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In today’s fast-paced world, technology is constantly evolving, bringing forth innovations that make our lives more convenient and entertaining. From streaming devices to portable power solutions, the market is flooded with gadgets that cater to various needs. EvoGames, a leading name in the tech industry, offers a curated selection of some of the best tech …
In an era where technology and energy go hand in hand, having reliable power solutions is more than just a luxury; it’s a necessity. From homes to businesses, the demand for efficient and sustainable energy products is on the rise. GeeWiz, a renowned name in the tech and energy sector, offers a plethora of products …
The vast, 100 hectare site is a hive of activity, with local contractors Stefanutti Stocks heading up the construction work with approximately 500 people currently on site. Piling, earthworks, retaining structures and columns of Westown Square are virtually all complete and the walls of the 50 000m² retail experience, the first project within Westown, are …
Partnerships key to prosperity, job creation for youth, says Deputy President
Deputy President Paul Mashatile says partnerships between business and government are key to strengthening economic recovery and creating thousands of jobs in the energy, transport and logistics sectors.
“We must never undermine the importance of our efforts through structures such as NEDLAC [National Economic Development and Labour Council] and others, because it is indeed through these social compacts that we can further develop our country and empower South Africans,” Mashatile said on Thursday.
Speaking at the 7th Annual Solutions Exchange Conference in Johannesburg, Mashatile said government is encouraged by the pledges signed with 115 CEOs, who have demonstrated their willingness to help to implement some of the interventions undertaken towards socio-economic transformation.
Mashatile said the Department of Employment and Labour has spearheaded the National Pathway Management Network, which is a networking initiative that has brought together over 30 diverse partners to aggregate opportunities from across the economy.
He said the network enables young people to find earning and learning opportunities, enter the labour market and receive the support that they require to establish their own businesses at no cost.
“The SA Youth platform launched by Harambee, through the National Pathway Management Network, has over 4.1 million young people registered and is the largest platform in this network.
“This is an inclusive platform that uses cutting-edge technology such as geo-mapping, which allows for youth to be matched with opportunities closer to their residence, thereby saving transport and other costs.
“It is indeed this niche innovation that has made it possible for young people, who live further away from the economic hubs, to also access economic opportunities, and kick-start their entry into the labour market,” the Deputy President said.
Mashatile said young people have been supported to secure over one million opportunities on the system from over 1 000 opportunity holders.
“Our government remains committed to increasing private sector investment in order to promote job creation. To accomplish this, we have facilitated an investment drive with an initial target of R1.2 trillion over a five-year period.
“We have since mobilised nearly R1.5 trillion in investment commitments, therefore exceeding this goal and many of these investment commitments are expected to translate into actual employment,” he said.
He said the South African economy currently employs 5.1 million youth, 3.4 million of whom are employed in the formal economy.
“As we work closely with the business community to create jobs for our youth, we must not forget the power of entrepreneurship. The State has the responsibility to collaborate with business and the people in co-creating strong economies that enable development to occur,” the Deputy President said.
Mashatile said as leaders of government, business and civil society, they believe in the youth of South Africa, whose contributions will be critical in shaping the future of the economy. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Thu, 10/12/2023 - 14:00
A groundbreaking transformation is underway in South Africa’s renewable energy sector, led by the solar marketplace pioneer Hohm Energy. Today, they have unveiled their commitment to providing the most cost-effective subscriptions for homes across the nation. Through a strategic partnership with Glint, Hohm Energy will offer solar subscription plans starting at an incredibly low monthly …
Census 2022 shows improvement in basic services
South Africa’s first digital census shows an increase in the proportion of households that had access to piped water inside their dwelling, from 32.3% in 2001 to 46.3% in 2011 and to 59.7% in 2022.
This is according to the South Africa's Census 2022 national results, which was handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa by Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The data shows that in 2022 over four-fifths (82.4%) of households in the country had access to piped water either inside their dwelling or inside their yard.
“The proportion of households that accessed piped water off-site (from a water source outside the yard such as a neighbour or from a community stand) halved from 17.9% in 2011 to 8.9% in 2022.
“Households in the Western Cape were more likely to have piped water inside their dwelling (85.5%) compared to Limpopo, where less than one-third (31.4%) accessed piped water inside their dwelling.
