MyZA
News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff
7 Reasons Why You Need BA Systems Building Management/Automation Systems, such as C-Bus, have revolutionized the way buildings are managed and operated. These systems utilize advanced technology to automate various processes and optimize energy consumption. In this article, we will explore the benefits of Building Management/Automation Systems like C-Bus in saving precious energy resources. By …
Food is a unique storyteller, a cultural bridge and a carrier of traditions. As a result, the culinary traditions and rich tapestry of cuisines belonging to the global Black community have played a valuable role in contemporary culture. These traditions not only illustrate the inspiration, creativity and shared heritage of Black people, but also serve as a common thread that connects diverse cultures and geographies. From the shores of West Africa to the vibrant streets of the Caribbean, the flavors, techniques and dishes of the African diaspora have transcended borders, uniting people from across the globe. The Global Black Impact Summit (GBIS) — which unites and celebrates the achievements of the global Black community on February 27, 2024 in Dubai — will explore the influence of the African diaspora on a wide range of industries, such as the culinary arts.
Africa: The Roots of Flavor
An exploration into the culinary heritage of the global Black community begins with the roots of African cuisine. The continent's diverse landscape and myriad cultures have given rise to a vast array of ingredients, cooking methods and flavors. In West Africa, staples like yams, okra, plantains and an array of vibrant spices are central to the local cuisine, with traditional local dishes including Jollof rice, Fufu – made from cassava root – and Egusi soup. In South Africa, the fusion dish Bobotie – a spiced minced meat bake with an egg-based topping – reflects the country's historical influences, blending Dutch, Malay and Indian flavors. Central Africa contributes to this culinary tapestry with dishes like Saka-Saka in Congo, made from cassava leaves cooked with spices, and Poulet Nyembwe in Gabon, featuring chicken in a rich red palm nut sauce. These dishes highlight the use of local ingredients and establish the roots of traditional African cuisines across regions.
The African Diaspora and a Fusion of Cultures
Starting from the 16th century, the transatlantic slave trade facilitated the movement of millions of Africans to various parts of the world, including the Americas and the Caribbean. These journeys brought with them longstanding culinary traditions, which over time, evolved and adapted to the ingredients and resources found locally, while preserving the foundations of authentic cooking methods and flavors.
In the Caribbean, the fusion of African, indigenous and European culinary traditions and techniques gave birth to Creole cuisine. Dishes like Gumbo — a hearty stew served over rice and Callaloo — a leafy green stew — showcase the rich melding of influences. They tell the story of a resilient people who had to adapt and create new traditions, while preserving their roots. In the United States, African Americans developed Soul Food, a cuisine that celebrates their enduring connection to their African heritage. Dishes like collard greens, a flavorful leafy green dish, cornbread and fried chicken, stand apart from traditional African dishes. Yet they provide more than just sustenance; they serve as a celebration of cultural resilience, warmth, protection and identity.
The influence of the African diaspora on global cuisine is undeniable. Dishes like Acarajé in Brazil – a stuffed fritter sold and eaten as street food – finds its roots in the Yoruba people from Nigeria, Benin and Togo, while Ackee and saltfish – Jamaica's national dish – was initially brought to the Caribbean from Ghana and stems from the name for the Akyem people. These examples reflect how the diaspora has enriched culinary traditions around the world and are a testament to its enduring impact on food and culture.
Pioneers and Innovators in the Culinary World
Throughout history, pioneering Black chefs have broken barriers in the culinary world. In the US, renowned chefs like Edna Lewis and Patrick Clark paved the way for the next generation of Black chefs to innovate and shape the world of food. Chef Marcus Samuelsson, an Ethiopian-born Swedish-American, is renowned for his culinary empire that spans from Harlem to Sweden. Kwame Onwuachi, a Nigerian-American chef, has left his mark on the culinary scene with a background that includes training in the world's top kitchens. Sheldon Simeon, a Filipino-Black chef, celebrates the fusion of two cultures by exploring the ancestral roots of Hawaiian cuisine.
GBIS 2024 strives to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Black individuals across industries, with a view to creating a more diverse and inclusive professional landscape. Just as culinary traditions continue to evolve and innovate, the Summit aims to unleash the full potential of the global Black community and explore the vast array of traditions and heritage associated with the African diaspora.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Global Black Impact Summit:
The Global Black Impact Summit is an annual event that serves to celebrate the achievements of the Black community, promote excellence and explore untapped potential across various fields. The 2024 summit is set to be a transformative experience, featuring influential speakers, engaging panel discussions and networking opportunities that enable delegates to reach new heights. To secure your spot at this prestigious gathering, register promptly at www.GlobalBlackImpact.com.
After more than a decade running one of Africa's most influential law firms, covering all aspects of the oil and natural gas sector, NJ Ayuk has announced that he will not make another long-term commitment to Centurion Law Group and will step down.
“I am proud of my work as Centurion's CEO – we have been able to build a historic relationship with African governments, oil and gas entrepreneurs and international energy companies working in Africa. We have hired, trained and developed more African lawyers than any other law firm in Africa. We became the first African law firm to be listed on the German Stock Exchange and have spearheaded an audacious, on-demand legal service business model in Africa,” stated Mr. Ayuk.
“I have fought the good fight, I have run the race and I have kept the faith. I believe it is time to pass the torch to the next generation that can take the firm to the next level, and I have full confidence that Zion Adeoye and his team will be able to achieve this. It also grants me much-needed time to focus on my family, the work of the African Energy Chamber and other entrepreneurial ventures and causes in which I believe,” he concluded.
Mr. Ayuk has been named one of world's top energy lawyers by Who's Who Legal, one of top 10 most influential Africans by Forbes, and one of the top 100 personalities transforming Africa by French magazine, Financial Afrik.
Zion Adeoye will be appointed as CEO of Centurion Law Group, after serving as Managing Director under Mr. Ayuk for many years. Mr. Adeoye holds an LLB from Nigeria's University of Ibadan, an LLM from Columbia University in the City of New York and an MBA from the University of Dundee, Scotland.
“Mr. Ayuk's work in building one of the finest law firms in Africa, as well as his ability to serve clients, solve disputes and close complex transactions, cannot go unnoticed. All of the employees and clients of this firm cannot thank Mr. Ayuk enough for his leadership and dedication,” he stated.
