In the address to the nation on Saturday, 15 August 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa would move to lockdown level 2 from Monday, 17 August 2020. The decision, he said, was in light of the steadily declining number of Covid-19 infections.
This is positive news for the country and for the local manufacturing industry. In order to give the industry time to recover and allowing for this positive move, moving LME to the fourth quarter of 2021 will entrance participation at the exhibition.
“In consultation with the local manufacturing industry and our partners, we are confident that postponing the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo will ensure a successful and safe delivery of the event. We look forward to coming together for LME in October 2021, stronger than ever and ensuring an excellent experience and ROI for our entire manufacturing community,” said Charlene Hefer, Event Director, Specialised Exhibitions, a division of the Montgomery Group.
The South African Capital Equipment Export Council, the conceptual partner, fully backs up the decision. “We expressly welcome that Specialised Exhibitions was courageous enough to take this step, which is entirely in the interest of the local manufacturing industry,” says Eric Bruggeman, Chairman of the SACEEC board. During this period, we will be gathering extensive insight from the local manufacturing community, together with our partner SACEEC, to upgrade our content platform, the free-to-attend seminars.
This platform brings together various communities for perspective and discussion on issues affecting the manufacturing industry, challenges and ensuring future sustainability. This three-day live event will be upgraded into a virtual experience that will kick off with a powerful keynote address and provide timely content and education sessions.
Additionally, the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo together with its partner, The South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC), will once again host the Exporter of the Year Awards.
“While we believe in the power of face-to-face events and what they deliver, our focus is on evolving our offerings to what our customers need now and in the future and how we can deliver the experience to best meet those needs. After speaking to our customers and working on a variety of opportunities to meet the needs of the manufacturing industry, we are pleased to provide value to this community,” said Hefer.
The Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo will once again offer peer-to-peer networking, vendor product and service demonstrations and matchmaking assistance between decisionmakers and sellers.
The LME team will continue to be in touch with all attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors to answer any questions. There will be further communication to these groups over the coming days and weeks to facilitate a smooth transition.
The Thuthukani Special School in Empangeni received sanitiser and face shields as part of the Covid-19 relief donations.
Air Products prides itself in the innovative work they do in the communities in which they operate through their corporate social investment (CSI) efforts. The projects are strategically focused on the youth and education and are all structured according to a specific framework.
However, in times like these, as we face the global Covid-19 pandemic, Air Products did not hesitate to allocate funds for Covid-19 related projects.
According to Arthi Govender, Chairperson of the CSI Committee, they have already made annual financial donations to organisations such as Nazareth Care House, Community Chest in KZN and the Western Cape, Hospice in Rustenburg, Empilweni Drop In Centre and Cotlands in the wake of the pandemic. “The funds of most of these organisations are already thinly spread, and the added costs of acquiring PPE, sanitisers and other protective goods are really leaving most in a dire situation – we are pleased that we have made these much needed donations early in the year to assist with preventing the spread of the coronavirus.”
Reaching out and creating innovative solutions at schools, preventing the spread of Covid-19
Air Products strives to make a difference, not only when it comes to service delivery, but also in other instances, such as providing support to their surrounding communities.
The most recent examples of such projects are the hand wash stations built at primary and secondary schools. Govender comments on these bays: “The CSI Committee approved funds to install hand wash stations as we realised that we could play a role to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at these schools by providing proper facilities.
Hand wash stations were recently erected at schools in Alexandra, Tembisa, Vanderbijlpark and Rustenburg.
The stations consist of concrete basins and taps with refillable wall mounted soap dispensers. We have completed seven bays at the Kwabhekilanga Secondary School in Alexandra, six at the Seotloana Primary School in Tembisa, seven at the Lebohang Secondary School in Vanderbijlpark and three bays at different schools in Rustenburg.
This project is sustainable and will benefit the learners and the school during the current crisis and for many years to follow as it ensures that water is easily accessible and encourages hydration and proper hygiene.”
Air Products launched the WitnessHappiness project more than three years ago where they provide assistance to early childhood development (ECD) centres at a national level for a period of three years. Through this award-winning project, commitment is made and a relationship built with a centre which is selected by the employees from the different facilities. They are supported with different donations over time, from education to personal care items. As the centres could not be visited for Mandela Day, donations were made based on their needs. The majority were supplied with Covid-19 relief items that they can use to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the centres. They received items such as face shields and sanitisers and mattresses to ensure social distancing during nap time.
Govender further explains that they were overwhelmed with requests from non-profit organisations since the start of the pandemic in March. “In order to assist in stopping the spread of Covid-19, we have reallocated funds in an effort to help more organisations. One example of such a donation was to the Government’s national Solidarity Fund which was established by the President.”
