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Mining and energy could prove a dynamic pairing

Kolomela mine is receiving R7-billion to extend the life-of-mine. Credit: Anglo American

Green hydrogen is hydrogen created using renewable resources, and the Northern Cape has those in abundance. The Northern Cape Green Hydrogen strategy was announced in 2021 at COP26. A Northern Cape Green Hydrogen Symposium was held in 2022 and Sasol is in the process of conducting a pre-feasibility study on hydrogen for the province. Any developments in that sphere will be linked with, and give a boost to, the Boegoebaai Harbour project.

The National Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, in collaboration with the Northern Cape Provincial Government, hosted the Northern Cape Mining and Minerals Investment Conference in March 2022 in Kimberley. The department’s stated goal is that all South Africans should derive sustainable benefit from the country’s resources. The province’s considerable mineral wealth was outlined to potential investors and plans for infrastructure development (such as industrial parks and Special Economic Zones) were highlighted.

The Kathu Industrial Park is particularly well placed to support the mining sector as it is close to the Postmasburg-Hotazel iron-ore/manganese belt (or Gamagara Mining Corridor) and is easily accessible from the N14 highway. The Namakwa SEZ in Aggeneys is being envisioned as an industrial cluster for mining and agriculture services, beneficiation and manufacturing.

Other topics covered at the conference included spending on Social Labour Plans (SLP), enterprise support and localisation of procurement, a description of the current and future investment environment for junior and emerging miners, and development funding and infrastructure to enable mining.

The biggest new mine in the country is a zinc mine at Aggeneys, the Gamsberg project of Vedanta Zinc International, which will deliver 600 000 tons of zinc when phase three is complete. The provincial government is using the mine’s location (and possible future smelter) as the basis for a new Namakwa Special Economic Zone. The SEZ forms part of a larger “multi-nodal” corridor envisaged for the province.

An old zinc mine that produced a million tons of zinc and 430 000 tons of copper before it closed in 1991 is to be revived by Australian miner Orion Minerals. A bankable feasibility study has been completed and it confirmed earlier positive findings. Another company exploring the potential of the Northern Cape as a source of high-quality base metals is SHiP Copper.

Mining assets

The Northern Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism’s “Economic and Investment Profile” reports that the province is responsible for:

  • 95% of South Africa’s diamond output
  • 97.6% of alluvial diamond mining
  • 13.4% of world lead exports. Aggeneys, in the Namaqualand district, is responsible for approximately 93% of South Africa’s lead production.
  • 80% of the world’s manganese resource
  • 25% of the manganese used in the world
  • 100% of South Africa’s tiger’s eye
  • Largest national production of sugilite (a semi-precious stone).

Away from the underground kimberlite pipes and fissures, river and coastal deposits of diamonds are also present in the Northern Cape. Diamonds have been recovered along the Orange, Buffels, Spoeg, Horees, Groen, Doom and Swart rivers in the province, while coastal deposits have been found from the mouth of the Orange River to Lamberts Bay.

News

Big Tree Copper has plans to list on one of South Africa’s stock exchanges. The company, which rebranded from the name Cape Copper Oxide Company, had to delay its planned 2021 listing because the licence of the ZARX exchange was suspended on liquidity concerns. The company intends to produce 2 000 tons per year of high purity copper plate from the retreatment of waste ore dumps.

Ntsimbintle Holdings, a broad-based black empowerment investment company, has spent R1.3-billion to raise its stake in Jupiter Mines to 19.9%. The Tshipi Borwa manganese mine (majority-owned by Ntsimbintle Mining, with Jupiter a 49.9% shareholder) is an open-cast mine that is not only the largest single manganese mine and exporter from South Africa but is also one of the five largest manganese ore exporters in the world.

Ntsimbintle consistently pays out good dividends to a variety of community groups and trusts. As of mid-2021, a total of R3.2-billion had been paid out.

A subsidiary of Menar is developing a new manganese mine at Hotazel. Named the East Manganese mine project, the subsidiary, Sitatunga Manganese, expects to run for three years. The life of the Kolomela mine will be extended via a R7-billion expansion project that includes the development of a new pit. Kumba Iron Ore expects the new section to produce ore in 2024.

