A company which abandoned two projects in North-West and had its contracts terminated for poor workmanship has scored a R134 million tender from the same provincial Department of Roads and Public Works.  African Times can today reveal that Ndhuna Civil Engineering Services left two incomplete road projects in Rustenburg and Brits in 2021, after pocketing R25 million, claiming cash flow problems and community disruptions.  According to official documents seen by African Times, Ndhuna Civils abandoned the project for the construction…

GENERAL healthcare across Namibia is poised for a major improvement following the launch of a project by Fujifilm South Africa and medical distributor, Uni Medical Supplies. They have commissioned Fujifilm’s state-of-the-art Synapse Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) platforms. This is the largest deployment of its kind in Namibia, with several sites now linked, even though the hospitals are considerable distances apart. The platforms will serve Katutura State, Onandjokwe State, Oshakati State, Rundu Intermediate and…

BUSINESS should plan for cash being a significant part of their payments mix for longer than anticipated as South Africa’s load-shedding crisis slows down migration towards cashless payments. This is according to an executive as Africa’s most diversified economy endures its worst power crisis in living memory. Jason Coussens, Currency Management Business Unit Manager at Nashua Kopano, says cash remains “king” in South Africa, with consumer surveys indicating that 95 percent of people withdraw cash at least once a month…

THE Durban July Experience is forecast to inject R130 million (US$7,2 million) to the economy of Ethekwini. The event will attract up to 48 000 attendees, amassing R65 million in direct spending and creating 1 500 jobs. eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda disclosed the figures ahead of the event set for this weekend. The mayor reassured visitors of a safe and entertaining Durban July. Kaunda said law enforcement agencies will be deployed to strategic areas. Approximately 100 Metro police officers will…

ZIMBABWE’S maize imports in 2023/24 will likely reach the highest levels in seven years. Unlike in 2016, the country might not struggle to secure supplies from neighbouring South Africa and Zambia. A shortfall in Zimbabwe’s maize production is attributed to a dry spell that affected the crop in the southern and western areas of the country in December. Zimbabwe’s fortunes worsened when Cyclone Freddy hit the country in late January 2023, leading to crop damage. Its 2022/23 maize production could…

THE commencement or increase in flights to Cape Town by some regional and local airlines is poised to boost passenger statistics to the Western Cape Province. Proflight Zambia will commence its direct flight from the capital Lusaka, to the South African coastal Mother City on July 1, with two flights per week. Local operator, Airlink will increase frequencies on its Cape Town – Mbombela (Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport) route, doubling capacity to 12 flights per week, from August 7. Air…

MARKETS have responded positively to the early reforms by the new administration in Nigeria. FBN Quest, the market watcher, noted the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGXAS) has rallied since the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu at the end of May. Compared with Sub-Saharan Africa peer markets like Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) (+2,6 percent year-to-date), Kenya Stock Exchange  (-16, 1 percent) and Ghana Stock Exchange (13,4 percent), NGXASI has returned an increase of 15,8 percent year-to-date. The price rally has been broad-based,…

Productivity South Africa, a state-owned entity tasked with promoting growth and productivity, has urged the government to address the root causes of the country’s international competitiveness decline.  The entity says it will meet with the government departments to discuss how to overcome the challenges that led to the country’s slump – the second year running – in terms of business efficiency, economic performance, governance efficiency, and infrastructure.  According to the 2023 World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) compiled by the Swiss-based Institute…

The recent earthquake that shook buildings in Johannesburg has amplified plans to roll out 3D concrete-printed houses to South Africans who dread the prospect of losing their properties to tremors and earthquakes. Two weeks ago, seismologists recorded earth movements that occurred in the early hours of Sunday 11 June, measuring a magnitude of 5.0 and stretching about 12 km underground. As a result, the South African Housing & Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF) has escalated its joint venture project with 3D concrete…

DAR ES SALAAM, June 20 (Xinhua) — Tanzania’s central bank on Tuesday reminded local residents to stop making domestic payments for goods and services using foreign currencies. The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) said in a statement that it has recently observed violations of the directive. According to the statement, the government issued a public notice prohibiting domestic payments for goods and services using foreign currencies for local residents respectively in August 2007 and December 2017.  BoT would like to remind the…