South African Business 2021
Welcome to the ninth edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa. This issue has a focus on economic recovery plans which have been put in place to tackle the challenges thrown up by the global Covid-19 pandemic. National government’s focus on infrastructure and the use of Special Economic Zones is highlighted, together with a feature on the nascent maritime economy. Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies. South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com.
Welcome to the ninth edition of the South African Business journal. First published in 2011, the publication has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to South Africa.
This issue has a focus on economic recovery plans which have been put in place to tackle the challenges thrown up by the global Covid-19 pandemic. National government’s focus on infrastructure and the use of Special Economic Zones is highlighted, together with a feature on the nascent maritime economy. Regular pages cover all the main economic sectors of the South African economy and give a snapshot of each of the country’s provincial economies.
South African Business is complemented by nine regional publications covering the business and investment environment in each of South Africa’s provinces. The e-book editions can be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com.
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OVERVIEW<br />
Energy<br />
Solar and wind projects are regularly coming onstream.<br />
Credit: Abengoa<br />
<strong>South</strong> Africa’s acclaimed Renewable Energy Independent<br />
Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP)<br />
attracted about R200-billion in committed investments,<br />
mostly in solar and wind power, in just five years.<br />
The early rounds of the independent power producers’<br />
programme continue to produce regular dividends. In October<br />
2020, another wind farm started commercial operations.<br />
Located about 80km north-east of Ceres in the Witzenberg Local<br />
Municipality, the Paardekraal East Wind Farm is in the Western Cape.<br />
The 110MW project was constructed by the Concor and Conco<br />
Consortium, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy supplied and<br />
installed the wind turbines, the towers were built by GRI in Atlantis<br />
and Mainstream Asset Management <strong>South</strong> Africa will manage the<br />
operations.<br />
According to the Department of Energy, the REIPPPP by<br />
2016 had created more than 30 000 jobs and benefited local<br />
community development to the tune of R256-million. Figures<br />
released by the <strong>South</strong> <strong>African</strong> Wind Energy Association (SAWEA)<br />
showed shareholding for local communities reached an<br />
estimated net income of R29.2-billion over the lifespan of the<br />
projects. Some 14 000 new jobs are expected to be created,<br />
mostly in rural areas, and more than R30-billion has already<br />
been spent on Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) in the<br />
construction phase.<br />
The majority of wind projects have been allocated to the Eastern<br />
SECTOR INSIGHT<br />
Training for a renewable future<br />
is a new priority.<br />
Cape, but approximately 60% of<br />
the solar projects so far allocated<br />
in the programme have been in<br />
the Northern Cape, the nation’s<br />
sunniest province.<br />
Gas is also in the mix.<br />
The Department of Energy is<br />
targeting the procurement<br />
of 3 126MW and intends<br />
spending R64-billion on port,<br />
pipeline, generation and<br />
transmission infrastructure at<br />
three key ports, Richards Bay,<br />
Coega and Saldanha Bay.<br />
The most popular method<br />
relies on solar panels, namely<br />
solar photovoltaic (PV). The<br />
other form of solar power<br />
(concentrated solar power, CSP)<br />
is effective and some projects<br />
SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS <strong>2021</strong><br />
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