“Working with Mr. Ayuk, our team has accomplished what few gave us the chance – important legal and public policy victories across Africa, deal after deal for entrepreneurs, winning tough legal cases in complex jurisdictions while enforcing the rule of law, opening new markets and instilling in Africans the belief that African lawyers can do great things,” concluded Mr. Adeoye.
During his time at Centurion, Mr. Adeoye has demonstrated a relentless pursuit of excellence and made outstanding contributions to the firm's growth. As a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in energy law, he has played a pivotal role in securing favorable outcomes for clients across the continent.
Mr. Adeoye is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Association of Independent Petroleum Negotiators. Before joining Centurion in 2017, he served in various roles at the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, KPMG Nigeria, Terra Cotta Legal, Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Templars Law and Transnational Energy Group, and has been instrumental in the reform of oil and gas legislation across several African markets.
Mr. Adeoye was additionally awarded an ESQ 40 under 40 Lawyer Award at the Nigerian Rising Stars Awards for shaping the future of the legal profession in the country.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
About Centurion Law Group:
Centurion (www.CenturionLG.com) is a leading pan-African legal and energy advisory group with extensive experience in the oil and gas sector. The group provides outsourced legal representation and covers a full suite of practice areas for its clients, including arbitration and commercial litigation, corporate law, tax and anti-corruption advisory and contract negotiation. Centurion specializes in assisting clients that are starting or growing a business in Africa with offices and Affiliates in Ghana, Cameroon, Canada, Germany, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, South Sudan, Nigeria, Gabon, Angola and Senegal.
Celebrating SA’s firefighters
South Africa’s deployment of firefighters internationally this year, has yet again proven that our country’s ability for wildfire firefighting is becoming more and more recognised.
“Our multiple deployments to Canada in 2023, is a vote of confidence in our wildfire firefighting capacity and abilities. We must be extremely proud of our deployees who have been selected,” Working on Fire Managing Director Trevor Abrahams told SAnews.
Working on Fire (WoF) has had four deployments of firefighters and management to Canada since June 2023.
Abrahams who was the leader of the first group to head to Canada on 3 June, said 2023 has been Canada’s worst fires season in recorded history. The north American country has had over 6330 fires which have destroyed at least 17 hectares of forest.
Working on Fire is an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) aimed at providing work opportunities to young men and women. It resides under and is funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
Asked about the process followed prior to the deployment of teams, Abrahams said firefighters and management within WoF were given an opportunity to apply to be placed provided that they met the minimum criteria.
The criteria that firefighters needed to meet included being in possession of a valid passport; being qualified with a minimum of three-years of firefighting experience, as well as being in possession of a valid yellow card.
A yellow card in South Africa indicates that one has undergone recurrency certification and is fit to be on the fire line and trained in the use of Canadian water pump machines.
All WoF teams were assembled in Mbombela in Mpumalanga at the Kishugu Training Academy, where they underwent a three-day refresher training camp prior to departure.
This year’s deployment was the fifth collaboration between South Africa and Canada in terms of the exchange of personnel. Previous deployments to Canada were in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021.
Memorandum of Understanding and deployment
The deployment of South African wildland firefighters to Canada came in response to a request for assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in terms of the existing emorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the governments of the two countries.
Signed in 2019, the MOU provides for the exchange of wildland fire management resources between the two countries.
Working on Fire has had four deployments totalling 860 firefighters and management to Canada since June and Abrahams whose team returned on 8 July 2023, said South African firefighters received “huge” praise from Canadian wildfire authorities as well as other international firefighters who were deployed in Canada.
Bringing the fiery South African soul to camp
“Our firefighters were lauded for their energy, their strong work ethic and observance of safety measures on the fire line, as well as for the way they have accustomed themselves to the conditions in Canada, where wildland firefighting conditions are different from what they were used to in South Africa.”
He added that the 2023 deployment was the largest ever with 30% of the deployed personnel being women.
The teams were hailed for their commitment and atmosphere they brought to the firefighting camps.
“Their infectious spirit, witnessed through viral videos on social media, ignited international curiosity about these dedicated South Africans who journeyed thousands of kilometres to confront Canada's wildfire challenge.”
He adds that firefighters from the United States, Australia, France, Mexico, South Korea and Portugal among others, joined in the firefighting efforts.
He said the South African firefighters’ dancing and singing prior to going to the fire line and when returning in the afternoons had made them a great hit.
“This rich harmony of our firefighters who come from all over South Africa, with different languages and cultural practices, has also served as an inspiration for many Canadians. Singing and dancing is part of our tradition and even at wildfires in South Africa. Our firefighters are doing this as part of preparing themselves mentally for the day’s work and to show unity and commitment. It serves to uplift them but also importantly, to raise the morale of the communities and land owners where they go to fight wildfires.”
A different terrain
As the second largest country in the world and one of the world’s most forested countries, Canada's “massive fires are quite different from what we are used to fight in South Africa,” Abrahams said.
“In South Africa, wildland fires are typically much smaller than those seen in Canada and without nearly as much fuel, and they're usually fought by firefighters carrying backpacks with 20 liters of water and tankers nearby to resupply them. Fire beaters and rakes are also a common part of the equipment carried by South African firefighters during wildland fires here at home.
“Fuel loads are also quite different as in South Africa our firefighters encounter mostly fynbos, veld, grassland, and vegetation fires, as well as forest fires in commercial plantations, whereas in Canada, it is the forest fires which are the predominant fuel which is burning,” he explained.
In addition, Canada arms its firefighters with more advanced and detailed weather forecasts, and with information on moisture content in vegetation, to predict fire behaviour at any point in time. The Incident commanders also use infrared scans to identify hot spots — technology not routinely used in South Africa.
“Canadian fires also have different features from fires in South Africa, with smoldering peat fires that can burn below ground in the Canada woods. Safety risks are also different in that the shallow plate root system of Canadian arboreal forests results in huge trees toppling over after fires have affected their shallow root system.”
He adds that the Canadian deployments have become routine enough that Working on Fire trains its firefighters in how to operate a particular pump that is a fixture in fighting Canadian fires, but little used back home.
“Our firefighters adjusted to these differences fast, and our crews are divided into smaller teams who work in different areas, and we team experienced firefighters with those new to Canada.
“While South Africa’s wildland fires do not (yet) take on the dimensions of some of the fires experienced in Canada, the experience in being deployed amongst international teams results in learning how to fight mega fires; learning different weather patterns; learning different techniques when dealing with ‘fuel types’ not experienced in South Africa,” he said.