“Although the national picture regarding access to piped water shows improvement over the years, there is a sizeable proportion of households in Limpopo (20.5%) and Eastern Cape (19.5%) with no access to piped water.
“The majority of households across the three censuses made use of a regional/local water scheme as their main source of water. This proportion increased steadily from 74.7% in 2001 to 79.7% in 2011 and to 82.7% in 2022,” Maluleke said.
There has been an increase in the percentage of households that used a flush toilet as their main type of toilet facility during this period (+18.9 percentage points).
However, the percentage of households that used a pit toilet without ventilation and households with no form of toilet facility declined during the same period, from 22.8% to 12.5% and from 13.6% to 1.6% respectively
Energy
The proportion of households using electricity as the main source of energy for lighting increased significantly from 58.1% in 1996 to 94.7% in 2022; conversely, the use of paraffin and candles as the main source of energy for lighting decreased.
Electricity was the main source of energy for lighting across all provinces.
In 1996, 28.8% of households utilised candles for lighting compared to the 3.2% in 2022.
The use of paraffin declined, with only 0.9% of households using it for lighting compared to the 12.7% in 1996.
“It is noted that the country recorded an upward trend in refuse removed by a local authority regularly, an increase from 52% in 1996 to 66% in 2022. Approximately two-thirds (66.3%) of households in the country had their refuse removed by a local authority once a week whilst one in four households used their own refuse dump (22.3%).
“The percentage of households with no refuse removal or using their own refuse dump both decreased over the same period. In 1996, 32.6% of households used their own refuse dump and 9.7% did not have any refuse removal,” he said.
In 2022, households using their own refuse dump decreased to 22.3% and those with no refuse removal halved to 4.5%
SA population
According to South Africa's Census 2022 national results, the population increased from 40.5 million in 1996 to just over 62 million in 2022; an increase of over 21.4 million people in 26 years.
“Black Africans remain consistently the dominant population group at a proportion of more than 80%, followed by the coloured and white populations at 8.2% and 7.3% in 2022, respectively.
“On the other hand, the Indian/Asian population comprised less than 3% of the population over the years. The age-sex structure indicates some decline in the ages between 0 and 29 years when compared to the 2011 distribution,” Maluleke said.
The sex ratio in the country decreased from 98.8 in 2011 to 94.1 in 2022. Gauteng reported the highest ratio at 101.8 in 2022, suggesting that there are more males than females in the province compared to the other provinces.
“Furthermore, the median age in the country was 28 years in 2022, showing an increase of three years from 25 years in 2011. It was highest in the Western Cape and lowest in Limpopo at 31 and 26 years, respectively.
“The median age of the white population was 45 years while that of the black African population was 27 years in 2022. The majority (62.2%) of the population has never been married, while 24% indicated that they are legally married,” Maluleke said.
The population and housing census was conducted in February 2022 and provides comprehensive data on population size, demographic trends, and other service delivery related information. – SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Thu, 10/12/2023 - 10:54
Pandor calls for urgent action to protect oceans, livelihoods
International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, has called on world leaders to urgently take action to protect the oceans and people who depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.
Pandor was speaking on Wednesday at the 23rd Council of Ministers (COM) meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) held in Sri Lanka.
The IORA’s priorities, according to Pandor, are in recognition of the fact that 40% of the world’s population lives near coastal areas.
More than three billion people use the oceans for their livelihood, while 80% of world trade is achieved using the seas, the Minister said.
“The oceans, seas and coastal areas contribute to food security and poverty eradication.
“And yet, the oceans are under severe threat by human activities, where economic profits are at the expense of environmental degradation.”
Pandor highlighted acidification, pollution, ocean warming, eutrophication and fishery collapse as some of the issues facing the marine ecosystem.
“These threats are detrimental to the planet and are long-term repercussions that demand urgent action to protect the oceans and the people who depend on them.
“The Indian Ocean region, therefore, should remain our own peaceful zone from which we can enhance opportunities in trade and further develop our nations by advancing the protection that our oceans so dearly deserve.”
The Minister believes that the gatherings have succeeded in developing clear concepts around the IORA Development Initiative (IDI).
