers to generate a complete, validated bill of materials for grid-feeding protection systems in minutes rather than hours.
In an exclusive interview with ESI Africa (published by VUKA Group), 3 experts unpack how DER is reshaping the electricity network and how a smart solution makes the connection quick and manageable.
DERs are reshaping the grid — and testing its limits
Rising DER penetration is fundamentally reshaping grid dynamics and challenging existing infrastructure. Grid-feeding protection (which prevents faults and islanding) is increasingly difficult to implement given the diversity of grid codes, architectures and regional standards. Designing flexible, adaptive solutions is now essential to maintaining grid stability while keeping projects on schedule.
Africa's energy transition: opportunity and complexity
South Africa exemplifies both the scale of opportunity and the complexity of the challenge. The country is integrating a rapidly growing installed base of distributed energy resources into an already strained electricity grid. Grid connection capacity has long been a bottleneck, but a major national upgrade programme — encompassing new long-distance transmission lines and expanded large-scale transformer capacity — is now underway. This decade-long effort aims to ease severe congestion, address structural capacity constraints, and lower barriers to connecting new renewable projects.
Although national loadshedding has been suspended since late March 2024, load reduction remains common in areas where local networks risk overloading. In this environment, grid-feeding protection systems play a critical role: they help stabilise installations during periods of high stress and protect vulnerable infrastructure from failure.
Why automatic disconnection is non-negotiable
When DERs remain connected during a grid fault, they can amplify the problem rather than help contain it. If a localised grid issue occurs while DERs continue feeding power into an unstable system, what begins as a minor disturbance can escalate into a major disruption. Grid-feeding protection systems detect voltage and frequency deviations instantly, isolating DERs before cascade failures can develop — protecting both grid stability and worker safety.
Application Configurator: from hours to minutes
Selecting the right products for a grid-feeding system has traditionally been a time-consuming and error-prone process, requiring engineers to cross-reference extensive datasheets, technical catalogues and multiple product families. ABB's Application Configurator fundamentally changes this workflow.
Through a guided four-step process, the tool automatically proposes the optimal electrical architecture based on project-specific parameters — including grid code standards, generation power, backup and interface devices, inverter details, short-circuit levels, and connection configuration. It draws on ABB's full product portfolio and built-in engineering expertise to recommend protection devices, interface relays, disconnecting devices, surge protection, accessories, and communication or monitoring options.
The configurator automatically verifies selectivity, protection coordination, short-circuit withstand ratings, interface protection requirements, and component compatibility — significantly reducing the risk of mis-sizing or design errors. Users retain full flexibility to adjust quantities, swap components, or add accessories at any stage, with recommendations updating instantly. The output is a complete, validated bill of materials tailored to the specific project.
Free access for all engineers
Application Configurator is available at no cost to any engineer or project team, whether existing ABB customers or those new to ABB solutions. Users simply create an account, input their project details, and begin configuring immediately. No prior ABB relationship is required.
Upcoming webinar: design grid-feeding protection systems
ABB is hosting a webinar on 15 April 2026 demonstrating how Application Configurator simplifies and accelerates the design of compliant grid-feeding protection systems. The session will cover how the tool ensures safety, grid stability, availability, and power continuity across a range of project types.
Date: 15 April 2026
Times: 9:00 AM CET or 16:00 CET
Registration: (http://apo-opa.co/4ee7ITM)
About the experts:
Flurina Heuberger is Solution Product Manager at ABB Electrification, focusing on business strategy and innovation in the Solar, BESS, and Hydrogen sectors.
Maciej Maselek is Functional Analyst for the Application Configurator at ABB Electrification, where he ensures a seamless user experience and efficient application configuration.
Elvis Khumalo is Product Marketing Specialist for Low Voltage Products at ABB Electrification in South Africa, specialising in motor control, protection products, and solutions across industry segments.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.
