Transport News
Let’s build for the future
Road repairs are happening everywhere. Let’s use some of that infrastructure money to invest in smarter roads.
Sanral to restart, wrap up adjudication process on cancelled tenders by end September Sanral chairperson Themba Mhambi talks about the issues identified with the agency’s construction bid evaluation process. Video and editing: Kutlwano Matlala
The board of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has instructed Sanral management to readvertise and award the R17.47-billion in tenders the board cancelled earlier in May, citing “material irregularities”, within the next four months. Speaking at a media conference in Centurion on Monday, Sanral board chairperson Themba Mhambi added that the board would recruit an independent public institution with infrastructure expertise to assist with the process to advertise and adjudicate the tenders, and to make a recommendation to the board on the winning bidders.
Tower Cold Chain secures further investment to supercharge its success
Pharmaceutical temperature-controlled specialist Tower Cold Chain has secured £6.75million in investment, to reinforce the business as the leader in robust, reliable, and reusable cold chain solutions, following a period of rapid and sustained growth
enVista Announces Sale of Enspire Commerce Omnichannel Software and Global FAP Services to Körber
Acquisition enables enVista to focus on dominating the market for supply chain, enterprise business and automation solutions while giving enVista’s omnichannel and FAP offerings a broader software platform and ecosystem for growth at Körber
Sanral to restart, wrap up adjudication process on cancelled tenders by end September Sanral chairperson Themba Mhambi talks about the issues identified with the agency’s construction bid evaluation process. Video and editing: Kutlwano Matlala
The board of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has instructed Sanral management to readvertise and award the R17.47-billion in tenders the board cancelled earlier in May, citing “material irregularities”, within the next four months. Speaking at a media conference in Centurion on Monday, Sanral board chairperson Themba Mhambi added that the board would recruit an independent public institution with infrastructure expertise to assist with the process to advertise and adjudicate the tenders, and to make a recommendation to the board on the winning bidders.
Details released of experimental UK reusable hypersonic air vehicle programme
UK advanced aerospace propulsion systems company Reaction Engines Limited (REL) and UK-based global major propulsion and power systems group Rolls-Royce jointly revealed, on Monday, at the Farnborough International Air Show, new details of the UK’s Hypersonic Air Vehicle Experimental (HVX) programme. (Hypersonic aircraft or missiles can travel at and above five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5 in aerospace terminology.) The announcement included the fact that a full-scale experimental engine testing programme had started. In addition to Rolls-Royce and REL (who formed a strategic partnership in 2020), the HVX programme includes the Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) of the UK Royal Air Force and the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, while the UK National Security Strategic Investment Fund provides financial support. The HVX programme was launched in June last year and is intended to make the UK a leader in reusable hypersonic air vehicles.
Big blow for Chinese rail giant as court dismisses its bid against Sars
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has dismissed a bid by the local unit of the Chinese Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) to have the SA Revenue Service (Sars) return money taken from its accounts. Sars found that CRRC E-Loco overstated the price of its locomotives sold to Transnet as part of its involvement in state capture, and that the company has a tax debt of more than R3.6-billion. Its parent company is the world’s biggest train maker, which is partly-owned by the Chinese government,
TUT team wins South Africa’s first closed-track solar vehicle challenge
The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Solar Team were declared the winners of the first ever Ilanga Cup Solar Challenge, which took place at the 4.2-km-long Red Star Raceway, in Delmas, on July 21. “We would like to congratulate the TUT Solar Team for winning the first event of the Ilanga Cup. The weather was not solar car friendly but the team persevered,” Ilanga Cup director Robert Walker said.
Blue Sky Distribution Supports Ecommerce Hypergrowth with Descartes Solution
Blue Sky Distribution is managing rapid ecommerce growth and extreme peaks in order volumes using the Descartes OzLink™ Mobile Warehouse solution.