“I am also pleased that the High-Level Strategic Dialogue meeting, which was co-chaired by South Africa and the Secretariat, was a resounding success.”
The meeting, she said, reflected on the status quo and a vision of how the IORA should proceed.
“Several discussions were held on, amongst others, the achievements and challenges of the IORA’s first 25 years and what that meant for the IORA’s future work and the implementation of the IORA’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.”
Pandor is of the view that these issues are significant and will continue to help strengthen the association that is becoming increasingly important on the global stage.
“IORA member States and dialogue partners made it clear that they desire collaboration, regional cooperation, freedom of navigation, consensus building actions, partnerships, shared prosperity, rules-based norms in the Indo-Pacific and not disunity, hostility, divergence and increased military presences.”
South Africa, according to Pandor, looks forward to the completion of the zero-base document which she believes should be adopted and followed by implementation at the earliest opportunity.
“The document will provide a vision of future activities of the IORA and the role our various regions could play.”
In addition, Pandor announced that the IORA Business Forum’s South African Chapter has developed a concept note on the creation of an IORA Business Forum Digital Portal.
“This portal will connect us, reduce transactional costs, while creating a trading platform and make it easy to trade in our region and beyond.
“Working jointly at creating a region of peace means we can achieve operational optimisation within the region and achieve energy efficient technology acquisition – this would be a conducive environment that could ensure the continued sustainable development of the IORA region,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Wed, 10/11/2023 - 09:25
Setting the stage for the next phase of the EPWP
Government’s flagship job creation programme, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), is set for a major shake-up in the months ahead.
The programme will be contributing to building better community infrastructure, empowering participants with training and skills to enter the job market and becoming entrepreneurs as part of their exit strategies.
This was announced by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala at the EPWP Phase 5 Indaba in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The announcement comes as government is reviewing the performance of the Expanded Public Works Programme and preparing for Phase 5, which will see over five million job opportunities being created.
The programme, currently in Phase 4, has delivered over four million job opportunities.
The EPWP Phase 5 Indaba is taking take stock of the current phase, which comes to an end in March next year.
Phase 4 learnings are being unpacked and new innovative ideas are being thrashed out for Phase 5 to accelerate the creation of job opportunities that have a long lasting impact on the unemployment of South African youth.
Zikalala said the repositioning and rebranding of the EPWP will be focused on delivering services and changing the lives of communities.
Zikalala said it should move beyond quantity to quality, high impact and be sustainable to the beneficiaries.
The programme will be massified to create more job opportunities while attempting to solve the country’s key challenges such as:
- Road maintenance (pothole patching, brick paving and ensuring pothole free road networks).
- Cleaning of neighbourhoods and waste management.
- Energy (retrofitting of government buildings and solar installations).
- Fixing lifts and plumbing.
“EPWP Phase 5 should be more than just combatting unemployment. It is about rewriting the story of our youth from one of despair to one of hope, from stagnation to growth and from dependency to self-reliance.
“Our core focus should gravitate towards not just creating employment opportunities, but crafting pathways of continuous growth, learning and empowerment. Our goal goes beyond employment generation. It is about nurturing a skilled, self-reliant populace that contributes constructively to our nation’s socio-economic fabric,” Zikalala said.
The Minister said one of the many strategies that will be used to escalate the EPWP’s national effort will be to re-open the government workshops.
The revitalisation of the existing workshops will be a cornerstone of empowering and absorbing some of the graduates from the National Youth Service (NYS) from the EPWP. The workshops will be the crucibles of innovation, skills development and practical exposure.
“By integrating NYS graduates into these workshops, we aim to foster a culture of continuous learning and hands-on experience, ensuring our youth are not just employable but are drivers of innovation and change,” the Minister said.
The Minister quoted a number of global public employment programmes whose lessons will be used extensively to craft programmes that will enhance the livelihoods security of people involved in EPWP programmes.
These programmes include India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act that guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household, whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
Rwanda’s Umuganda cleaning programme was also cited by the Minister. The programme is a public cleaning programme that contributes to income support while keeping public places clean and hygienic.
The EPWP will be escalated to encompass priority projects like road maintenance, energy, waste recycling and cleaning of government buildings as arenas of innovation, skills development and environmental stewardship.
