Editor’s take: Business and Government Partnership Phase 2 – light at the end of the tunnel?
The optimistic sentiment following the launch of Phase 2 of Business and Government Partnership by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this month, was carried through to the 12th edition of Joburg Indaba, with participants and speakers alike buoyed and amped to move the dial to action. Phase 2 follows on the successful implementation of Phase 1, which was launched in 2023, where organised business (comprising about 150 CEOs) pledged its support to the government, offering expertise and capital to help fix the country’s problems in three key areas: electricity, transport and logistics, and crime and corruption. Phase 2 of the government and business partnership, which chases stretch goals for 3% GDP growth, aims to enhance long-term energy security by maintaining an energy availability factor above 64%, unlocking R23 billion in private investment, boosting renewable capacity to 4GW, and constructing 1 000 km of new transmission lines as well as adding a million new jobs to the economy through growth by 2025.
On the cover
Babcock delivers large Volvo A60H and EC950 order
In a massive fleet replacement programme, a major mining contractor is taking delivery of a large fleet of Volvo A60H articulated dump trucks (ADTs) and Volvo EC950E excavators. One of the first customers to purchase the A60H and the EC950 combination in South Africa, the client’s buying decision has been reinforced by the reliability, productivity and efficiency of the machines. Following their southern African launch in 2017, both the 55-tonne (t) Volvo A60H, the biggest fully articulated hauler in the world, and its capable loading tool, the 90-t EC950E, the largest crawler excavator in the Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) stable, have enjoyed great success in the region.
Lithium’s shrinking market explained
Things are getting tough for the world’s lithium miners. In just 18 months, prices of their 1mtpa global commodity trade have utterly collapsed. Down by over 80% in 2023-24, lithium’s various product prices (hydroxide, carbonate) are now marking out unstable, low volatility US$10k/t-floors. “We know that these prices have moved below our estimate of the global industry’s marginal cost of production (US$15k/t LCE) – because the miners are now cutting loss-making production capacity.”
Bara Consulting upbeat going into 2025
Underscored by strong demand for gold and copper is the emergence of junior miners in these commodity spaces in South Africa, the likes of whom include West Wits, Copper 360 and Orion Minerals – all of which is good news for the industry and consulting engineers, such as Bara Consulting, which is targeting robust growth in the next few years, says MD Etienne de Villiers.
Kayelekera uranium targets production in 2025
Hot on the heels of signing a Mine Development Agreement with the Government of Malawi in July, ASX-listed Lotus Resources strengthened its commercial and technical team tasked to accelerate the restart of the Kayelekera project, Executive Director Grant Davey, said in a webinar recently. The company plans to have the Kayelekera project up and running and in production by next year.
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