Govender concludes: “When President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of national diaster in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and called for assistance to combat the spread, we reacted swiftly and found innovative ways in which we can provide assistance. At Air Products, we believe nothing is more important than safety at our facilities, and with this pandemic we are ensuring that we assist where we can to make this ethos a reality beyond our operations.”
At the most basic level, we assess that how and what we observe, will directly impact what we do and that will influence the results we get. Ontologically speaking, we can assume that we can change our results by changing the way we do things. Also referred to as the systems and processes, in the normal run of the business, we will typically change structure, process, remuneration, technology and people, to name a few.
The challenge is, however, if we are still observing the world from a mindset that is not conducive for growth, our results will most probably not change, leading that most change initiatives fail.
As managers and leaders, it is essential to observe how our employees and we observe, as we as a collective will influence the results we get.
The following questions arise:
How can we change the way we and our employees observe the world?
How can we change the way we and our employees respond to change?
What influence the way we observe the world?
How do we stay engaged as a team?
How do we collaborate as a team for sustainable results?
How do we unlearn and learn to adapt to changing circumstances?
How do we then change the way we observe?
How we observe is also referred to as our way of being in ontology. Our way of being is formed by our moods, language and our somatic (body). This phenomenon is depicted in the following diagram:
As leaders and managers, we are in constant conversations, with ourselves, teams, and employees. We are listening. How present are we when listening? We are making assessments and assertions of the world, employee and company performance, challenges, and opportunities. How grounded are these assessments? How are ungrounded assessments influencing our results?
What is our general mood, as our mood is the pre-disposition for the action we take? Are we living in a mood of resentment, resignation, anxiety, and industrious busyness? Are we living in a mood of ambition, wonder and being in the zone of learning, creating and productivity? What is the energy that we embody and engage with life?
To influence the results we get, start by observing (seeing) our own and our employees’ way of being, and influencing these moods by the quality of conversations, or will we say the quality of the coaching conversations we have.
Coaching for Managers
The Business School at the University of the Free State, offers a 12 week online short learning programme, namely Coaching for Managers, supported by webinars to ensure that you will gain skills and tools to enable you to engage in coaching conversations and observe differently.
Ready to be a learner, gain some new coaching skills and stop for momentum to observe your way of being?
The mining sector continues to invest in projects in Limpopo. (Image: Implats)
The Limpopo tourism sector received a boost in February 2020 when the Armed Forces Day was held in and around Polokwane, the provincial capital. Fully booked signs went up from Mokopane to Haenertsburg and tourism operators had reason to expect a bumper year ahead.
Then on 5 March, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases announced that the first case of Covid-19 had been reported in South Africa. Any hopes of maintaining the positive increase in visitor numbers recorded in recent years had to be put aside and the focus was on saving lives. In 2018 Limpopo received 2.2-million international visitors in addition to 1.1-million domestic travellers.
Last year’s regional overview referred to the sector’s “almost limitless potential” but most of that will have to wait until the global pandemic is under control. Nearly eight-million international tourists visited the province between 2014 and 2018 and more than 27-million South Africans visited some part of Limpopo in the same period.
The combined land area of Limpopo’s national, provincial and private game and nature reserves is 3.6-million hectares. It is possible that these reserves will be able to receive visitors before other parts of the tourism sector are opened up so there is the possibility of some relief from that quarter. According to the Premier’s office, the tourism sector employed about 22 400 people in 2018.
The absence of travellers in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic is obviously going to have a big impact on the Limpopo economy. Fortunately, the province’s other two big economic sectors, mining and agriculture, are strong and both of these sectors are the focus of public and private investment.
Agricultural infrastructure upgrades
The provincial government is putting considerable resources into agricultural infrastructure. This includes upgrading old irrigation schemes and building new ones, building a packhouse, investing in processing equipment at a tomato paste factory and constructing and supplying Farmer Production Support Units around the province.
These all constitute attempts to bring small-scale farmers into the value chain at a point where more money can be made. Limpopo is home to some of South Africa’s largest commercial agricultural enterprises who are drawn to the fertile and varied soils that the province has to offer. This is one of the reasons why Limpopo punches above its weight in exports.
Potatoes are grown, together with 75% of South Africa’s mangoes and tomatoes; papayas (65%); tea (36%); citrus, bananas and litchis (25%) and 60% of the country’s avocados. ZZ2 is one of the country’s largest agricultural companies. ZZ2 is most famous for the large quantity of tomatoes and avocados produced but its product range is also large: mangoes, onions, dates, cherries, apples, pears, stone fruit, almonds and blueberries.
Avocado packing factory in Limpopo. (Image: Westfalia)
Agri-processing is strong elsewhere, with Pioneer Foods, McCain, Granor Passi, Kanhym, Westfalia and Enterprise Foods all prominent, but this sector still has potential to grow.