It will have a strong emphasis on training, enterprise development and ensuring a transformational journey for participants. The exit pathways will ensure that the journey of participants leads to future employability, self-employment, and cooperatives or enterprises that can employ more people.
“Our vision of creating exit pathways is centred on ensuring that as participants transition out of the programme, they are not stepping back into the abyss of poverty and uncertainty, but are striding confidently into avenues of self-sufficiency, entrepreneurship and meaningful employment,” Zikalala said.
The Minister said the EPWP programme will be characterised by the Khawuleza Model, where service delivery is accelerated and meaningful interventions are unleashed to ameliorate the living conditions of the vulnerable poor. – SAnews.gov.za
Edwin
Wed, 10/11/2023 - 14:41
In the realm of outdoor lighting, solar garden lights have taken center stage, revolutionizing the way we brighten our outdoor spaces. These innovative lighting solutions harness the power of the sun to provide eco-friendly, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing illumination for gardens, patios, pathways, and more. In this comprehensive guide, we will shed light on solar …
In today’s fast-paced world, staying connected and powered up on the go is essential. Whether you’re a business professional in need of your smartphone throughout the day or an adventure enthusiast capturing every moment on your action camera, a reliable power source is a must. That’s where Romoss, a leading name in the world of …
In an era where environmental consciousness is on the rise, the search for clean and renewable energy sources has gained significant momentum. Among the most accessible and sustainable options available today are solar panels. As the world strives to reduce its carbon footprint and combat climate change, the adoption of solar energy has become more …
Eskom board chairperson steps down
Eskom board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, is expected to step down from his role at the power utility’s next AGM scheduled for the end of October.
This was announced by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in a statement.
Makwana is expected to be replaced by current board member, Mteto Nyati, as chairperson, with a handover process to be done throughout this month.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said: “We wish to thank Mr Makwana for his contribution during the most difficult time for Eskom. We wish him well in his future endeavours.
“Our efforts to stabilise Eskom and restructure it into three subsidiaries -- generation, transmission and distribution -- remain on track. As government, we are committed to ensuring that Eskom has the right skills, talent and experience to support our pursuit of a more secure energy future for South Africans.”
Makwana wished the power utility success.
“I am grateful for the opportunity afforded to me by the government of the Republic of South Africa to serve a second term as chairperson of the Board of Directors of Eskom SOC Limited. I wish Eskom and its people success, and thank its committed stewards for their unstinting efforts to revive the utility.
“I thank the Minister for the positive, amicable manner upon which we conclude my tenure,” Makwana said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Tue, 10/10/2023 - 09:31
The modern era has ushered in advancements that have reshaped our daily lives. One such innovation is the efficient management and conservation of energy, achieved remarkably through smart home technology. Let’s delve deeper into how this transformation is being made possible. Intelligent Lighting Systems The integration of intuitive systems means no more accidentally leaving …
A forward-looking panel at Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) 2023 (https://CriticalMineralsAfrica.com/) will explore how technology, sustainable practices and localization can ensure stable and secure critical minerals supplies, under the theme, The Future Minerals Economy and the Resilience of Supply Chains.
Panelists include Dr. Marit Y. Kitaw, Interim Director of the African Minerals Development Center (AMDC), Ethiopia; Deshan Naido, Managing Director of AQORA, South Africa; Duma Sisulu, Co-Founder & Chief Analyst at Parime Battery Minerals, South Africa; Alex Benkenstein, Head of the Climate and Natural Resources Program at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA); and Kwasi Ampofo, Head of Metals and Mining at BloombergNEF. The panel will be moderated by Olimpia Pilch, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Critical Minerals International Alliance, UK.
As demand changes and complexities increase, African and global mineral supply chains are undergoing several transformations to better manage supply disruptions and price fluctuations, from adopting digitalization to strengthening local and regional outputs. The panel will explore how market instability – triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war – has accelerated the need for localized supply chains and how African countries can ensure their demand for critical and industrial minerals is met, while foreign markets like the US and Europe seek to secure their own supplies.
The panel will evaluate the strength of Africa's existing local and regional supply chains, strategies for improving operational efficiencies and the role of cross-border cooperation and partnerships in ensuring supply chain stability and resilience. Discussions will also address best practices for decarbonizing mining activities and how circular economy principles can be integrated to maximize resource efficiency and minimize waste, with a view to establishing green supply chains of the future.