Climate change
Asked about how climate change is affecting the work of firefighters, Abrahams said the Canadian wildfires and the deadly and catastrophic wildfires seen in Maui (Hawaii), Algeria, and Europe and those seen in the North West and Free State provinces are “sounding alarm bells on the growing risks posed by global warming and climate change and warning governments across the world to put in place wildfire risk reduction measures.”
His comments come amidst the recent fires that hit Simon’s Town and the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM).
“With global warming propelling climate change, temperatures will rise over the next couple of decades which will lead to dryer conditions, and this will lead to more frequent fires fuelled by hotter conditions as temperatures rise.
“Meteorologists and weather experts have all concluded that a combination of climate change and the global weather phenomenon El Niño is believed to be contributing to these extreme weather events.”
He added that South Africa has not and will not be spared these impacts of climate change.
“The 2022 catastrophic and unprecedented flooding experienced in KwaZulu Natal has been widely attributed in part to the impact of climate change.
“The 2023 released UN [United Nations] Environment programme (UNEP) study on climate change, ‘Spreading Like Wildfire’ suggests that the increase in extreme wildland fires is likely to grow by 14% by 2030, 30% by 2050 and 50% by the end of the century,” he adds.
“It is our belief that these successful 2023 Canadian deployments will go a long way in ensuring that our firefighters and management are more capable and ready to respond to mega wildfire threats in South Africa.” - SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Thu, 12/28/2023 - 11:18
Johannesburg, the vibrant economic hub of South Africa, is home to a variety of private prepaid meter suppliers. These suppliers offer convenient solutions for managing electricity, gas, and water consumption. By opting for private prepaid meters, residents can take control of their utility usage, promote fairness in billing, and enjoy the convenience of managing their …
Black women continue to break barriers across diverse industries, paving the way for future leaders with their resilience, intelligence and determination. The upcoming Global Black Impact Summit (GBIS), scheduled for February 27, 2024 in Dubai, is set to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Black women, while connecting movers and shakers from across the global Black community.
Black women play a crucial role in transforming industries, leaving an undeniable impact from entertainment to business, science to politics. In Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Liberia's first democratically-elected female president – has garnered international acclaim for empowering women, winning the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize and today advocating for female political participation. Meanwhile, Mozambican social scientist Alice Banze boasts a 25-year career in civil society and government and is the Executive Director of the Gender and Sustainable Development Association. Elected to the National Elections Commission in 2020 with support from the Women's Forum, she exemplifies transformative female leadership in Mozambique.
Many women are rising through the ranks across industries by forging their own paths. One example is Linda Mabhena-Olagunju, the founder and CEO of DLO Energy Resources Group, who leads a Black women-owned renewable energy company that focuses on wind power projects in South Africa. Other figures like Oprah Winfrey, who has built a media empire, and Ursula Burns, the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company, show the strength and determination of Black female leaders.
Yet despite their notable accomplishments, Black women in leadership often encounter systemic challenges to representation. In the US, Forbes reports that only 4.4% of Black women hold managerial roles, and merely 1.4% occupy executive-level positions, despite comprising 7.4% of the American population. In contrast, in Africa, women are making significant strides in governance roles. According to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, four African nations—Rwanda, Namibia, South Africa and Senegal—are among the top 15 countries globally for the highest representation of women in parliament. Rwanda leads with an impressive 61.3% of female parliamentarians, yet the sub-Saharan African average stands at 23.6%.
The intersectionality of race and gender amplifies challenges in the workplace for Black women, necessitating targeted efforts to address and mitigate specific barriers to leadership. Initiatives centered on diversity, equity and inclusion are crucial for dismantling these barriers and creating a more equitable playing field. To achieve this, companies and organizations must implement policies that recognize the unique value and perspectives of Black women in their respective industries, fostering a more inclusive environment that provides equal opportunities for success.
Celebrating Black women in leadership requires creating a supportive environment for future leaders through mentorship programs, educational initiatives and networking opportunities. Investing in the next generation of Black female leaders contributes to a more diverse and dynamic future, which the upcoming GBIS 2024 will facilitate by providing a platform for engagement, inspiration and unity.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
About Global Black Impact Summit 2024:
The Global Black Impact Summit is an annual event that seeks to celebrate the achievements of the Black community, promote excellence and explore untapped potential across various fields. This year's summit is set to be a transformative experience, featuring influential speakers, engaging panel discussions, and networking opportunities that encourage attendees to reach new heights.
To secure your spot at this prestigious gathering, register promptly at www.GlobalBlackImpact.com.
Minor Hotels Signs Deal for Visionary Safari Experience in Zambia Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp to launch in 2025 in Kafue National Park Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator and investor with more than 540 hotels in 56 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas, is …
Good performance at Eskom must be consistent, says Ramokgopa
Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has emphasised that although Eskom's recent performance is commendable, more work needs to be done to ensure that this continues consistently.
He was speaking during a media briefing updating the nation on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan (EAP).
The country has not been experiencing any load shedding for about a week due to consistent improvement in the available generating capacity.
“During this period, we have seen an exceptionally good performance by the units. Outside the issues of reduced demand, we have seen that the unplanned capacity loss factor – a combination of the units being unreliable and the units not performing at the right levels – the system has been healthy.
“The problem that we have is that the system is healthy in periods. What we want to achieve is to ensure that we maintain that consistently, that the system remains healthy. We have prioritised these power stations and we are seeing the results, and I’m confident that this festive we will have the lights on,” Ramokgopa said.
The Minister said that over the next two weeks, Eskom remains optimistic that the good performance of units will be sustained.
However, he warned that “the true test” for the performance of the system is yet to come.
“You are not seeing load shedding [because] we are working behind the scenes. We are aggressive on maintenance and the system is performing. The outlook, in the short term… looks upbeat and we want to ensure that the lights remain on.
“But the true test comes on the other side of the break when big industries come back. It’s about sustaining the South African economy. So we can’t celebrate the fact that we don’t have load shedding when the South African economy has gone on a temporary break. You want to have a situation of no load shedding at the height of the performance of the South African economy,” he said.
Ramokgopa revealed that during this period, the power utility will be undergoing “aggressive maintenance” of power stations.
“We use this opportunity to do the actual work of ensuring that we are very aggressive in our maintenance programme so that we are able to take full advantage of the fact that demand has slowed down.
“We are going to benefit exceptionally when, as a country, we continue on this path of planned maintenance. But planned maintenance has got its own downsides. When we do planned maintenance, it simply means that I’m removing the units off the grid so I’m lessening my ability to generate the megawatts.