Afrimat continues to expand its commodities portfolio with the purchase for R300-million of Coza Mining, an iron-ore mining company in the Northern Cape. The Afrimat transaction includes the share previously held by ArcelorMittal SA, which will receive iron ore from Coza in terms of a supply agreement. Coza’s three mines, Doornpan, Driehoek and Jenkins, are close to Afrimat’s exisiting Demineng Mine, which is south-west of Kuruman.

The global market for base metals (which includes zinc and nickel) is in good shape because of trends in the energy and automotive markets and the fact that the global supply of copper is expected to decline.

Sector resources

Glencore partners with the NPA to hand over South Africa’s first built for purpose Thuthuzela Care Centre

Standing in front of the Thuthuzela Care Centre - Glencore representatives, MEC of Health Limpopo, Community Leaders, Department of Public Prosecutions.

Glencore Ferroalloys has invested R5,5 million as part of its efforts to deal with the growing scourge of gender-based violence in South African communities. The company joined forces with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the construction of the very first Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) built with brick and mortar in Limpopo Province, and which will offer victims of abuse all the required services and assistance they need in one fully fledged facility.

Thuthuzela Care Centres are facilities that have been introduced as a critical part of the country’s anti-rape strategy with the aim to reduce secondary victimisation and to build a case file ready for successful prosecution. Whereas in the past, victims had to visit several other facilities to access additional support such as opening a case, or getting access to trained health care professionals, the new Dilokong Thuthuzela Care Centre is set to be the blueprint for future Thuthuzela Care centres as it will cater to a victim’s every need, in one place.

“The resilience and unrelenting efforts of the National Prosecuting Authority in the fight against GBV inspired us to partner with them because this is something that is very important to us as an organisation as well. It is indeed an honour to be here today to officially hand over the fully equipped Dilokong Thuthuzela Care and it is our desire for it to become a beacon of hope, care, comfort, safety and security for victims of GBV,” said Japie Fullard, Glencore Ferroalloys, Chief Executive Officer.

The Premier of Limpopo Honourable Chupu Stanley Mathabatha, Limpopo MEC of Health Dr Phophi Ramathuba, MEC of Social Development Namane Masemola, NPA officials Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Rodney de Kock, Special Director of Public Prosecutions Sexual Offenses and Community Affairs Advocate Bonnie Currie-Gamwo, Director for Public Prosecutions Limpopo Division Advocate Ivy Thenga, South African Police Services led by Provincial Commissioner Major General Manala, Limpopo Department of Health, Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality, Cllr Mathebe, Mayor of Tubatse Fetakgomo Local Municipality, Cllr Maila, Kgoshi Maroga, Kgoshigadi Riba and Kgoshigadi Phasha, joined Glencore Ferroalloys executives to celebrate the momentous handover occasion of the new Dilokong TCC from Glencore Ferroalloys to the Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Rodney de Kock.

To ensure that the centre meets all the required standards to effectively support victims of abuse in need of help, Glencore partnered with the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the NPA, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development, and the South African Police Services. This forms part of the mining giant’s resolve to help government address some of the major socio-economic issues facing the communities around its operations.

Japie Fullard said that apart from the R5,5 million investment made in the construction of the Dilokong TCC, Glencore already upgraded other TCCs in the North-West and Mpumalanga Provinces. He added that this is to ensure that the TCCs are better equipped to support victims of GBV.

“We will continue to raise awareness on the hyperendemic, since we recognise the plight of victims of GBV within the communities around us. Strategic partnerships between government and the private sector enable fulfilling the objectives outlined in the pillars of the National Strategic Plan on GBV.  We call on members of the Ga-Maroga and surrounding communities to make full use of the services available at this first-of-its-kind centre. Together we can and we will continue this fight against GBV,” said Fullard.

Handing over of Keys, Glencore CEO Japie Fullard, Community Affairs Advocate Bonnie Currie-Gamwo and Director for Public Prosecutions Limpopo Division Advocate Ivy Thenga.