The best performing subsector of South African exports in recent years has been fruit and nuts. Limpopo has been a major contributor to the country’s excellent export record: fruit and nuts from the province’s eastern regions are hugely popular in international markets and Limpopo’s commercial farmers are extremely efficient.
Investment encouraged
In July 2016 the national cabinet approved the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ). Located in the far north of Limpopo in the Vhembe region, the SEZ is strategically located near the border of Zimbabwe and on the Great North Road which links South Africa to the broader Southern African region.
The location promotes the Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative. Logistics will be one of the key focus areas of the SEZ. Soon after the announcement of the designation of the SEZ, the National Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) said that a consortium of Chinese investors, Sino, had agreed to operate the mineral beneficiation operations.
The initiative has already attracted other (local) investors in the form of Eco-Industrial Solutions (EIS), the private sector investor behind the Limpopo Eco-Industrial Park(LEIP). LEIP aims to be an integrated and industrial development comprising five major industrial components that sets new standards in sustainability. Set on 6 400 ha of land, the LEIP will include a nature reserve, two residential estates and schools.
Location of the Limpopo Eco-Industrial park (LEIP) in Limpopo Province, South Africa. (Source: LEIP)
Another SEZ is intended for Tubatse in eastern Limpopo. This project, together with an industrial park designed to promote and enhance opportunities related to the marula fruit and the revitalisation of industrial parks at Seshego and Nkowankowa, point to the centrality of clusters and concentrated land use in provincial economic planning.
LEDA, an agency of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET), is the primary driver of the provincial government’s drive to boost the economy through investment.
Two of the largest engineering projects in the history of South Africa have recently been undertaken in Limpopo: the Medupi power station (at Lephalale in the far west) and the De Hoop Dam (in the south-east).
The province is home to two universities, the University of Venda and the University of Limpopo, and seven Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The Turfloop Graduate School of Business is in Polokwane.
Mining investment
The mining sector continues to invest in projects in Limpopo. The province has huge reserves of coal, platinum, chromium, uranium clay, nickel, cobalt, vanadium, limestone and tin. Demand will always fluctuate, and the commodities cycle has recently been very volatile, but the world will always need minerals.
Limpopo’s assets include the largest diamond mine in South Africa (De Beers Venetia Mine), the biggest copper mine in South Africa (Palabora Mining Company), the biggest open-pit platinum mine in the country and the biggest vermiculite mine in the world.
The province has 41% of South Africa’s platinum group metals (PGMs), 90% of South Africa’s red-granite resources and approximately 50% of the country’s coal reserves. Antimony, a strategic mineral found in large quantities in China, is another of Limpopo’s major assets.
De Beers Venetia Mine – The Venetia Mine underground project bank area. The Venetia Underground project is currently sinking two vertical shafts to a depth in excess of 1,000 metres, and is on track for production to commence in 2021.
According to the State of the Province Address given by Premier Chupu Mathabatha in February 2020, mining employment decreased from 106 000 to 86 000 between the 4th quarter of 2018 and the 4th quarter of 2019. This situation was partially reversed in the early stages of 2020 as global demand for PGMs increased and prices rose.
The mining sector was less affected by shutdowns due to the pandemic than some other industries. The Premier further reported that the province would be receiving a total investment of R36.3-billion over the next five years from mining activity.
The Provincial Government is in the process of reassessing its industrial strategy, the main thrust of which involves strengthening the drive to promote clusters in the mining, agriculture and tourism sectors. The other strategic thrust of the planning initiative is to help prepare Limpopo to exploit new sectors such as renewable energy and the creative sector and to examine the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Geography
Limpopo covers about 10% of South Africa’s land mass and is home to about 10% of the country’s population. The 2011 census recorded 5.4-million residents. The main languages of the people of Limpopo are Sesotho, Xitsonga and Tshivenda but English is widely used in business and government. The Limpopo Province’s 125 754 km² covers a remarkably diverse geographical and cultural landscape that is also rich in minerals and agricultural products.
The N1 highway is a key reason for the province’s important role in the nation’s logistics sector. It passes through Limpopo from the south to the border town of Musina and on to Zimbabwe and its neighbours in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The busy N11 highway links the province to Botswana to the west and Mpumalanga Province to the east.
Most of South Africa’s logistics operators have a presence in the provincial capital city of Polokwane and logistics hubs have been established in that city and in Musina. The province has a sophisticated rail network which Transnet Freight Rail aims to further expand, primarily to haul the province’s vast reserves of coal away to the coast at Richards Bay.
The centrally situated city of Polokwane is the capital of Limpopo Province. Located on the Great North Road and almost equidistant from the high-density population of greater Johannesburg and the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Polokwane’s upgraded international airport plays an increasingly important regional role.