“That’s why we have used a combination of low demand and the healthy performance of units during this period to do not only planned maintenance, but opportunity maintenance,” he said.
Addressing generating units
Speaking to the Energy Action Plan’s first key intervention to fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply, Ramokgopa said achieving this rests on two variables: addressing the rate of failure of generating units and ensuring that the efficiency of the units is improved.
The EAP was introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2022 to address load shedding and achieve energy security for the country.
“On the unplanned capacity loss factor... the intention is to bring this down...[and] bolster the performance of these units and therefore get more megawatts on the grid to service the demand.
“Over the past 14 days… the average is about 12 245MW. So it means that over that period, there is 12 245MW of units that have either failed or they are not giving us the amount of megawatts that we want.
“But it’s important that we juxtapose this with what has been the trend. When you look at our winter outlook when we did the projections…the worst case scenario was that if it hits 18 000MW, we are going to hit levels of load shedding that we have not seen before going beyond Stage 6. The system is better off, it’s healthier,” he said.
The Minister highlighted that on Monday, capacity losses stood at under 11 000MW but warned that this needs to be sustained over a longer period.
“This is a psychological barrier. We have gone below 11 000MW so we are confident about our ability to get to that level. The point is to ensure that we are able to sustain. The message I’m conveying to the country is that the system is healthier if you use the measure of the rate of failure and the partial load losses,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Thu, 12/21/2023 - 12:31
NERSA welcomes imprisonment of criminals damaging Transnet infrastructure
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has welcomed the arrest and successful prosecution of criminals tampering with the Transnet pipeline to steal petrol and diesel.
In two separate matters, a thief was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for damaging essential infrastructure, while in another, two men were sentenced to 10 and 15 years, respectively, for theft of fuel.
Regulator Member Primarily Responsible for Petroleum Pipelines Regulation at NERSA, Muzi Mkhize, said: “We commend the law enforcement agencies for the successful prosecution and incarceration of criminals set to commit acts of economic sabotage in the country. We further plead with municipalities and landowners, on which critical infrastructure traverses, to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to earnestly protect both public and private infrastructure against acts of criminality and vandalism, as this results in dire consequences for the country.”
In a question and answer session in October, President Cyril Ramaphosa said government is committed to combatting infrastructure damage.
He revealed that some 20 Economic Infrastructure Task Teams have been formed through the South African Police Service.
“A total of 946 personnel have been allocated to the 20 Economic Infrastructure Task Teams from existing structures within each province, district and station. They are experienced and knowledgeable personnel within their respective functional environments.
“The Task Teams integrate processes, resources and intelligence across all of the operational environments of the SAPS under a single command. This is to enable them to successfully combat essential infrastructure crimes, illicit mining and extortion within the construction sector.
“The Task Teams incorporate personnel from SAPS divisions such as Crime Intelligence, Visible Policing and Operations, and Detective and Forensic Services, as well as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Wed, 12/20/2023 - 11:24
Reduce food waste this Christmas
With the holiday season often being a time of abundance and indulgence, the City of Cape Town has urged residents to join in the effort to reduce food waste during the upcoming Christmas celebrations.
Member of Mayoral Committee for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, warned that food waste is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbates the effects of climate change.
“When food is wasted, not only are valuable resources such as water, energy and land wasted, but when leftovers and scraps end up in landfill, they produce a potent greenhouse gas that can accelerate climate change.
“The city encourages residents to practice careful planning when it comes to their holiday meals. Smart shopping and thoughtful meal preparation can help avoid overstocking and excess consumption,” Twigg said.
Tips to reduce food waste during the holiday season:
• Plan meals and shopping lists: Plan your meals in advance and create a detailed shopping list. This way, you can avoid overbuying and ensure you only purchase what you need.
• Buy locally and seasonally: Support local farmers and reduce the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation by choosing locally-grown and seasonal produce.
• Proper storage: Store food correctly to extend its shelf life. Ensure refrigerated items are kept at the appropriate temperature and use the first-in, first-out method when organising your pantry.
• Be mindful of your fridge/freezer capacity, when stocking up on fresh fruit and vegetables, to minimise unnecessary spoiling of unused vegetables,
• Portion control: Be mindful of how much food you cook and serve. Start with smaller portions and allow guests to serve themselves second helpings if desired. This will minimise leftovers and reduce waste.
• Be creative with re-using leftover food: There are options to make leftovers into new and exciting dishes to enjoy, rather than just throwing them out.
• Composting: Consider composting at home. Composting food scraps not only reduces landfill waste but also creates nutrient-rich compost that can be used to nourish plants and gardens.
Twigg reminded businesses to come up with alternative plans to landfill, when disposing of organic waste.
Since the adoption of the amended Integrated Waste Management By-Law in 2009, every business in Cape Town has been required to develop integrated waste management plans (IWMP) to cover all aspects of waste management. - SAnews.gov.za
GabiK
Tue, 12/19/2023 - 12:22
Closing date for draft SA Petroleum Company Bill public comments extended
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has extended the closing date for comments on the draft South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) Bill.
The draft Bill was published in the Government Gazette in November and comments are expected to now close on 15 January.
According to the DMRE, the Bill is aimed at establishing the SANPC, ensuring proper governance, as well as to “consolidate and transfer assets of the company in line with the relevant legislation, with the Minister [of Mineral Resources and Energy] as the sole shareholder of the company”.
“The SANPC will be the State’s energy champion and facilitator of energy infrastructure across the energy value chain. Its functions will include, but not limited to, managing the State’s exploration and production rights, interest acquired and exercised in terms of the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act, and ensure that petroleum resources are developed in a sustainable manner to the best interest of the people of South Africa.
“The Bill outlines various aspects that will ensure proper functioning of the company, which include cooperative governance, functions of the board, and funding of the company, amongst others,” the DMRE said.
The draft SANPC Bill can be accessed online at https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/202311/49711gon4062.pdf.
Comments on the draft bill can be sent electronically to representations@dmre.gov.za or by post to 70 Mentjies Street, Sunnyside, 0001 or Private Bag X59, Arcadia, 0007.
During a post-Cabinet media briefing on 20 November, Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni explained that the SANPC Bill “gives effect to the Cabinet decision to merge PetroSA, the South African Gas Development Company (iGas) and the Strategic Fuel Fund”.