Other key developments in the critical minerals space include mining companies diversifying their operations across multiple sectors, while fostering synergy among mining, energy, and oil and gas in the quest for transition minerals. As the sole high-level, dedicated summit for African critical minerals, CMA 2023 will bring these discussions to the forefront, as Africa emerges at the center of global hub activities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
The Critical Minerals Africa 2023 summit on October 17-19 serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. The event is organized by Energy Capital & Power and held alongside the African Energy Week 2023 conference (https://AECWeek.com) on October 16-20, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town.
Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has launched a new data portal that gives its members access to periodic data about solar installations across the country. The project, in collaboration with GEOTERRAIMAGE (GTI), was launched this week. GTI leveraged years of expertise in satellite image interpretation and analysis to develop advanced machine learning methods …
Load shedding is a common challenge faced by many regions, causing disruptions in daily life and impacting productivity. Whether it’s due to an overloaded power grid, extreme weather conditions, or inadequate infrastructure, the effects of load shedding can be frustrating and costly. However, in today’s technology-driven world, there are smart solutions available to help individuals …
Henkel South Africa is partnering with Hammanskraal-based Hudson Rubber to locally fabricate Henkel’s vehicle rubber sealing and acoustic solutions for OEM vehicle panel reinforcing, noise reduced and vibration protection. Henkel’s patented technology of 2D and 3D sealing and acoustic solutions along with damping materials for the body shop provides robust noise, vibration, harshness protection – …
In the face of persistent load shedding, individuals and communities around the world are seeking innovative strategies to maintain a consistent power supply. Load shedding, the controlled shutdown of electricity, often due to high demand or infrastructure limitations, can disrupt daily life and have a significant impact on various sectors, including residential, commercial, and industrial. …
Wait for it…AfricaIgnite, formerly AHUB, Africa Tech Festival's (https://tmt.knect365.com/Africa-Tech-Festival/) flagship event for the African continent's start-ups and innovators, has been announced as the host for the African leg of the globally prestigious Start-Up World Cup 2023, and 10 African start-ups will have the opportunity to pitch for a spot at the grand finale to be held in San Francisco, USA on 1 December 2023.
USD1 million up for grabs – The AfricaIgnite Start-up Pitch showcase will take place at Africa Tech Festival in November in Cape Town, South Africa. To enter, African early-stage start-ups and scale-ups with seed fundings of up to $15million will need to apply (https://apo-opa.info/3PGV3Lz) by 15 October. The finalists, to be unveiled on 30 October, will then need to make their way to Cape Town and pitch in front of hundreds of investors and tech leaders on 16 November.
The winner of Africa Tech Festival's pitch competition will then be invited to compete in the grand finale of the Startup World Cup, to be held in San Francisco on 1 December, for that impressive 1 million US dollar investment, in front of industry greats such as ABC's Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran, Sundeep Jain, Chief Product Officer at Uber, Daniel Sturman CTO at Roblox and more.
Since launching in 2016, the festival's start-up platform has been committed to supporting the growth of Africa's nascent entrepreneurs and innovators. The interest in the offering has grown significantly to the point where AfricaIgnite has now taken on a life-force of its own.
James Williams, Director, Events | Connecting Africa | Informa Tech: “Africa's bright and forward-thinking minds need a platform to network, get inspired, and co-build a stronger tech start-Up investment ecosystem, which is exactly what AfricaIgnite offers. As Africa Tech Festival, we are excited to be partnering with The Startup World Cup to offer our African colleagues the opportunity they deserve to present their businesses on a global stage. This is a very exciting partnership, and the first, we hope, of many as the continent's innovation sector gathers momentum.”
Investment by the numbers
In 2022, Africa was the only region where start-up investment grew with around USD4.8 billion put into around 1,000 businesses. That said though, this sum still only represents a paltry 1.2% of all start-up funding raised globally. However, this is predicted to change quite rapidly in the years ahead as the continent's entrepreneur, start-up and SMME ecosystem fully embraces the digital revolution and connectivity, whilst Africans create the solutions to many of their own, and the world's challenges.