Polokwane is the province’s main centre for industry, commerce, education and medical services. The city is close to big concentrations of mineral deposits and to fertile agricultural lands. Its industries reflect this diversity.
The 20th edition of African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa may now be postponed in person, but is still scheduled to take place from 24-26 November this year as the organisers have promised attendees and partners an inspired and inspiring online platform with world-class speakers, live discussions and virtual networking and product showcases.
The postponed live, in person edition of this leading conference and exhibition at the Cape Town International Convention Centre will take place from 11-13 May 2021.
In announcing the postponement to industry, “the global pandemic has impacted live events from across the globe, and our local market is no exception,” says David Ashdown, MD of Clarion Events Africa, which has been organising this multi-award-winning power, energy and water utility event for the last two decades.
“The live events industry is a core economic revenue generator for suppliers and buyers alike, and our commitment to the energy industry, despite being unable to meet in person, is to provide a market leading digital platform for buyers and sellers to connect and conduct business. Our project teams will be introducing this exciting pivot opportunity as they talk to customers individually.”
Remaining engaged with the industry
He adds: “Since the start of the pandemic we have made a very successful and innovative transition from live events to digital and virtual conferencing and networking. Throughout these challenging times we have made sure to remain engaged with the industry and stay focused on meeting our clients’ and partners’ needs as there is a demand from the industry to engage, ask questions, find solutions and close deals.”
“Whilst looking ahead at the post-pandemic energy landscape we are aware that technology has been, and will remain, an important part of this journey. The innovation shown by the project teams and their commitment to customer outcomes has been wonderful to watch and support. These are tough but exciting times and I believe with certainty that African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa will be a stronger industry platform with greater industry reach in years to come. We are excited to meet again in person in Cape Town in May and with our technology advancement this year, we believe there is an opportunity to also engage a digital audience to the live edition in 2021.”
More interactive, full value chain
The first Virtual African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa took place from 11-15 May this year and was the first event in the sector to pull this off and the attendee numbers and level of engagement speak for themselves: 3,642 registrations and 7,015 matchmaking recommendations.
According to David Ashdown: “As event organisers we also heed the attendees’ feedback and the upcoming Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa will be even more interactive and the content will be of interest to the sector’s full value chain, from utilities and regulators to project developers and technology and service providers.”
Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa will run a three-day programme from 24-26 November and highlights will include:
Conference: 24-26 Nov 2020
Utility CEO Forum: 24-25 Nov 2020
Matchmaking: 24-26 Nov 2020 (throughout the three-day event programme)
Training sessions: 24-26 Nov 2020
Value added exposure
“The Digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa will provide a mix of free and premium sessions,” David Ashdown explains, “ensuring that all levels of attendee can get the most value from in-depth content. It is our way to offer both our long time partners and friends, as well as new acquaintances, the opportunity to stay connected. For those industry leaders who want to join us in a commercial capacity for extra exposure to this fast growing regional energy market, we also have some exciting opportunities available to add value to their participation.”
Multi-award winning events
African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa is organised by Clarion Events Africa, a multi-award-winning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors. Other well-known events include the Utility CEO Forums, Future Energy East Africa, Future Energy Nigeria, Nigeria Mining Week, Africa Mining Forum and DRC Mining Week. Clarion Events Africa is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group’s Clarion Energy Series, which runs over 40 events that cover the oil, gas, power and energy sectors, making it one of the group’s largest portfolios.
African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa dates and location:
Digital conference and matchmaking: 24-26 November 2020 Venue: Online
With the City of Polokwane in the final stages of preparation for the introduction of the Leeto la Polokwane public transport system and the Special Economic Zone at Musina-Makhado designed to become a logistics hub, the Limpopo Province is set to take full advantage of its strategic location.
Logistics is a vital feature of the Limpopo economy for another reason – the province has huge volumes of minerals and agricultural products to be transported to markets. In addition to the N1 highway, the N11 is a primary road corridor and there are nine provincial road corridors.
The building of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) will further boost Limpopo’s importance as a transport and logistics hub. The official opening of the Musina Intermodal Terminal near the Beit Bridge Border Post is confirmation of Limpopo’s status as a leader in logistics. Located in the town of Musina on the N1 highway leading to Zimbabwe, the terminal is used to move cargo from road to rail.
Warehousing facilities on-site make for loading efficiencies in the main cargoes such as chrome, fertiliser, coal, fuel and citrus. Bulk and containerised cargo are handled, with an annual capacity of three-million tons per annum.