About VUKA Group:
VUKA Group connects people and organisations across Africa's energy, mining, mobility, green economy, and retail sectors through events, content, and strategic networking. Venture partners to The Global Trust Project and leaders of NPO Go Green Africa. www.WeAreVUKA.com
About ESI Africa:
ESI Africa is Africa's trusted power, energy, water, and utility multimedia platform, delivering technical developments and industry analysis in print and digital formats since 1996. The platform connects readers and solution providers across Africa's energy and utility transformation. www.ESI-Africa.com
Scottburgh on the KZN South Coast was abuzz with adrenaline as cyclists from across the province descended on Crocworld Conservation Centre to compete in the 3rd leg of the Provincial XCO Series on Sunday, 29 March, putting the venue’s newly developed MTB trail to the test. The event marked a major milestone for Crocworld, signalling …
Delmore Manuel, Jermaine Conradie, and Leigh-Ann Maroon are getting away with torture
Entrepreneurs across Mpumalanga are being called to step forward and claim their share of R1 million in funding, as the Hollywood Foundation officially opens applications for the 2026 Mpumalanga Bambelela Business Awards. Now in its fourth year in the province, the awards have become a key platform for recognising and empowering micro, small and medium …
Jaco Kruger, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said: In 2 separate incidents, on Monday and on Tuesday, injured patients were assisted by NSRI. At 14h56, Monday, 6 April, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports of a lady injured on the Robberg Nature Reserve hiking trail. Cape Nature were alerted and NSRI crew …
Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin complimented the players and management of the eight provincial sides that contested the 2026 Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 1, saying that it provided the national coaching set-up with valuable insights and unearthed new talents. De Bruin had special praise for the Isuzu Bulls Daisies, who won …
The press releases below were the most read (popular) on MyPR for the month of January 2026. Please note these results are NOT confined to ONLY Press Releases submitted in January 2026 but reflect the most popular from the ‘beginning of time’: Get the inside track on how MyPR leveraged Gravity Forms and turned this …
Australia leg-spinner Alana King’s slide from the top of the ICC Women’s ODI Bowling Rankings lasted only four days as she took a remarkable five for 19 to reclaim the number position from England spinner Sophie Ecclestone. King’s spell, along with Phoebe Litchfield’s 68 not out (56 balls), helped Australia to a nine-wicket win and …
The Rolex SailGP Championship will make its historic debut on the iconic waters of Guanabara Bay this weekend, April 11-12, with the Enel Rio Sail Grand Prix. Set against the spectacular backdrop of Sugarloaf Mountain, the global league arrives in Rio de Janeiro for the fourth stop of the 2026 Season, with more than 8,000 …
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has been confirmed as a Partner of African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town. Its participation underscores the event's role as a premier investment platform, positioning the bank at the center of deal-making across oil, gas, power and energy infrastructure.
Ahead of AEW, Afreximbank has expanded its global footprint by raising its financing cap for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to $5 billion. The increase builds on more than $750 million already deployed and a pipeline exceeding $2 billion, targeting infrastructure, tourism, agro-processing and financial services while strengthening Africa–Caribbean trade and investment corridors.
The bank reached a recent milestone with South Africa joining as its 54th member state, completing full continental coverage. This accession unlocks an $8 billion country program focused on energy, manufacturing and trade, alongside a $3 billion Transformation Fund aimed at supporting black-owned businesses and SMEs while advancing industrial development and regional value chains. In recent years, the bank has also bolstered its capital base, including a $25 billion increase in authorized capital, enhancing its capacity to finance large-scale energy and infrastructure projects across Africa.
Afreximbank's expanding role extends directly into project financing through the Africa Energy Bank, a joint initiative spearheaded by Afreximbank and the African Petroleum Producers' Organization. Designed to address a financing gap left by international lenders' retreat from upstream oil and gas, the bank aims to mobilize African capital for African energy projects, with initial funding targets in the billions and operations set to begin in 2026. Together with Afreximbank's strengthened balance sheet, this initiative signals a broader shift toward African-led capital structures capable of underwriting large-scale upstream, midstream and infrastructure developments – positioning the continent not just as a capital recipient, but as a capital originator.
“Afreximbank's partnership with AEW 2026 reflects a key shift in how Africa is financing its energy future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “We're moving beyond reliance on external capital to a model where African institutions are structuring, financing and driving projects from the ground up. As investment accelerates across oil, gas and renewables, players like Afreximbank are not only supporting deals, but helping define the market.”
At African Energy Week 2026, Afreximbank is expected to play a central role in advancing financing discussions, supporting project origination and strengthening partnerships between governments, developers and investors. Its participation highlights a broader shift toward African-led capital in energy development, reinforcing the event's position as a catalyst for bankable projects, regional integration and long-term energy security.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Let’s chat about one hyphenated word that is bandied about very irresponsibly when it comes to Solar Installations. I have seen many adverts, videos and postings about going OFF-GRID. So many in fact that the word “OFF-GRID” is used to denote any solar installation. The ONLY time that one can refer to “OFF-GRID” is when …