Comunale develops first Class A spec industrial project in Fort Collins since 1990s
Denver-based Comunale Properties has announced the completion of two pre-leases at its Mulberry Connection development, the first speculative Class A industrial project built in Fort Collins, Colorado since the 1990s.
BLP closes $789 million in real estate since inception 7 months ago; more deals in the pipeline
In the seven months that BLP has been investing on behalf of institutional investors, the logistics real estate company has closed 21 deals and secured $789 million of real estate in difficult to access U.S. global gateway infill markets.
Sanral to restart, wrap up adjudication process on cancelled tenders by end September Sanral chairperson Themba Mhambi talks about the issues identified with the agency’s construction bid evaluation process. Video and editing: Kutlwano Matlala
The board of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has instructed Sanral management to readvertise and award the R17.47-billion in tenders the board cancelled earlier in May, citing “material irregularities”, within the next four months. Speaking at a media conference in Centurion on Monday, Sanral board chairperson Themba Mhambi added that the board would recruit an independent public institution with infrastructure expertise to assist with the process to advertise and adjudicate the tenders, and to make a recommendation to the board on the winning bidders.
Transnet to invest R16.1bn in Cape Town, Mossel Bay and Saldanha ports
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) will invest R16.1-billion at the Mossel Bay, Saldanha and Cape Town ports in a seven-year capital investment programme. The capital investment programme will see R2.2-billion flow to the Port of Mossel Bay, R8.4-billion to the Saldanha harbour and R5.5-billion to the Port of Cape Town.
Joburg MMC calls for interdepartmental issues affecting road works to be resolved
City of Johannesburg Transport MMC Funzi Ngobeni has called for interdepartmental issues affecting the Johannesburg Roads Agency’s (JRA’s) road maintenance to be addressed urgently. "JRA teams are often unable to do road repair work because of water on the road surface owing to pipe bursts, standpipes without drainage, as well as blocked or leaking sewer lines spilling raw sewage onto roads," he said.
Grindrod appoints Xolani Mbambo as new CEO
Grindrod has announced that Xolani Mbambo is to succeed Andrew Waller as CEO from January 1, next year. Waller is set to retire.
Axele Wins Top Supply Chain Project Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive
Winning Project Deployed at Owner Operators Cooperative
Sanral to restart, wrap up adjudication process on cancelled tenders by end September Sanral chairperson Themba Mhambi talks about the issues identified with the agency’s construction bid evaluation process. Video and editing: Kutlwano Matlala
The board of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has instructed Sanral management to readvertise and award the R17.47-billion in tenders the board cancelled earlier in May, citing “material irregularities”, within the next four months. Speaking at a media conference in Centurion on Monday, Sanral board chairperson Themba Mhambi added that the board would recruit an independent public institution with infrastructure expertise to assist with the process to advertise and adjudicate the tenders, and to make a recommendation to the board on the winning bidders.
Angola awards $333m contract to Trafigura consortium to improve Congo rail link
Angola’s ministry of transport has awarded a tender to a Trafigura consortium to operate and expand rail infrastructure to speed up commodity imports from Democratic Republic of Congo. Congo, Africa’s biggest copper producer, exports copper, cobalt and other metals in trucks via Tanzania or South Africa, which takes several weeks because of congestion and customs delays.
PRASA working to restore three Gauteng rail corridors before year-end
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is rebuilding and recovering five high-priority commuter rail corridors, three of which, in Gauteng, will reopen before the end of the year. These are in addition to five lines that are already operational.
Cotton On unveils new environment-, staff-friendly head office, distribution centre
Australian fashion retailer the Cotton On Group (COG) has invested R300-million in new custom-built headquarters and a distribution centre in Waterfall City, Midrand, which it officially launched on July 20. Construction started in January 2021, and since June this year, 2.2-million units of COG’s eight brands have been moved from the group’s former premises in Pomona, Kempton Park, to the new site – more than 100 truckloads of stock.