The Dilokong Thuthezela Care Centre will offer victims of abuse the following services:
  • Caring reception and comfort from a site co-coordinator or nurse.
  • An explanation of how the medical examination will be conducted and what clothing might be taken as evidence.
  • A consent form to sign that allows the doctor to conduct the medical examination.
  • A nurse in the examination room.
  • After the medical examination, there are bath or shower facilities for victim use.
  • An investigation officer will interview the survivor and take his/her statement.
  • A social worker or nurse will offer counselling.
  • A nurse arranges for follow-up visits, treatment and medication for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS.
  • A referral letter or appointment will be made for long-term counselling.
  • The victim (survivor) is offered transportation home by an ambulance or the investigating officer.
  • Arrangements for the survivor to go to a place of safety, if necessary.
  • Consultations with a specialist prosecutor before the case goes to court.
  • Court preparation by a victim assistant officer.
  • An explanation of the outcome and an update on the trial process by a case manager.

The Premier of Limpopo Honourable Chupu Stanley Mathabatha, gave the keynote address and thanked Glencore for initiating the strategic partnerships and attending to the needs of the Ga-Maroga community members.

“As government, we appreciate the support and partnership with Glencore in the fight against GBV, for there is no doubt that violence against women and children remains a pandemic of unequal proportions in our society. For as long as we still have GBV, we are not free as a country because GBV impacts all of us. It is our task as individuals to become activists and fight this war together. Through this partnership, Glencore has shown responsible corporate social investment, and we believe that together we can achieve much more,” concluded Mathabatha.

The new Dilokong Thuthuzela Care Centre will be opened to service community members from 22 November 2022.

Hope is the key message for 2023

Alan Mukoki, SACCI CEO

As we approach year-end in what has been another year of unexpected events, we return to the much-anticipated and longed-for event of the year in the business community, the annual SACCI Convention and Gala Dinner.

It is especially pleasing after two years of Covid lockdown when we were unable to host this event. The standards expected from members and stakeholders hav always been at the top of the chain and the small group of personnel who pulls this off are expected to rise to the challenge, and we can expect nothing less in 2022.

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) has one of the longest track records in organised business with a 77-year history. Formalised in 1945, the institution has undergone change at various times which is reflective of a process that has kept SACCI relevant. Through its transformational process the standards of governance are arguably the highest in organised business. So, the 2022 Conference and Gala Dinner are at a confluence point when the country has once again been battered by external factors which have had a direct bearing on business and, indeed, society.

The war in Eastern Europe precipitated fuel price increases at a time when our economy was already vulnerable and struggling to grow. Our export markets were impacted, our domestic economy saw fuel, interest rates and general-goods prices rising rapidly and directly impacting on the general affordability of goods and services for the average person. In short, the country has gone through a rough year which has, more recently, been compounded by the severe load shedding and water shedding as the temperatures in the country rise to dangerous levels before summer has even arrived.

So, we are looking forward to an event which highlights the business perspective on the “new normal” going forward and how we see things entering the new year and beyond. This alone is intended to serve as a guiding light to the business community as to what we can expect.

From a new Small Business Growth Index that SACCI will be launching, together with UNISA’s Bureau of Market Research (BMIR), through to the new African Sovereign Ratings Agency, the programme promises to be one that will remain in our memories for some time to come. These are the highlights of what business can expect before the grand finale of the prestigious SACCI Gala Dinner.

As always, a mix of formalities from the black-tie affair, entertainment and high-profile speakers, we expect our keynote address to come from the His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, this is the high-class event that the business community expects from SACCI annually.

The event is traditionally attended by high-ranking government officials, captains of industry, ambassadors and diplomats and indeed, a wider spectrum of movers and shakers.

By the time this goes to press SACCI will have concluded the first part of its Convention where the Annual General Meeting will elect its new directors in accordance with the Companies Act Schedule I provisions. The new directors will also be announced at the Gala Dinner.

After a year of unusual happenings, SACCI intends to end the year on a more positive note with hope as the key message for 2023.   

