With five more weekly newsletters to go, and just a few more sleeps until you find yourself pushing and shoving in a crowded shopping mall searching for that one last gift, the news flow is yet to slow! All
26 of our industry newsletters are jam-packed with what's what with the who's who.
The annual
Checkers/Shoprite Toy 4 Toy campaign launched this week, so if you have any new or used toys laying about that little Susie's outgrown, why not donate them to a less fortunate child. The campaign runs until early December.
After Randall Abrahams handed over the SAMA CEO baton to Nlanhla Sibisi, the
2013 MTN South African Music Awards is now open for entries. Look out for a few category changes here and there, and have your entries in by 30 November 2012. As my father recites whenever buying his
tata ma chance ticket, you have to be in it, to win it...
Still on the topic of winning, well done to the KZN-based African Centre for Crop Improvement for
scoring its first award! Conferred by A Green Revolution for Africa for "exceptional contributions to food security in Africa", the ACCI received its award from Nobel peace prize laureate Kofi Annan.
Lastly, in an endeavour to keep our coasts clean and our marine life protected, the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape coasts will soon have
bins in which fishermen can discard broken or used line. The project, successfully implemented along the Overberg's Gansbaai shoreline, uses PVC pipe as bins for fishing line. According to John Kieser, sustainability manager of Plastics|SA, the project has received plenty of support from the public and fishermen have also welcomed the initiative. Well done to all involved!
Sindy Peters: Group Head, Content
Submit your company news to
buildingconstructionnews@bizcommunity.com. Exclusive contributions may be sent to
contributors-buildingconstruction@bizcommunity.com.
Solar Novus Today reports that Soitec - a leader in the generation and manufacturing of semiconductor materials for the electronic and energy industries, announced it has signed a power purchase agreement covering electricity generated in South Africa's Touwsrivier power plant. Soitec submitted its proposal in response to the South African Ministry of Energy's December 2011 call for projects from independent power producers (IPPs). 
Business Excellence reports that global engineering and construction company Kentz Pty has been awarded a R387m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the 75MWp Kalkbult solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the Northern Cape. This is a key component of Phase 1 of the South African Department of Energy's 3,725MW renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) procurement program. 
According to ESI-Africa, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has received Eskom's application for the Third Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD 3) for the period 2013/14 to 2017/18. Eskom has applied for an average increase of 16% per year from 2013/14 to 2017/18. The utility is proposing a five-year price determination, running from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2018, in contrast to MYPD 1 and MYPD 2, both of which spanned three years. 
Gold Fields and the University of the Witwatersrand officially opened the Gold Fields Engineering Library at the Wits Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment recently, and intends to make a major contribution towards the alleviation of skills shortages in the South Africa mining sector. 
Before the end of the year, one of seven international bidders will be awarded the most lucrative rail contract currently available in the world. 
Energy Minister Dipuo Peters announced on 5 November 2012 that the Department of Energy had worked closely with the 28 preferred bidders of Round 1 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme and that financial close had been attained. 
T-Systems in South Africa is proud to announce that it has officially joined 49M, South Africa's number one energy efficiency campaign. The partnership agreement was signed on 6 November at T-Systems' Smart Energy Conference in Johannesburg. 
The long history of excellence in sectors such as mining, resource extraction and maritime services in the most developed economy in sub-Saharan Africa is well documented, and One Eighty Engineering Solutions' is an established industry leader in materials and metallurgical expertise. The opening of One Eighty's new materials testing centre will provide specialised services locally, Business Excellence says. 
These days, lighthouses no longer have the sole purpose of guiding sailors safely. Rather they have become tourist attractions for visitors to South Africa's coastal regions. As a result a piece of the country's history is shared with the world, jobs are created and funds generated contribute to the tourism industry and thereby the economy. 
Goindustry Dovebid South Africa (go-dove.com) will hold its seventh multi-vendor online auction of construction and mining equipment. The auction is scheduled to close on October 31. 