“The Bill makes provisions for the establishment of a State-owned company that will ensure South Africa participates meaningfully in oil and gas development. It will also guarantee the country’s security of energy supply to support economic development and growth.
“The SANPC will oversee strategic planning, coordination and governance of the country’s petroleum resources and this will contribute to development and job creation,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 12/19/2023 - 10:38
By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (www.EnergyChamber.org)
Consider this paradox: Nigeria has achieved the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, but 45%, or about 85 million, of its residents still live without electricity. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, that figure looms to 600 million.
I believe renewable energy is part of the solution to this dilemma — both in Nigeria and throughout the sub-continent. But there are several hurdles to be cleared before wind, solar, hydrogen, and other clean energy sources can provide the same economic benefits that natural gas — the other part of the solution — already offers. One of those hurdles will be preparing domestic workforces for employment and leadership in the growing renewable energy sector.
We are seeing movement in that direction. In Nigeria, for example, global renewables-promoting nonprofit, RMI, is providing technical training in partnership with four Nigerian energy distribution companies, two developers, and vocational training schools such as RMI's Energy Transition Academy and the Lagos Energy Academy. Aimed at producing leaders and energy entrepreneurs, the Nigerian Cohort of RMI's Global Fellowship Program, started in 2022, uses online learning and in-person experiences to develop leaders who know how to produce and employ solar PV, battery storage, and microgrid technologies.
We will need many, many more efforts like this for Africans to fully reap the economic benefits of our energy transition. For that to happen, more investment capital must be attracted for curriculum development, to support training efforts, and to help fledgling renewable businesses find their footing.
This is a critical topic, one that deserves attention at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) that is now underway and beyond.
Africa Must be Proactive in Building Capacity
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that 4 million new renewable energy jobs will be needed in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 to meet 2050 net-zero goals. But it is not a given that those positions will be filled by Africans, especially if we rush forward with our transition from fossil fuels to renewables, as many wealthy nations and environmental groups are demanding.
Currently, there is a significant shortage of qualified human resources — people educated and prepared to take advantage of the opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship that renewables offer.
What's more, only 76,000 renewable energy jobs have been created in Africa, less than 1% of 10.3 million globally. That means the vast majority of Africans have absolutely no experience, or hands-on opportunities to develop skills, in green energy.
Education is Key
Turning this situation around begins with investing in and emphasizing the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education at all levels in Africa.
African governments will need to do their part by driving improvements in all-around education in science and technology and green energy vocational programs.
Government policies should also provide advantages to attract private-sector visionaries and incentivize public-private collaborations that foster the education and training of Africans for career-level, leadership positions in the renewables sectors.
Africa's renewable energy sector is growing. That reality is a mixed blessing because of the shortage of homegrown, trained professionals able to create, construct, and run renewable projects. We do, however, have an advantage — our large, youthful demographic.
Many of our young people need jobs, and many more soon will. If we can put together partnerships among governments, learning facilities, and private industry, we can train our youth for careers in renewable technologies that offer them brighter futures.
We should be building on the examples of the promising educational opportunities that are available for African students who want to build a career in renewable energy. Here is a sampling:
Another Opportunity: Green Hydrogen
Surveying the renewables horizon, there is general agreement that decarbonizing all the world's economic sectors won't be possible without the use of green hydrogen — for feedstock, fuel cell technology, and electric vehicles.
The demand for this clean and adaptable fuel, produced with renewable energy sources, compounds the need for a trained renewable energy workforce.
Green hydrogen presents both a large opportunity and a large challenge for African nations. With its massive area and plentiful solar and wind resources, Africa could potentially be producing about 10% of the world's green hydrogen by 2030. But there is an “if” attached to that projection.
If African states strategize and invest now to develop a green hydrogen workforce, they can be ready for the coming wave of green hydrogen development and utilization. Hydrogen learning opportunities should be made available from the high school level upward as part of comprehensive skills plans for developing a prepared workforce.
With forethought and smart implementation, young Africans can be readied to lead the way in bringing the benefits of green hydrogen to their communities. In the process, job shortages can be mitigated as these young employees put their skills to work in the production, storage, and transportation of green hydrogen.
More African countries should be taking measures to ensure their people and businesses capitalize on green energy opportunities. And these must not stop with education and skills training; we also need local content measures to help ensure our residents benefit from renewable power projects and facilities operations.
Ensuring Strong Local Content Policies
Just as local content rules continue to function as vital safeguards in African oil and gas operations, they will be tremendously important in the renewables sector, both for individuals and for businesses. As I've stated in the past, every nation needs to create a framework that empowers indigenous companies to fully capitalize on renewable energy opportunities.
There are times when power needs may justify temporary modifications to these policies. As an example, South Africa's National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM), early this year, relaxed its local content rules for the construction of solar modules. Easing local employment requirements from 100% to 30% for local component production is meant to facilitate quicker deployment of solar projects, and hopefully, help alleviate the country's crippling power outages.
Power supply levels and other factors show the need to perform a balancing act when writing local content rules. Those other factors include the supply of current local skilled workers and infrastructure. We don't want to discourage developers, so we need appropriate, tailored local content regulations.
One reasonable approach is the one taken by Kenya, where guidelines requiring contractors to formulate a local content plan have been drafted. These plans must include training, succession, jobs, technology transfer, R&D, legal, financial, and insurance issues. This approach places the “ball” in the “court” of each project's contractor, allowing for their input in local content formulation.
A similar policy has been enacted in Nigeria. The local content policy is part of the government's Electricity Act 2023. It requires the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to provide for local content participation involving employment, production, and assembly of components for solar PV, deep cycle batteries, and the electro-mechanical parts of SHP technology, wind boilers, and some turbines.
The act goes further, requiring contractors, sub-contractors, and licensees involved in renewable energy to include local content in all their related activities.
If widely enacted across the continent, similar local content rules can work hand-in-hand with training efforts to ensure Africans benefit from renewable energy development — through employment and the growth of their economies.
We are seeing promising movement in the effort to address Africa's skills gap, but we need many more programs, and we need them now. African countries and energy industry stakeholders should be doing everything possible to support these efforts, so Africans don't miss out on renewable energy industry opportunities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
President, Black Business Council discuss transformation of the economy
President Cyril Ramaphosa has held a meeting with the Black Business Council (BBC) to discuss challenges facing the economy and the transformation of the economy.
Also at the meeting were Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza; Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel; Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi; Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana; Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and Minister in the Presidency for Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Deputy Minister of Finance David Masondo.