In the 2021 – 2022 period, 37% of investment was channelled to the FinTech space, but its dominance is now being challenged by innovation and new business ideas that solve Africa's energy and waste difficulties. Other sectors that are attracting interest also include the likes of the telecoms, media and entertainment space, logistics and transport, retail, agriculture, and food, as well as the growing proliferation of deep tech.
“We are very happy to partner up with AfricaTech Festival for the Startup World Cup South Africa Regional and are delighted by the quality and enthusiasm of the start-ups who are competing,” said Anis Uzzaman, Founder and CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures, who created the Startup World Cup competition in 2016. “Each year we have been able to reach more entrepreneurs in more cities around the world and, in turn, connect more innovation ecosystems to Silicon Valley and the rest of the world.
“We hope this partnership creates new valuable opportunities for the competing start-ups from Africa.”
In good company
Africa Tech Festival also holds its own when it comes to the investor community, with databases of several thousand investors and venture capitalists predominantly spanning Africa and the United States, as well as a strong community of founders, entrepreneurs, and start-ups.
Aside from the exciting early-stage start-up Pitch Showcase, AfricaIgnite in 2023 is looking to up the ante with a curation of content that is exciting, informative, and definitely going to take participants places. The AfricaIgnite space located in the AfricaTech Hall will be a centre of activity with an offering of excellent networking and matchmaking between founders and investors, a start-up marketplace and demo area (no pitching required), along with a host of dedicated workshops and masterclasses presented by top professionals.
Delegates, start-ups, and those considering taking a leap of faith into the new world of business, can explore content that covers useful topics such as what to expect from year one as a founder – what to do, get good at and what to ignore; the power of collaboration in building a global company; perfecting the next “X”-tech for future generations; founding, funding and running your start-up in economically challenging times; concept to company – demystifying the entrepreneurial process plus a raft of funding talks and presentations, as well as the all-important insight into exit planning 101!
Never has the time been more right to head to Cape Town 13 – 16 November to be part of the action at Africa Tech Festival, the world's largest and most influential Africa-focused technology, telecoms, and media gathering. In 2023, expect big things to happen in this space.
For more information, please see website here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 - The Home of AfricaCom & AfricaTech (https://apo-opa.info/3myppVu)
To apply for the pitch competition, please click here: Africa Tech Festival 2023 – pitch competition (https://apo-opa.info/3PGV3Lz)
View all ticket options for Africa Tech Festival, including start-up passes, here (https://apo-opa.info/3Q04o2r)
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Tech Festival.
For media enquiries, interviews and/or images please contact:
Kaz Henderson
kaz@networxpr.co.za or call on +27 (0) 82 339 1199.
(Please note that all requests are adjudicated and there may be some delay before you hear back from us).
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About Startup World Cup:
Startup World Cup is a global conference and competition with the goal of bridging start-up ecosystems worldwide. The competition gives start-up companies from all over the world a chance to win a US $1,000,000 prize in the form of an investment. This year, there will be 50+ regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, leading up to the Grand Finale in San Francisco in September. Startup World Cup is organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based global venture capital firm.
About Africa Tech Festival 2023:
Africa Tech Festival, including anchor events AfricaCom, AfricaTech and AfricaIgnite is part of the Informa Tech Connecting Africa event series. A vibrant celebration of Africa's diverse community of tech champions, Africa Tech Festival is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, more than 400 speakers and more than 12000 delegates.
Key themes for 2023 continue to explore the creation and sustainability of a connected Africa and the impact this can have for the people of the continent but also the commercial prospects for local and global businesses and governments. Topics will include Telcos of Tomorrow, Connecting the Next Billion, Digital Infrastructure Investment, Sustainability & Climate Resilience, ICT Policy and Regulation, Fintech & MFS, Broadcast Media & Entertainment, Pioneer Tech, the Future of Work and Talent and Skills Development. Africa Tech Festival also incorporates and the Africa Tech Festival Awards, an exclusive ceremony celebrating Africa's tech pioneers and held at the luxury 5-star The Bay Hotel, as well as the LeadersIn Africa Summit, an exclusive, VIP-only feature offering high-level presentations and roundtable discussions to Africa's tech elite.