Who is The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI)?

SACCI is the Republic of South Africa’s apex chamber of commerce, having been in existence for 77 years. We are a broadly-based representative national business body.

SACCI membership is divided into three categories: corporates, large multinationals and national companies, the majority of which are JSE-listed. The second tier of membership is national associations, which are the country’s industry-specific bodies. Finally, there are the chambers, which include town and city chambers across the country as well as a few township chambers. We also host the 20 000 or so SMMEs that are also members of SACCI through the chamber to which they are affiliated.

Our mission is to protect and promote the interests of business in all sectors and across all sizes of enterprise. SACCI is committed to forging closer relationships between organised business and government. Our vision is “To be the major voice of business in the policy, regulatory and legislative environment, business growth, locally and globally and improve the human condition.”

About SACCI

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its almost 50 constituent chambers is a lifeline for business people.

The voice of business

SACCI’s vision is to be the voice and preeminent business chamber organisation by offering superior value to its stakeholders. SACCI lobbies for and represents the collective interests, domestic and foreign, of South African businesses. Our mission is to effectively protect and promote the interests of business.

Lobbying and advocacy

We represent the business interests by influencing policy and legislative development and regulation. We engage government and legislatures or regulators in respect of certain of the regulations or pieces of legislation that we think would not be conducive for our business members or the economy in general or job creation. We are consulted in a lot of the policy that government looks at.

Membership

SACCI remains the most broadly-based representative national business body, not only in South Africa, but in Southern Africa, focusing primarily on national and international issues.

As the “Voice of Business” SACCI assists its members by preparing and submitting policy positions on business related issues to government: International Trade, Taxation, Economic Affairs, Labour and Company Wellness, Education and Training, Information Technology, SADC, NEPAD, Small Business, Transport and Regulatory Affairs. SACCI also interacts with many other agencies on business issues. During the year, SACCI holds various informative seminars and presentations using top Government and noteworthy speakers.

SACCI’s seven pillars
  • Inclusive Economic Growth and Employment Creation
  • Constructive Public and Private Stakeholder Engagement
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Infrastructure: “The 4 lines to Heaven”
  • Continental Development in Africa and the CFTA
  • Revenue Generation
  • Membership Rewards and Benefits

Contact SACCI

Adress: 33 Fricker Road, Illovo, Sandton
Tel: 011 446 3800 | Email: info@sacci.org.za | Website: https://sacci.org.za
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacciza | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SACCIza/

Join the Eastern Cape Provincial Investment Conference – live streaming now!

The Provincial Investment Conference is themed: Investment, a key lever for driving sustainable economic development, is bringing bring together investors from across globe to explore investment opportunities in the Eastern Cape.

The conference is currently being live streamed on the Eastern Cape Provincial Government YouTube Channel.
Join the conference on the live stream above!

Learn more about the event here: https://easterncapepic.co.za/

SACCI Annual Convention 2022

Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the Republic of South Africa.

The SACCI Annual Convention and Gala Dinner is the highlight of the South African business calendar where a range of issues of importance to the South African economy and business members is debated.

SACCI hosts around 500 delegates annually, representing business, government, labour and the diplomatic corps, and the Convention typically enjoys wide media coverage.

The Annual Convention consists of:
  1. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
    Meeting of all SACCI members where the new Board and Council is elected.
  2. Themed Conference
    A relevant theme is decided on early in the year and speakers are invited to address members in a two-hour session usually including a high-level address.
  3. Gala Dinner
    New members for the year and the newly-elected Board are announced and introduced to the rest of the membership and the conference programme is wrapped up with a Keynote Address.

This year’s conference is themed around the “New Normal” in the South African Economy. This normal is defined by a shift that has had to take place in order for the country to progress.

The Communications and Technology sector has, for a long time, been one of the pillars of growth for the country and the Coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to adopt a “new normal”, in which digital transformation is no longer an option, but a necessity. The pandemic has thus acted as a catalyst for digital transformation, with businesses across industries investing in communications and technology to enable remote work, collaboration and customer service.