Major investments in transport infrastructure are being made in Polokwane. SANRAL is building a R640-million ring road and a bus rapid transport system is being introduced. The scheme is called Leeto la Polokwane. Within the province more broadly, 22.6% of households in Limpopo use bus transport and 45.8% use taxis (2013 Household Travel Survey).
Apart from Polokwane and Musina, the towns of Tzaneen, Lephalale and Burgersfort are important in terms of logistics. Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL), of which the provincial government is the sole shareholder, accounts for about a third of the budget of the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure.
The South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL) is involved in two major road projects in support of the Musina-Makhado SEZ. The N1 is to be re-routed and a new single carriageway created in the Musina CBD. A bypass into ZCC Moria has been completed.
The Polokwane International Airport (PIA) is wholly owned by the provincial government and run by the Gateway Airports Authority Ltd (GAAL), an agency of the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety.
Airlink caters mainly to the business market and offers 21 flights to Johannesburg six days a week. The airline also provides links between Phalaborwa and Johannesburg, and between Hoedspruit and Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Great North Transport falls under the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA). The company has more than 500 buses, covers about 36-million kilometres every year on 279 routes and transports 37.6-million passengers.
An amount of R814-million was budgeted in 2020/21 to support the public transport industry, including subsidies.
New opportunities for local businesses
Citizens of Polokwane and surrounding areas are anticipating business growth, employment opportunities and affordable transportation as the city prepares to launch an Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS), Leeto la Polokwane.
Leeto la Polokwane is the city’s road-based public transport that will ease the movement of people to all parts of the city quicker, ensuring they have easy access to educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and employment centres. The system is geared to provide a high-quality transport service that is in line with the National Transport Act, integrating the different forms of public transport across the municipality.
This transportation system has an important role in the development of a city and spurring economic growth. Public transport is the backbone of the economy as it allows workers to travel to their workplaces daily.
Leeto la Polokwane aims to:
Reduce congestion on public roads
Improve the roads
Create business opportunities
Employment with focus on the affected operators
It is becoming increasingly clear that Leeto la Polokwane is crucial to socio-economic development in the region as it provides a viable transport solution for commuters, something sorely lacking in the past. As milestones are achieved along the road to rolling out the system, so economic growth will follow.
It is hard to reconcile that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nelspruit communities enjoyed seven return flights daily between Johannesburg and Kruger Mpumalanga International airport (KMI Airport), as well as daily services to Cape Town, Durban, Vilanculos, Livingstone as well as the Lodge Link services to several private commercial lodges.
The lockdown disrupted these services for an extended period, and phase 2 of the level 3 lockdown easing program saw the reopening of KMI Airport a few weeks ago, only for essential business travel purposes. It will take time to restore the comprehensive air service system previously in place, and Airlink, while fully committed to delivering the best possible service to our customer, has to rebuild our service system responsibly and cost effectively, cautiously matching supply with demand and expenditure with revenue.
There cannot be a holistic approach to service restoration as there is no such concomitant market recovery given that most corporates have adopted an extremely careful approach to staff travel. Hence Airlink’s current service is aimed at encouraging our business customers to travel with us again and experience our COVID mitigation protocols throughout the air travel value chain first-hand so that confidence in air travel will be restored.
Airlink has adjusted its flight timings between Johannesburg and Nelspruit from 17 August 2020 with an earlier departure to enhance customer convenience and better connectivity with our Cape Town and Port Elizabeth flights.
We have worked hard together with our travel partners, especially the management of KMI Airport, in reducing our input costs as far as possible and to pass this benefit on to our customers. A special fare has been introduced to celebrate the restart of services between OR Tambo International and KMI Airport, from R998 one way or R1,938 return all inclusive. Terms and conditions apply.
Book your flights direct online at www.flyairlink.com or via your travel agent.
The flight from Johannesburg to Nelspruit will depart at 12h15 arriving in Nelspruit at 13h05. The flight from Nelspruit will depart at 13h30 arriving in Johannesburg at 14h25 Mondays to Fridays. The service will be operated by a 37-seat Embraer ERJ135 regional jet.
The Nelspruit Johannesburg flight has been re-timed to maximize connection opportunities for customers travelling onward on Airlink’s flights to destinations such as Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Airlink’s early morning flights from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg will connect with the 12h15 departure from Johannesburg to Nelspruit.
Airlink apologizes in advance for any inconvenience or disruption which may be caused to customer itineraries, but we are confident that the added convenience will be enjoyed by all our customers.
Under the COVID-19 Level 3 travel restrictions, the Government requires you to carry with you proof of permission to travel. Permitted travel includes: Essential or Business Travel, Caring for immediate family members, Obtaining medical treatment etc.
(Johannesburg, 28 July 2020): The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety Association of South Africa announced its new name: The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association of South Africa (LPGSA) on 20 July 2020.