Topics under discussion included issues hindering black business participation in contributing to development and economic growth, energy security, transport, agriculture, the capacity of the state, employment equity and transformation.
“Since the advent of democracy nearly 30 years ago, we have worked to advance the economic position of black and women South Africans. That is why we introduced broad-based black economic empowerment, affirmative action, preferential procurement and other transformation policies to address the imbalances created by years of apartheid rule.
“Our fiscal policies enabled a massive redistribution of resources towards mainly black South Africans through the provision of basic services, subsidised housing, improved education and health care, and social grants,” President Ramaphosa said.
BBC President Elias Monage said: “The BBC notes progress being made in processing the Public Procurement Bill. We view this bill as a very important instrument and the BBC is happy that the bill, in its current form, after many fights, contains the set-asides in the primary legislation”.
According to the Presidency, the meeting agreed to establish five focused work streams which will be coordinated from the Presidency with the first quarterly report back expected to take place in March 2024.
The work streams are:
“President Ramaphosa reaffirmed the government’s commitment in addressing the energy crisis, logistics backlogs and crime and corruption by highlighting key interventions through the Energy Action Plan, National Logistics Crisis Committee and the recently adopted Freight Logistics Road map, and positive steps taken to appoint a new board of Transnet and the Eskom Group Chief Executive Officer,” the Presidency said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Thu, 12/14/2023 - 09:29
Many use two-stroke engines which are an environmental hazard
Pandor pleased by growing trade with Austria
International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, has welcomed the growing overall trade between South Africa and Austria and the rising tourism numbers from the landlocked country in central Europe.
“We appreciate the valuable contribution that Austrian companies are making in South Africa, particularly in job creation, skills development and technology transfer,” she said on Thursday.
The Minister was sharing her remarks during the joint media briefing with her Austrian counterpart, Minister Alexander Schallenberg, in Pretoria.
Pandor took the time to thank Schallenberg for honouring his invitation to come to South Africa for the meeting and engagements aimed at solidifying relations between the two countries.
South Africa’s bilateral relations with Austria, according to the Minister, are sound and on an upward trajectory.
This was evident when South Africa successfully hosted the third meeting of the South Africa-Austria Bilateral Consultations in Pretoria in 2022, after a two-year hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During our deliberations today, we discussed the status of our bilateral cooperation as well as regional developments on the continent, current international developments and our robust cooperation in the multilateral arena.”
The South Africa-Austria bilateral cooperation includes renewable energy; wastewater treatment, recycling and organic agriculture; innovation and digitalisation; and environmental technologies.
Schallenberg and his delegation will engage with South African business in a Business Forum arranged by the Department of Trade, Investment and Competition.
Austria, according to Pandor, is renowned for its vocational training and South Africa is keen to engage the Austrian government on the possibilities of establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of vocational training.
Schallenberg and Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa will also sign a MoU on arts and culture during the opening of the Austrian Cultural Forum tonight, which according to Pandor further illustrates the nations’ increased bilateral and people-to-people cooperation.
“South Africa appreciates Austria’s global standing, reputation, and advanced technological capability in the renewable energy space, which makes Austria a natural partner for South Africa.
“Minister, once again I welcome you and your delegation and wish you a successful and pleasant stay in South Africa,” she added. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 12/14/2023 - 13:24
SA welcomes COP28 agreement global adaptation efforts on climate change
South Africa has welcomed the landmark decision to adopt a Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) at this year’s United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai.
According to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, this is something the country together with the African continent and other vulnerable nations has struggled to achieve for many years.
“The decision recognises different theme areas for adaptation action, it has measurable and time-bound targets. It also recognises the importance of securing adequate public finance for adaptation from developed countries. This is a big step forward,” said Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy.
According to reports, the GGA is part of the Paris Agreement designed to “ensure an adequate adaptation response” to protect people, livelihoods and ecosystems as the world aims to keep warming “well below” 2 Celsius or even to 1.5 Celsius.
In this context, South Africa welcomed the language in the Global Stocktake, which recognises and underscores that the impacts of climate change will be much lower at the temperature increase of 1.5 degrees compared with 2 degrees.
The two-week COP28 conference which wrapped up on Tuesday, adopted a new fund to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters.
“Throughout our facilitation of the Global Stocktake, South Africa emphasised that climate ambition must be balanced across mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation. We also emphasised that equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities should underpin all asks on developing countries,” the Minister added.
Accordingly, South Africa said it was pleased by the decision on the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, Just Transition Pathways work programme, the Mitigation Work Programme and the GGA.
“These decisions are in line with our national framework on Just Transition, in particular the recognition of a country’s right to pursue its climate resilience path in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
“For the first time we have language which calls for transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science,” the Minister added.
COP28 has adopted a decision, co-facilitated by South Africa, to implement the new work programme on Just Transition Pathways.
The decision underscores the importance of finance, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support to achieve just and equitable transitions, nationally and globally.
This all-of-society and all-of-economy transition approach represents a progression and evolution in the international community’s collective understanding of just transitions, that in the past tended to focus narrowly on only the energy sector and related workforce issues.
South Africa particularly welcomed the strong human rights, inclusive and participatory approach in the decision to nationally defined just transitions, in which all stakeholders have a role to play and the right to development is respected.
Climate justice
This, according to the department, is fundamental to the achievement of climate justice, at both the national and international level.
“We are also pleased that the final text takes a stand against unilateral measures such as Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. The decision emphasises that unilateral measures should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade,” the department added.
Instead, the decision calls for greater cooperation and support aimed at achieving sustainable economic growth and development in all countries, thus enabling them to address the problem of climate change better.
“The decisions lay out a clear process to move forward current discussions on the new finance goal for the post-2025 era. It mandates that the new goal should aim at achieving parity between mitigation and adaptation finance.”
The decision underscores the importance of reforming the multilateral financial architecture. It also calls for scaled-up support for climate action from multilateral financial institutions through grant-based and concessional instruments,” it said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Thu, 12/14/2023 - 12:22
By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org).
In an era when such futuristic technologies as artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing are here or on the horizon, almost half of sub-Saharan Africans — more than 600 million people — lack the electricity to heat, cool, or light their homes.
This energy poverty impedes nearly every aspect of life for this population, from conducting business and educating their children to deterring crime and providing healthcare.
Even in some well-electrified African nations such as Ghana, Gabon, and South Africa, the supply is inadequate and often unavailable.
