Steel production down by 15.1%

[Helmo Preuss] South African steel production fell by 15.1% year-on-year (y/y) in April to an estimated 570‚000 tons after dropping by 16.6% y/y in February to 515‚000 tons‚ according to World Steel Association data. 22 May 2013 09:14

Quick fix? Not for Astrapak

Astrapak optimists are betting heavily on the new chief executive Robin Moore's ability to restore the troubled packaging firm to health. Reflecting this confidence, Astrapak is trading on a 75,5 price:earnings ratio despite a 61% fall in headline earnings per share for the year to February and a 90% fall in earnings over the past three years. 17 May 2013 11:16

Hard roads for Cargo Carriers

[Edward West] Cargo Carriers (CRG) raised its dividend 76.5% for the year to February after its logistics and transport related operations performed well in an operating environment of low economic growth and industrial relations interruptions. 16 May 2013 08:07

Sasol heads for the Competition Tribunal

Sasol will appear before the Competition Tribunal from Monday (13 May) on allegations that the company charged excessive prices for materials used in the production of plastics. 10 May 2013 08:55

Production falls - Easter holidays blamed

Manufacturing production fell 2.2% year-on-year (y/y) in March after a slightly revised 2.8% (2.9%) year-on-year decline in February‚ data released by Statistics SA on Thursday (9 May) showed. 10 May 2013 08:41

Manufacturing growth up in SA

[Helmo Preuss] The seasonally adjusted Kagiso SA purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.5 in April from 49.3 in March‚ while the global PMI compiled by JP Morgan eased to 50.5 from 51.1 in March as SA joined Indonesia‚ Japan‚ South Korea and Vietnam in bucking the trend towards slower manufacturing growth. 6 May 2013 09:03

Steel production falls 12.5%

[Helmo Preuss] South African steel production fell by 12.5% year-on-year (y/y) in March to an estimated 570‚000 tons after dropping by 16.6% y/y in February to 515‚000 tons‚ according to data from the World Steel Association. 30 Apr 2013 07:52

Bitumen no longer such a 'sticky' problem

Fed up with an unstable local bitumen supply, construction firms have begun to invest in securing their own supply of the material, which is an essential part of road construction and maintenance. 29 Apr 2013 08:34

Big construction firms admit to bid-rigging

A total of 21 big South African construction companies have admitted to the Competition Commission that they were involved in bid-rigging to a combined value of R26bn, Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Works heard this week. 24 Apr 2013 07:42

Freight income up 7% in February

Income from freight transportation in SA increased by 7.0% in February compared with the same month last year‚ Statistics SA figures showed on Monday (22 April). 23 Apr 2013 06:53

Building confidence up by five points

[Mark Allix] The FNB/BER building confidence index rose for the second consecutive quarter to its highest level since 2010‚ gaining five points and climbing from 32 to 37 during the first quarter of this year. 17 Apr 2013 08:05

Sasol sells Tosas to Raubex

[Mark Allix] Listed road construction and rehabilitation group Raubex has bought Tosas‚ a manufacturer of bituminous products‚ from Sasol Oil for R120m in cash. 16 Apr 2013 11:03

Manufacturing confidence up four points

Confidence in the manufacturing sector gained four index points to 42 in the first quarter of this year according to the Bureau for Economic Research's (BER's) latest manufacturing survey‚ released on Monday‚ (15 April). This was the third consecutive increase in confidence levels. 16 Apr 2013 09:07

High demand for new hotels in Africa

[Nick Hedley] The Rezidor Hotel Group, whose brands include Regent, Hotel Missoni, Radisson Blu and Park Inn, intends to increase its presence in SA and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa as part of its focus on high-growth emerging economies. 12 Apr 2013 08:21