This means a new way of thinking about how businesses operate and provide a platform for the rest of the country to thrive.

It is against this background that SACCI has brought business together to share their definition of a New Normal in the South African Economy, Communications and Technology which will play a critical role in enabling economic recovery and much-needed growth. This means a new way of thinking about how businesses operate and provide a platform for the rest of the country to thrive.

Our speakers include representatives from MultiChoice, African Bank and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). We will also have the Chief Executive of the newly-launched Sovereign Africa Ratings Agency, a new player that promises to give objective and scientific sovereign ratings to the world.

SACCI will also be launching South Africa’s first-ever Small Business Growth Index, an initiative that will be run by SACCI and UNISA’s Bureau of Market Research.

The Gala Dinner will be the closing event where SACCI will officially announce the new Board, welcome all new members that joined SACCI in 2022. His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the Republic of South Africa, has been invited to give the Key Note Address.

This Keynote Address will be introduced by the newly-appointed Gauteng Premier, Mr Panyaza Lesufi.
2022 SACCI Annual Convention.

  • Date: 24 November 2022
  • Venue: Emperors Palace, Kempton Park
  • Theme: Business defining the new normal: Economy, Communications and Technology
For more information, contact SACCI:

Adress: 33 Fricker Road, Illovo, Sandton
Tel: 011 446 3800 | Email: info@sacci.org.za | Website: https://sacci.org.za
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sacciza | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SACCIza/

Eastern Cape government delegation explores renewables

From the Left Mr. B. Dayimani - DRDAR, Mr. S. Lazarus -DEDEAT, HOD D. Majeke-OTP, Mr. I. Louw -Nordex SE SA, Mr. P. George – ECDC, Mr. W. Gela- Executive Mayor: Chris Hani District Municipality. At the Front Mr. Z. Maseti -Advisor: Premier (crouching), MEC N. Pieters-DRDAR (green shirt), Ms. N. Zonke – Mayor (Inxuba Yethemba LM), Adv. A. Mini - Chairperson of the Board: Chris Hani Development Agency, Mr. A. Hala- Acting CEO (Chris Hani Development Agency).

A delegation from the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, recently visited a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Germany to explore potential investment, especially focused on component manufacturing and assembling within this area of the country. The province is expected to house thousands of megawatts of renewable energy projects in the foreseeable future, which will attract sizable economic and socio benefits to this part of the country that boasts some of the world’s best wind and solar resources.

The Eastern Cape Province has world class wind resources, good quality solar resources, as well as optimal enabling conditions. It was therefore a high priority for the province to visit Nordex Energy SE (Germany), considering that Nordex Energy South Africa has five of its nine wind farms in this region. The visit was focused on discussing Nordex SE’s perspective on the renewable energy sector, identifying areas of support and chiefly to look at possible investments along the value chain focusing especially on component manufacturing and assembling within the province. The province is host to a pipeline of thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy projects at environmental impact assessment phase or having already received environmental authorisation.

The delegation further engaged with Nordex Energy South Africa (NESA) to unpack the value and economic opportunities of locally manufactured concrete towers, especially the associated local job opportunities.

One of the constraints that has been identified, is now under discussion, namely the transport of major components from the Port of Ngqura to wind farms in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape.

“The province is already an important hub for us, as we have a head office here as well as a warehouse, in addition to the numerous wind farms. We are invested long term and hence we are pleased to have had the chance to discuss constraints with these key stakeholders, who are charged with unlocking the associated benefits for the Eastern Cape,” concluded Innes Louw, Head of Operations at Nordex Energy South Africa.

