Irma Venter

Three months after launching its off-grid, solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging network on the N3 corridor, Zero Carbon Charge (Charge) has announced plans to double charging capacity at both its hubs in response to growing demand. Charge says the upgrade will increase total charging capacity at each hub from 360 kW to up to 720 kW, with the available power allocated automatically between vehicles, based on how many are charging and each vehicle’s charging capacity.

The extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to December 31, 2028, provides important strategic breathing room for South Africa, while also preserving a framework for future trade engagement with the US, says naamsa

The manufacturing sector in Nelson Mandela Bay is facing a technical skills shortage that is constraining the region's ability to grow, attract investment and create jobs.

The Clicks Group's Montague Gardens distribution centre in Cape Town is gearing up to operate a 100% electric truck fleet by year-end, as the retailer accelerates the electrification of its national distribution network.

FAW Trucks Southern Africa (FTSA) has celebrated the 25 000th truck rolling off the assembly line at its plant in Nelson Mandela Bay. The first truck to be assembled at the Chinese manufacturer’s facility in Gqeberha was in 2014 – a FAW 15.180FL freight carrier.

Eighteen clean innovation startups from across Africa gathered in Cape Town earlier this month for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Afri GreenPitch Challenge 2026, hosted and administered by GreenCape

Rising vehicle imports from China and India are placing pressure on production volumes at South Africa’s local vehicle manufacturers, with this pressure spilling over to component manufacturers, says Metair CEO Paul O’Flaherty. Speaking last month at the component manufacturer’s interim results announcement for the six months ended June 30, O’Flaherty noted that Metair managed a “very solid performance” despite two of its main customers suffering a decline in vehicle production from peak levels.

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has signed two purchase agreements for a combined 70 MW of power, with more to follow in the coming months under a competitive tendering process for delivery of up to 200 MW of power. The 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) are with solar plants that will be connected to the city’s grid in Atlantis (30 MW from Jempec), and Philippi (40 MW from Make A Difference).

Ports and logistics group Grindrod is targeting five growth projects that will either grow the capacity on the existing logistics corridors the company operates, or deepen the integration of these corridors, says Grindrod CEO Kwazi Mabaso. Speaking late last month, during the JSE-listed company’s interim financial results announcement for the six months ended June 30, Mabaso described the Matola terminal expansion at the Port of Maputo complex as the most advanced of the five growth projects.

Even though residential developments dominated the record R12.8-billion investment across 29 property developments in Cape Town’s Central City Improvement District (CCID) 2025/26 pipeline, the number of commercial builds doubled compared with the previous year. This is according to the recently launched State of Cape Town Central City Report 2025 – A Year in Review (SCCR 25), produced by the Cape Town CCID.