The name change reflects a strategic shift to broaden LPGSA’s mandate to not only promote the safe, compliant use of LPG but to advocate for LPG’s exceptional benefits in comparison to other energies in South Africa. LPG is an exceptional energy, a portable energy solution which is an efficient and clean burning fuel that can contribute to alleviate energy poverty as well as help reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Safety will remain a core focus of LPGSA’s work, and the LPGSA will continue to run training courses and certify installers, manufacturers and distributors of LPG and LPG equipment.
Over the last month and in line with the association’s mandate, LPGSA implemented a media outreach campaign to educate homeowners and communities across the country who use LPG roll-about heaters, patio heaters or fireplaces about the need to ensure the safety of their gas equipment as well as the cylinders they use.
“It is extremely important that you make use of registered professionals to perform the installation and maintenance of LPG appliances and cylinders,” says Nirvan Brijlal, Acting Managing Director of LPGSA.
Used in accordance with safety guidelines, LPG is a clean, reliable alternative to other fuels. The following tips will ensure that you are able to use your appliance safely and effectively this winter.
General safety tips
Always consult the manual that came with the appliance for specific safety tips.
Keep LPG appliances and fittings in good condition via regular servicing.
LPG appliances should be serviced by licensed LPG installers or service companies only.
Check your appliances regularly for deterioration in performance, signs of corrosion and minor leaks.
Make sure that the area in which you use your LPG appliance is well-ventilated.
Do not detach cylinders, regulators or any connections while the LPG appliance is in use.
Do not leave appliances unattended while in use.
Ensure that the gas supply is turned off at the cylinder after use and while the appliance is unattended.
Refilling your LPG cylinder:
Check that your gas cylinder is correctly filled or exchanged in good time
When exchanging your empty cylinder for a filled one, make sure that your replacement cylinder has been legally and safely filled by checking that there is a shrink wrap seal covering the cylinder valve.
Do not accept the cylinder if there is no seal or if the seal is clear with no writing or branding.
If the seal only has the words LPG or LPGas printed on it, do not accept the cylinder – even if the seal is a coloured one.
The only acceptable seal is one that has the same branding on the seal as is on the body of the cylinder.
Connecting your new cylinder
Always make sure you are working in a well-ventilated area.
Roll-about heaters are connected to the LPG cylinder via an orange hose and a regulator – the regulator screws into the cylinder valve.
Always ensure that the cylinder valve is closed before loosening/removing the regulator.
Check that there is a rubber seal on the end of the regulator. The rubber seal is also referred to as a bullnose, O-ring or washer, and is the seal between the regulator and the cylinder valve.
Ensure that the rubber seal is located on the end of the regulator and is in good condition and not perished, cracked or damaged in any way. The seals can become brittle over time, may split or even become lodged inside the valve of the LPG cylinder.
A damaged seal is a prime cause of gas leaks. Seals should be checked regularly.
Remember, the regulator has a left-hand thread. So, to connect the regulator, you need to turn it in an anti-clockwise direction. To remove the regulator, turn it clockwise.
Checking for gas leaks
Once you have connected the regulator to the cylinder valve, open the valve one and a half turns only – it is not necessary to open it further.
Before igniting the heater, wait a half a minute or so to see if there is any smell of gas.
If there is a smell, immediately close the valve and take the cylinder and heater to an LPG dealer to check and, if necessary, service the heater.
You can also check for a leak by applying a soapy water solution on all joints. The soapy solution will create bubbles if the gas is leaking.
Once you have checked for leaks you should lift the gas cylinder into the housing behind the LPG heater and close the housing panel or backing plate.
It is important that the LPG cylinder is in the space at the back of the heater to prevent the cylinder being knocked over.
Make sure you use the correct size of cylinder for the heater you are using.
Once the cylinder is safely in place and there is no combustible material (e.g. Curtains, blankets, doily) close to or on top of the heater, ignite the heater.
LPG is a perfect component of South Africa’s eventual energy mix, especially for efficient, low-cost water, food and space heating.
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Sasol's operations at Secunda are among the most important manufacturing facilities in Mpumalanga province. Sasol Gas is one of the four Sasol operations at Secunda. (Credit: Sasol)
Coal has been the engine of the Mpumalanga economy for many years. Most of South Africa’s power comes from coal, and most of those power stations are in Mpumalanga.
More than 80% of South Africa’s coal is currently sourced in Mpumalanga, with the town of eMalahleni (Witbank) being the centre of the industry. Other minerals found in the province include gold, platinum-group minerals, chromite, zinc, cobalt, copper, iron and manganese.