Note:

Eastern Cape delegation:

  • MEC Ms. Nonkqubela Pieters – Department: Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR),
  • Mr. Bongikhaya Dayimani – Chief Operations Officer- DRDAR
  • Mr. Siyabulela Lazarus – Director Trade and Investment Promotion: DEDEAT
  • Mr. Daluhlanga Majeke – HOD: Provincial Treasury
  • Mr. Zamikhaya Maseti – Advisor: Premier
  • Ms. Noncedo Zonke – Mayor Inxuba Yethemba LM
  • Adv. Andile Mini – Chairperson of the Board: Chris Hani Development Agency
  • Mr. Abongile Hala – Acting CEO: Chris Hani Development Agency 
  • Mr. Phakamisa George – Senior Manager Export Promotion: Eastern Cape Development Corporation
  • Mr. Wongama Gela – Executive Mayor: Chris Hani District Municipality

Nordex Energy South Africa delegation:

  • Compton Saunders – MD Nordex Energy SA (joined via MS Teams)
  • Andre Gruendel – VP Global Logistics Sourcing
  • Tony Adams – Senior Expert Global Public Affairs (joined via MS Teams)
  • David Moncasi – Head of Sales Africa (joined via MS Teams)
  • Innes Louw – Head of Operations SA

Nordex Energy South Africa Ltd. (NESA), boasts a total installed capacity of more than 1 GW, making it the market leader with 32% market share on the total installed wind capacity in South Africa. By Q1 2022 NESA would have built and will be operating (O&M) nine wind farms (1.1 GW) in the country, under the REIPPP Programme.

The Nordex Group focuses on development, manufacturing, project management and servicing of onshore wind turbines and this has been the core competence and passion of the Nordex Group and its more than 8,500 employees worldwide for 35 years. With the acquisition of Acciona Windpower in 2016, the Nordex Group has become a global player and one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers.

The Eastern Cape Government to host a Provincial Investment Conference: 16 November 2022

Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane is expected to further expand on government’s outlook on the provincial Economic Recovery Plan, when the Eastern Cape Provincial Government (ECPG), together with its social partners converge on the port city of East London in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM), for a two-day investment conference on 16 November 2022.

The conference, themed Investment, a key lever for driving sustainable economic development, will bring together investors from across globe to explore investment opportunities in the Eastern Cape. Speaking ahead of the much anticipated, Eastern Cape Premier, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said government was seeking “to harness the work of the current investors for the existing opportunities in the province and to mobilise resources for new investments into the provincial economy”.

RSVP to register your interest in attending the conference

The Conference is expected to afford the Eastern Cape province an opportunity to align earmarked investments with public sector economy stimulation programmes to bolster the transformation of the economy and advance inclusive growth. With the province facing the highest rate of unemployment, the provincial government is looking at harvesting all possible benefits towards job creation and equitable economic development of the province.

The Conference is also anticipated to “bring to the fore” district and local level investment opportunities with the two Eastern Cape metropolitan and six district municipalities geared to showcase their investment projects. The provincial government hopes to see this event catalysing new investments to address under-investment in some regions of the province and strengthen sectoral investment linkages to improve the provincial investment projects pipeline.

Premier Mabuyane said, “the Eastern Cape province will continue to press for large scale economic infrastructure investments in the province as these will help in stimulating economic growth and employment creation.” The Premier further said that the province is in the process of establishing a provincial investment council (PIC) whose membership shall incorporate industry, large corporates, established business chamber representatives and CEOs of the provincial state entities. This structure, which is to be chaired by the Premier is intended at improving the interface and coordination between government and industry players on trade and investment matters.

The Premier Mabuyane has also expressed his wish to see broad based participation at the coming conference with local government in general and the small, micro and medium enterprise (SMME) community joining to explore business and investment opportunities.

The conference shall coincide with the launch of the Invest SA One Stop Shop facility which was recently established through a partnership between the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), is an innovation implemented to cut-off red tape in investor enquiries, landing, on-boarding and local operations. This facility shall provide support on matters such as business permits, municipal interface, local trade compliance requirements, and access to business support infrastructure.

The Eastern Cape invites delegates to register their interest to attend the conference here: https://easterncapepic.co.za

The event will be held as follows:
  • Venue: International Convention Centre, East London
  • Date: 16 November
  • Issued by: Provincial Communication Services – Eastern Cape 
  • Enquiries:
    • Khuselwa Rantjie
      General Manager: Provincial Communication Service / Spokesperson to the Premier & Government 
      khuselwa.rantjie@ecotp.gov.za
    • Sonwabo Mbananga
      Director: Media Relations & Media Productions
      sonwabo.mbananga@ecotp.gov.za
Save your seat now, and RSVP to attend the event:
RSVP

International money transfers from South Africa: A guide

Sending money overseas is still a costly endeavour in South Africa. In fact, it’s similar all over the world, because most countries share banking systems and have similar systems. To make matters worse, though, many western companies treat the ZAR as an exotic currency, whilst only a few treat it as a major one. This leads to higher costs.