As the African Energy Chamber (AEC) put it in our newly released The State of African Energy Outlook Report 2024, “Access to electricity in Africa is still a dream to millions of Africans.”
Our report gives compelling evidence to back this statement, providing statistics that show, among other things, that energy poverty is markedly deeper in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) than in the rest of the continent.
Our report is sobering, but not without hope. It also provides a positive look toward the future, including energy developments likely to improve electrification rates in SSA and move its countries' citizens closer to the universal access they dream of. The key to delivering energy to more Africans will be using both renewables and fossil fuels.
The Statistics and What's Behind Them
Our report's numbers tell the story of just how much SSA, in particular, is still affected by energy poverty.
In contrast with most of the world, where electrification rates improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, SSA's worsened, as its percentage of the world's population lacking electricity grew from 71% in 2018 to 77% in 2020. Statistics compiled in 2020 showed sub-20% levels of electricity access in up to eight countries across the region.
While the education and business sectors suffer greatly from energy poverty, it is perhaps most acutely felt in the health sector, where medical equipment and procedures require electrical power.
Complicating the health impacts still further, households without electricity are often forced to use unhealthy fuels like wood, coal, or kerosene to cook and heat, producing indoor air pollution that leads to respiratory problems and other ailments.
In contrast to the 90%-plus electrification rate found in some North African countries, which is allowing them to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, electricity access in SSA is only about 55%, and a closer look at that number reveals it is driven by urban rates of close to 80%, while rural areas lag far behind with only about 33%, leaving two-thirds of residents in the dark.
In a nutshell, SSA has a lot of catching up to do to achieve the levels of access to electricity enjoyed by most of the world. Although the region has doubled the average rate of access since 2000, its current rate of just over half of the region's population is miniscule compared to the 90% global rate and the 80% North African rate.
As I said, even in SSA countries where electrification rates are quite high, such as Ghana, Gabon, and South Africa, load shedding presents a daily practical problem for people who must anticipate power outages. In South Africa, for instance, this type of staged rationing has been used every day this year by the power utility, Eskom.
Already in 2023, there has been more load-shedding in South Africa than in all of 2022, and outages are lasting longer — up to 12 hours daily — with a predictable disabling effect on economic development.
Meanwhile, the country's chasm between supply and demand only continues to expand.
Changes in Progress: South Africa as a Case in Point
The South African government is taking a proactive approach to the regulatory side of improving energy supply, shortening timelines for obtaining environmental authorizations and grid approvals.
It is also working to obtain and use USD98.7 billion in investment capital over the next five years for its Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JETIP), a framework adopted in 2022 that outlines the country's strategic priorities for investment during climate transition.
A major thrust of JETIP is replacing the use of coal, which currently supplies over 80% of South Africa's power, with renewable energy, expected to grow from a current 11% of the power supply to 20% by the end of this decade and to over half of the supply by 2050.
Contributing to those numbers, Eskom-built renewables projects are slated to go live this year in Lethabo and Sere, and the utility will soon start building solar and battery storage facilities at Komati Lethabo and Majuba for a total of 2.8 gigawatts (GW) of new renewables capacity.
Of the total projected electricity capacity, solar, and wind are expected to drive almost 50% with fossil fuels adding up to a 10th of total projected capacity.
Implications for the Continent
These power-related statistics for South Africa—a country better positioned than many Sub-Saharan nations regarding electricity—show that the country, and therefore the continent, needs gas-to-power and battery storage along with wind and solar.
South Africa's numbers highlight a major point made in my recent book, “A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix,” — that, while the rest of the globe deals with the threat of devastating climate change, Africa must deal with two major challenges at once: the threat of climate change and debilitating energy poverty.
Even as Africa works to support global efforts to prevent a climate crisis, we must embrace every solution available to us, including using our continent's vast natural gas reserves: totaling more than 800 trillion cubic feet. Not only is gas plentiful, but it's also the cleanest fossil fuel; producing it contributes to job creation and economic growth; and it can be monetized to help pay for energy infrastructure.
The “bottom line” is that Africa still needs to use its natural gas, and more of it, to deliver a much-needed increased supply of energy to its people.
Download The State of African Energy 2024 Outlook report: https://apo-opa.co/3QLEoHd
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Hostex 2024 celebrated its official launch during an exhibitor briefing that marked the three-month countdown to the industry’s leading food, drink, and hospitality expo. The event was attended by industry associations, media, and exhibitors. In a demonstration of Hostex’s steadfast support for the industry it has been part of for nearly four decades, the expo …
Cape Town, South Africa – The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has recently released a detailed guide on the integration of embedded generation and wheeling in municipal electricity billing systems. Notably featured in this guide is the fruitful collaboration between George Municipality and Open Access Energy, signifying a major progression in South Africa’s energy …
Stage Zero launches alternative energy solutions to free South Africans from load shedding Tipping the balance of power to reduce grid pressure Johannesburg, 13th of December 2023: Stage Zero, an independent power provider in South Africa, has launched a range of reliable, sustainable and affordable energy solutions to alleviate grid pressure and load shedding frustration …
Municipal debt a significant challenge, says Eskom
State-owned power utility, Eskom says the mounting debt by the City of Tshwane (CoT) and the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) for bulk electricity supply is posing a “significant challenge”.
According to Eskom, the City of Tshwane owes it some R4.2 billion while Ekurhuleni is currently in arrears of some R146 million.
“The accumulating debt not only strains Eskom's financial stability but also threatens the reliability of electricity supply across the province. The impact on Eskom's financial stability is exacerbated by the City of Tshwane's accumulation of unpaid bills and Ekurhuleni Municipality's late payments, and it affects the residents and businesses that rely on a stable power supply.
“If left unaddressed, the situation could lead to service interruptions, hindering economic activities. Despite continuous efforts to address the inconsistent and late payments, the debt, specifically that of the CoT, continues to grow and hinders Eskom's ability to invest in essential infrastructure, maintenance, and the development of sustainable energy solutions,” the power utility said.
The electricity supplier urged municipalities to “prioritise settling current accounts and outstanding electricity payments”.
“Eskom remains committed to working with municipalities to find viable solutions and mitigate the potential repercussions of the mounting debt,” the power utility said.
Meanwhile, an Eskom Tutuka Power Station employee, Katlego Twala, has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment or to pay a fine of R10 000 wholly suspended for five years after he was found guilty of stealing five drums of hydraulic fluid oil.