Confronting South Africa’s reliance on coal is not something that seems to be on the agenda at the moment, with a good deal of thought and effort going into finding ways to get coal to Mpumalanga’s power stations from the next big coal region, the Waterberg. A new railway line is mooted. The lives of a number of Mpumalanga coal mines are being extended and Sasol launched the third of its replacement mines in 2019.
Gas
The most popular renewable energy technologies, wind and solar, have little purchase in Mpumalanga, but a game-changer could come to the provincial economy in the form of gas. This would allow the province to retain its position as an energy provider and to start moving away from coal.
Vast new fields of natural gas have been found off the coast of Mozambique and the large and sophisticated infrastructure that Sasol has built up over the years make it well-placed to fire up a gas-based economy.
Sasol (pictured above), an integrated oil, gas and chemicals company with more than 30 000 employees and operations in 31 countries, runs several plants at Secunda. Products manufactured at the complex include synthetic fuel, petroleum, paraffin, jet fuel, creosote, bitumen, diesel and lubricants. The primary feedstock for synthetic-fuel production is coal, and the plant is in the heart of Mpumalanga’s coalfields.
Sasol’s Secunda complex at night.
Sasol regularly spends tens of millions on upgrades and improvements at the Secunda complex. The Sasol Synfuels refinery is the only commercial coal-to-liquid fuel plant in the world and constitutes a key component in South Africa’s oil and gas sector.
On a smaller scale, the provincial government is looking beyond coal towards a renewable energy future, especially where projects can be tackled by small businesses. There might be opportunities in micro-hydro or rooftop solar projects that will help to reduce dependence on the national grid while simultaneously promoting SMMEs.
Tourism
The other big new reality that Mpumalanga has to face is the fact that travel and tourism will not be a priority for people around the world any time soon. The effect of the economic lockdown as a response to Covid-19 is likely to be keenly felt by the hotels, lodges and game reserves of Mpumalanga. It is possible that visits to game reserves and nature reserves will be allowed (even encouraged perhaps) sooner than other sectors of the tourism sector because of the big distances between cars and people that can be achieved. But the turnover from restaurants will be absent for some considerable time and in a province where 7% of GDP is derived from tourism, this is bad news.
In 2018, tourists spent R13.1-billion in the province. Numbers were rising for both inter-national tourist arrivals and domestic tourists as a result of a strong marketing campaign by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA).
The Kruger National Park remains the province’s most visited asset but the decision by UNESCO to afford World Heritage Site status to the Makhonjwa Mountains near Barberton will boost geological tourism to the province and supports the efforts of the province to diversify its offering.
Major projects to improve tourist experiences are underway at the Graskop Gorge (where a transparent lift takes tourists into the depths of the gorge), a skywalk is to be built at God’s Window and a cable car is planned for Three Rondavels.
The spectacular Blyde River Canyon in Mpumalanga Province. [Picture source: Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA)]The UNESCO decision has also had the effect of expanding the curriculum at the relatively new University of Mpumalanga. On the basis of the international body’s ruling, UMP is offering geology as part of a BSc degree, to supplement existing courses in education, agriculture and hospitality.
Several infrastructure investment projects in the tourism sector have been put forward by the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA). There is a special focus on BRICS countries and provincial authorities are investigating a tourism airlift route between Moscow and Mpumalanga.
The TRILAND partnership with Eswatini and Mozambique is another avenue, as is the collaboration with KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mozambique and the Seychelles. The latter project is called east3ROUTE Tourism Initiative and proclaims “Experience, Adventure, Scenery and Trade” between the participating provinces and countries.
Industry
A major concern for provincial planners is to diversify the economy and to grow the manufacturing sector. The Mpumalanga Economic Growth and Development Path (MEGDP) identifies beneficiation, agri-processing and the development of value chains as priorities.
Various industrial parks are planned which will focus on agriculture and forestry, mining and metals and petrochemicals. An International Fresh Produce Market in Nelspruit and the planned Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (SEZ) are other priorities.
Steel and associated manufacturing remains one of the province’s strong suits and Mpumalanga has rich and varied mineral resources and fertile soil that support diverse farming operations, agri-processing and forestry.
The province also hosts large companies in the manufacturing sector. Columbus Stainless in Middelburg is a major producer of stainless steel, while Middelburg Ferrochrome, Thos Begbie and the Nelspruit-based Manganese Metal Company are among other important heavy industrial companies.
The province’s rich agricultural produce is used by companies such as McCain, Nestlé and PepsiCo and there are also pulp and paper plants (Sappi and Mondi), fertiliser facilities and textile manufacturing concerns. The decision by Sappi to start producing dissolving wood pulp at its Ngodwana Mill has significantly increased the manufacturing capacity of the province. York Timbers is a leading forestry company and the sugar mills and refinery of RCL Foods (formerly TSB Sugar) are large contributors to the provincial economy.