We can view a typical bank’s fees when you send money from South Africa to UK, USA, and the Netherlands. There’s a commission fee, which is often a couple of percent of the total amount you send, a SWIFT fee, and a beneficiary bank fee (or you can pay for it yourself, instead of the recipient). Though, a major fee that often doesn’t get talked about is the exchange rate.

Anywhere quoting an exchange rate that is worse than the perfect, mid-market rate is a fee. They may call it a spread, margin, or not even refer to it at all – but it exists. It’s often around 1% to 4% of the transfer amount that is lost in a poor exchange rate, plus the above commissions. This can cost several thousands of rand for a 1 million rand transfer.

To make matters worse, there are not too many companies that are licensed to operate from South Africa in regard to FX and remittance. This stifled competition invariably leads to higher costs, too.

Money inflow to South Africa increases

As we can see from various sources of data, immigration into South Africa has risen drastically. Opportunities have risen, crime has been dropping, and outsiders can get more ZAR for their buck due to a debasing of the currency.

Inevitably, this all leads to a lot of money flowing into the country. Now, the data for South African emigration out of the country is vast too, but ultimately dealing with currency is an ever-growing topic of discussion in the country.

The majority of South African immigrants are from nearby countries, like Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Kenya. However, because of the colonial histories, Dutch and British connections mean that these are important locations for international money transfer companies. Transferring money from South Africa to USA is always going to be a popular route too, given the size of the US economy.

Top 3 money transfer companies

As mentioned earlier, banks are perhaps the most expensive way to transfer money from South Africa to USA, UK, and so on. Instead, the best outbound money transfers from South Africa tend to be with international money transfer companies. These offer the best ZAR rates, the lowest commissions, and can generally deliver the money much faster.

So with that in mind, below are the 3 best international money transfer companies for South African residents.

Currencies Direct

Currencies Direct is a British-based money transfer company that facilitates overseas transfers both over the phone with a direct dealer and on the mobile application. Currencies Direct is aimed at sophisticated and large transfers, with complex hedging and business FX also being available.

But despite this, it’s ideal for the average South African or immigrant to exchange their salary or send it overseas. It can be simple to use, it’s highly credible, and it has some of the best ZAR rates around.

This is the all-rounder option, but the one thing you cannot use it for is daily small spending. There’s no spending card and there’s a minimum transfer amount of $/£/€ 100.

WorldRemit

WorldRemit, on the other hand, is highly geared towards immigrants and has a minimum transfer equivalent to £1. Furthermore, there are 130 countries included in their ecosystem with decent coverage of Africa.

There is no phone support, meaning that it’s more app-focused. Whilst Currencies Direct might be used for hedging and large, complex transfers, WorldRemit will suffice for cheap transfers with transparent quotes. Furthermore, there are also cash pick-up options available, making it a good Western Union alternative.

In summary, WorldRemit is a highly credible and safe option that is ideal for small-to-medium transfers in and out of South Africa.

Sable International

Sable International is the odd one out on this list in regards to it being a much smaller company. However, Sable has a specific South African focus, with offices in both the UK and Australia.

Sable is used to dealing with ZAR, and with payments of over £2,000, there is no fixed fee. The online payment portal is fairly easy to use and it’s fast, licensed, and has an over-the-phone option too.

It’s perhaps more geared towards professionals and investors, with hedging tools and a favorability for large transfers. Smaller transfers incur a fixed fee.

 

Glencore Coal invests over R100 000 to prevent avoidable blindness ahead of Eye Care Awareness Month

Eye Care Awareness Month is commemorated from 21 September to 18 October to raise awareness about the importance of eye health, specifically around the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness.