Eskom acting General Manager for Security Botse Sikhwitshi said: “Eskom has a zero-tolerance stance on acts of dishonesty and views the conduct of the employee as unacceptable. We will continue working on flushing out the minority that cast a shadow on the organisation”.
According to Eskom, the incident occurred in October last year while earlier this year, a contractor at the power station was arrested for fraud and corruption – symbolising a crackdown on illegal activities at the power utility.
“Eskom welcomes the sanction by the court and would like to thank the South African Police Service (SAPS), its own internal investigators and the National Prosecuting Authority for the positive outcome.
“Eskom urges the public to report information regarding illegal electricity sales, fraud, the theft of coal, fuel oil, and diesel and all other electricity-related crimes to the Eskom Crime Line: 0800 11 27 22. Reporting can be done anonymously,” the power utility said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Wed, 12/13/2023 - 10:02
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $300 million loan to South Africa to implement its Energy Governance and Climate Resilience Programme.
The Programme prepared in collaboration with other development partners including the World Bank and KfW Development Bank (KfW), will help advance South Africa's energy transition.
It will spur economic growth by furthering structural reforms to restore energy security, promote private sector participation in the electricity market and enhance the operational efficiency of the national power utility Eskom in line with South Africa's Energy Action Plan and the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP) 2023–2027.
The Programme will accelerate mitigation and adaptation efforts by promoting renewable energy generation and shifting businesses to low-carbon activities, resulting in lowering the carbon footprint of the South African economy and improving financing for green projects. These expected outcomes align with South Africa's updated Nationally Determined Contribution and the country's Long-term Low-Emissions Development Strategy.
It will ensure the security and affordability of energy for families and small businesses. It will enable the government to increase budget allocations to connect electricity to poor households and establish a mechanism to encourage families and micro- and medium-sized businesses to invest in renewable energy.
The reform priorities discussed with the Government are designed to complement and create synergies with existing support from the African Development Bank and other development finance institutions for the Just Energy Transition.
Through a $629 800 (470 000 UA) grant with co-financing from the Climate Insurance Fund, the Bank will provide support to ensure affected communities are not left behind, crowd in more women as decision-makers and support young entrepreneurs, especially women, to build skills and create jobs for the green economy.
South Africa's country's Energy Governance and Climate Resilience Programme aligns with the African Development Bank's ‘High 5' strategic priorities, especially "Light up and Power Africa", "Industrialise Africa", and "Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa".
Welcoming the operation, Mrs Leila Mokaddem, Director General for Southern Africa, noted the Bank's long-term support to South Africa's energy sector. Energy has the largest share of the Bank's portfolio at 43.4%. The programme complements this support and aligns with the recently approved Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for South Africa, which recognizes the centrality of Energy reforms to achieve economic growth and improve business confidence.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Editor's note: A previous version of this press release issued 31 October 2023, included references to potential contribution from the Government of Canada. This has been removed.
Media Contact:
Mansour Diouf
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: media@afdb.org
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org.
Seeds for a better 2024 have been sown – President Ramaphosa
Although South Africa continues to face challenges from various quarters, the ground work for a better 2024 has been laid.
This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who addressed the nation through his weekly newsletter.
The President acknowledged that 2023 has been a testing year for the country – with intense load shedding, Transnet’s challenges and a sluggish economy being just some of the worst challenges faced.
“Our economy has been weighed down by international events, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and instability in the global economy. Like many across the world, South Africans have faced a substantial rise in the cost of our living. Our post-COVID recovery has been held back by continuing load shedding and inefficiency at our ports and railways.
“Yet, even in these circumstances, companies have continued to invest in our economy. At the fifth South Africa Investment Conference earlier this year, we surpassed our target for new investment commitments over five years. Our economy has grown, albeit too slowly and far below its potential. The number of people in employment has returned to pre-COVID levels, but jobs are still not being created fast enough to reduce levels of our unemployment,” he said.
President Ramaphosa conceded that the electricity crisis is “currently the main threat to our country’s progress”.
However, the work of the Energy Action Plan – launched in July 2022 – is beginning to show results, “giving us greater confidence that we will bring load shedding to an end”.
“While we experienced some of the worst load shedding ever in the first few months of the year, there has been a measurable and steady decline in the severity of load shedding over the last few months.
“Although electricity supply is still not stable, as we experienced in the last few weeks, the overall trend is towards less severe load shedding. Damaged units at the Kusile power station have been returned to service ahead of schedule and plant maintenance has received close attention.
“What gives us hope for even further improvements is the progress that has been made in bringing new electricity generation online. Regulatory reforms we have initiated have enabled a massive increase in private investment in electricity generation, with over 12 000 MW of confirmed projects in development. Following the introduction of tax incentives and financing mechanisms, the amount of installed rooftop solar has more than doubled to over 4 500 MW in the last year,” he said.
Tackling challenges
President Ramaphosa listed several interventions and measures that have been taken to address the country’s challenges including:
On employment, President Ramaphosa said the Presidential Employment Stimulus has created work and livelihood opportunities for some 1.2 million people.
He added that breakthroughs have been made in combatting crime with governance improvements also recorded.
“The SAPS’ economic infrastructure task teams have made important breakthroughs and arrests for illegal mining, cash-in-transit hikes, cable theft, drug smuggling and similar crimes. We have recruited and trained thousands of new police personnel to further strengthen the fight against crime.
“We are implementing legislation to build a more professional, ethical and capable public service. There has been important progress in other areas, including towards the introduction of a National Health Insurance to ensure greater equity in the provision of health care,” he said.
The President said that while “times are still tough” much progress has been made but there is “still some way to go”.
“What is most important is that we have done much of the ground work needed to put our economy on a path of faster growth and job creation. By working together, by staying the course, we have used the last year to lay the basis for a better 2024.
“On Friday this week, we will mark a special public holiday to celebrate the historic victory of the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup. Their victory, alongside many other achievements by South Africans on the global stage, is a reminder of our country’s tremendous strengths and the promise that it holds.
“Let us come together on Friday to remind ourselves of everything that we love about South Africa. Let it be a day of hope, celebration and unity. I wish all South Africans a safe, peaceful and restful festive season as we all prepare for a successful new year,” President Ramaphosa concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 12/12/2023 - 11:14
The colours we choose for our home significantly impact its aesthetics and the mood of the spaces within. This guide explores a range of colours to help you decide the best hues for your home. Diverse Hues for Creative Spaces: A touch of Blue Chalk Paint can bring a calming atmosphere to your room, …