The southern half of the eastern limb of the platinum-rich Bushveld Igneous Complex runs south towards the towns of Lydenburg and Machadodorp. Deposits of chromite, magnetite and vanadium in this area are the basis of the ferro-alloy complex in Witbank-Middelburg and Lydenburg.
An aerial view of Highveld Industrial Park in Mpumalanga (Source: Highveld Industrial Park )
Geography
The Drakensberg escarpment sharply divides the western grasslands at high altitude (Highveld) and the subtropical component to the east, the Lowveld. The central region of the province is mountainous, with dramatic landscapes presenting exciting vistas for visitors. The Lebombo Mountains rise in the east.
The southern and northern Highveld regions produce large quantities of field crops such as barley, soybeans, maize, grain and sorghum. Potatoes also flourish in this area.
Most of the province receives summer rainfall, often via thunderstorms. Frost is common on the Highveld but is almost absent in the subtropical regions where fruit, nuts and citrus thrive. Differences in temperature and rainfall between the Highveld and Lowveld can be considerable. One of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors is macadamia nuts. These are cultivated in the Lowveld and are exported in ever-growing volumes. The Nelspruit district in the Lowveld is South Africa’s second-biggest producer of citrus fruit, while vegetables of all sorts do well in this area too.
Large parts of the province are in the so-called Middleveld comprising high-plateau grasslands. Forestry operations are found in central and south-eastern Mpumalanga, but the heart of this important industry is around Sabie in the east. The Mpumalanga forestry sector is one of the most important in the country: 11% of the total land area of Mpumalanga is covered either by plantations or natural forests. Large sugar operations are found in the south-east of the province.
The province has excellent roads and railway connections and is well served by airports, airstrips and heliports. The Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and Hoedspruit Airport are the province’s two main airports.
The Maputo Development Corridor is a transportation corridor comprising road, rail, border posts, port and terminal facilities, running from Pretoria in Gauteng through Mpumalanga to the Port of Maputo in Mozambique. This international initiative emphasises Mpumalanga’s excellent location as a logistics and transport hub.
Ehlanzeni District Municipality
Towns: Mbombela, Malelane, Hazyview, White River, Sabie, Lydenburg, Barberton
Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit) is the capital city of Mpumalanga province and the main town of the Mbombela Local Municipality within the Ehlanzeni District Municipality.The new University of Mpumalanga has its headquarters in Mbombela. The Lowveld Show and the InniBos Arts Festival are major events that showcase Mbombela’s diversity and importance as a regional hub.
The fertile Crocodile River Valley ensures good fruit crops in a typically subtropical climate. Mangoes, litchis and avocados are among the crops grown most profitably and the town is at the centre of the regional citrus sector. The Lowveld Botanical Gardens contain many rare species.The urban centres are nodes of manufacturing in this region, which is also at the heart of Mpuma-langa’s tourism offering. The Kruger National Park, the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window and other attractions make this a highly desirable place to visit. Citrus, sugar and forestry are the major agricultural products, all
being major contributors to export earnings. The Sappi paper mill at Ngodwana is one of the biggest
of its kind while RCL Foods operates two large mills in the east. The population is about 1.7-million.
Power stations abound in this region which stretches across the southern half of the province and it is the home of the giant Sasol facilities at Secunda. The area makes up the northern tip of South Africa’s maize triangle. Agriculture and food processing are well-developed sectors. Sheep, chicken, sunflower and sorghum are among the area’s many agricultural products. Nestlé has a processing plant at Standerton, as does Astral Foods. Mondi runs a pulp and paper facility in the south-east. Major highways connecting Gauteng with the coastal regions pass through the municipality. About one-million people live in the Gert Sibande District and the municipal headquarters are in Ermelo.
This area straddles the north-west. Rural and traditional in the north-west where the King of the Ndebele is still revered, there is a concentration of coal mining and steel production in the industrial centre. Proximity to Gauteng brings economic opportunity and the area is rich in minerals. The District Municipality’s headquarters are in Middelburg. The north-east hosts a lively trout-fishing sector that includes hatcheries and accommodation for tourists. Approximately 1.4-million people live in the district.
Continue exploring the economy of Mpumalanga Province in the 2020/21 edition of Mpumalanga Business – the guide to business and investment in Mpumalanga:
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Major investments in transport infrastructure are being made in Polokwane. SANRAL is building a R640-million ring road and a bus rapid transport system is being introduced. The scheme is called Leeto la Polokwane. Within the province more broadly, 22.6% of households in Limpopo use bus transport and 45.8% use taxis (2013 Household Travel Survey).
Safety will remain a core focus of LPGSA’s work, and the LPGSA will continue to run training courses and certify installers, manufacturers and distributors of LPG and LPG equipment.