50% of blindness is estimated to be caused by cataract, affecting an estimated 170,000 people in South Africa. Cataract is known as the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye and forms when protein builds up in the lens of one’s eye and makes it cloudy. This keeps light from passing through clearly and can cause the affected party to lose some of their eyesight, thus negatively affecting their quality of life.

“We weren’t aware of just how prevalent the issue of blindness caused by cataract in our communities was, but once we had sight of the numbers, it became incredibly important for us to get involved and help out,” said Glencore’s Community Development Specialist, Mapule Mokoena.

According to the South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB), the Nkangala district in Mpumalanga has a high prevalence of cataracts and very few eye care activities due to inadequate resources in the district. This means that close to 6000 people have avoidable blindness in these communities as caused by cataract.

This was the unfortunate case for self-employed Carpenter, Gideon Mola before he received the much needed surgery through Glencore’s support.

“My vision has always been misty to the point where I couldn’t even see properly at school. The last time I had my eyes tested was three years ago and my eyes had gotten much worse at that point. Life was getting more difficult as I couldn’t work productively and this was affecting my ability to making a living. Now that I have had the surgery, I am confident that my life will improve significantly. I’m excited to look at the world with fresh new eyes.” he said.

To better understand just how much support was needed, Glencore partnered with the SANCB to identify community members in need of the surgery. The two companies commenced a Witbank Hospital tour where more than 30 patients were screened and 22 underwent cataract surgery with the help of the hospital surgeons, Dr Mthethwa and Dr Sebogodi.

“What has been done through this incredible partnership has enabled us to slowly change the statistics of people needing cataract operations in the district. This means providing direct eye care service to our community members who do not have access to eye care services. We are happy to have played our part in reducing the prevalence of avoidable blindness in our communities.,” said Glencore’s Community Development Specialist, Mapule Mokoena.

Through the partnership, the mining operation aims to provide comprehensive eye care to community members as this is an essential part of the global action plan which is to meet the eye care needs of marginalized communities in the country.

“The success of such a project is based on the partnerships that the South African National Council for the Blind has, as no organisation can successfully implement the programme on its own. This is also why we partnered with Glencore Coal. When we first approached Glencore, they were eager to jump on board based on their commitment to improving the lives of their communities. Their response gave us the encouragement we needed as we also want to improve people’s quality of life” said SANCB Manager, Angelina Khupe.

You may suffer from cataract if you note these signs and symptoms; clouded, blurred or dim vision, increasing difficulty with vision at night, sensitivity to light and glare, need for brighter light for reading and other activities, seeing “halos” around lights to name but a few.

Computer donation from Air Products provides new opportunities for learners

Key individuals from Air Products and the Child Academy Programmes Combined School at the opening of the school’s Computer Lab.

As a key strategic objective, Air Products South Africa strive to make a difference in the lives of the youth, and they once again managed to achieve this with their recent donation of more than 20 computers to the Child Academy Programmes Combined School in Tembisa, Gauteng for their Computer Lab.

Arthi Govender, Chairperson of the CSI Committee, explains that the company donated computers to various schools over the past years with the aim of exposing learners to the world of technology and providing them with access to computers which they can use to master the basic computer skills.

According to Govender, the ‘digital divide’ which highlights the difference between those who have access to technology and the internet and those who do not, is increasing and a concerted effort should be made to try and level this playing field. It is important to eradicate this divide among the youth specifically, and to provide them all with equal access to technology.

“We visit schools across all provinces in South Africa and there is a dire need for computers in many of the public schools. Most of the public schools we have visited in the past are hardly equipped with sufficient supplies for educational purposes, let alone computers, which are considered as a ‘luxury’. We trust that by continuing to donate computers, we will enable learners to gain skills and not lag behind their peers.”

Govender concludes by commenting that a basic knowledge of computers is important to Air Products as it is a necessary skill which learners would need when they enter the workplace. “We view these computer donations as providing learners with life-changing skills and hope for the future.”

For more information on Air Products, visit www.airproducts.co.za

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