Are you teaching your children about a good breakfast? Thembile Nyathi, an 11-year-old learner at Leresche Primary in Orlando East, Soweto, has captured hearts and brought smiles to faces with his heart-warming interview of his father, as part of the Rama Good Breakfast Programme. In this video, Thembile’s father, Silingo, candidly discusses his breakfast choices, …
Leading food company, wholly-owned by PepsiCo South Africa, FUTURELIFE®, today celebrated the grand opening of its new cutting-edge manufacturing facility at Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone (SEZ), in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This event brought together key government officials, business leaders, and FUTURELIFE® employees. The opening of the facility showcases FUTURELIFE®’s resilience, innovation, and steadfast commitment to …
Pact to fund STEM postgrad students
The National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Energy Mobility Education Trust have concluded a three-year partnership agreement to fund postgraduate students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and commerce fields.
The agreement is said to focus on traditionally marginalised groups and contribute to the transformation of the education landscape, with a specific focus on South Africans who are Black, female or people with a disability.
According to the Energy Mobility Education Trust CEO, Vuyo Mwase, the move will promote academic, scientific, and technological cooperation by supporting full-time studies for South African postgraduate students at the Honours level for the first year and Master’s and Doctoral levels from 2024.
“The Energy Mobility Education Trust has championed the attainment of formal qualifications in STEM and commerce for over years,” said Mwase.
The CEO also noted the lack of funding for postgraduate studies.
“As such, this complementary and strategic partnership with the NRF strengthens our position and commitment to narrowing this gap. Additionally, our partnership will augment the much-needed innovation in developing and managing the current and emerging renewable energy systems,” Mwase explained.
The programme will initially provide funding opportunities for 38 Honours students for the 2023 academic year, with an initial investment of R6.8 million, with Master’s and Doctoral programmes to start in 2024.
Funding for postgraduate students will be made available in the STEM disciplines, with a specific focus on mathematical science, data science, computer science, green economy, renewable energy and climate change studies.
The first phase of the programme will support students from the Universities of Fort Hare, Limpopo, Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Western Cape and Johannesburg.
The NRF’s Dr Mbulelo Ncango is of the view that the scholarship programme comes at a critical time as South Africa strives to respond to energy and climate change challenges amongst many other national concerns.
“This partnership is aligned with national policy goals on higher education, science, and technology such as the strengthening of human resource development and the creation of an enabling environment for innovation in South Africa,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
Gabisile
Fri, 10/06/2023 - 15:00
A high-level presentation on the European Union's (EU) AfricaMaVal initiative and related efforts to establish sustainable critical raw material value chains in Africa will be delivered at the upcoming Critical Minerals Africa (CMA) 2023 summit (https://CriticalMineralsAfrica.com).
Led by Roberto Cecutti, Head of Trade and Economics, EU Delegation to South Africa and Sodhie Naicker, Managing Director of DMT and Kai Batla and Consortium Partner in AfricaMaVal, the presentation is one of several organized for the first day of the conference, serving to promote sustainable partnerships, policies and projects in raw materials and strengthen global critical mineral supply chains.
The AfricaMaVal project – “Building EU-Africa Partnerships on the Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chain” – aims to ensure responsible mineral sourcing by European countries, while fostering sustainable development and ESG practices across the African continent. The project targets 10 case studies in Morocco, Senegal, Gabon, the DRC, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa and Madagascar, with a view to evaluating their respective mining and refining potential and strengthening their existing links to European partners.
Launched in June 2022 and set to run through November 2025, the AfricaMaVal initiative comes as Europe takes a mounting interest in Africa's critical minerals as an alternative supply to China and Russia. The EU has classified rare earth minerals as critical to delivering its flagship Green Deal and digital transition, which targets carbon neutrality by 2050.
The presentation aligns closely with the broader theme of CMA 2023 – Establishing the Critical Minerals Value Chain of the Future in Africa – which aims to position the continent as a global hub for sustainable mineral exploration, processing, technologies and trade.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Critical Minerals Africa 2023 summit:
Organized by Energy Capital & Power, the Critical Minerals Africa 2023 summit, scheduled for October 17-19, serves to position Africa as the primary investment destination for critical minerals. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week 2023 conference (https://AECWeek.com) on October 16-20, offering delegates access to the full scope of energy, mining and finance leaders in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com