Wind turbines on their way to Ummbila Emoyeni facility

Nine turbines, including 27 blades and other components, are being transported on the N2, from Richards Bay to Seriti Green’s Ummbila Emoyeni wind energy facility in Bethal, Mpumalanga. The turbines and components started moving on February 3. The convoy, managed by Vanguard, will be 335 m long and take three days to complete its journey.
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South Africa’s energy and transport reforms could create 500 000 jobs – World Bank

South Africa could increase its GDP growth by 1% in the short term and up to 3% in the medium term by addressing persistent energy and freight logistics constraints, the World Bank’s latest ‘South Africa Economic Update’ states. Such projected increases in economic activity, the report adds, could create about 200 000 jobs in the short term and 500 000 jobs in the medium term. The bank estimates that constraints in both sectors have cost the economy three to five percentage points of GDP growth, and have disproportionately affected small businesses and low-income households.
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Leslie Mkhabela appointed Eskom lead independent director

State-owned power utility Eskom has appointed Leslie Mkhabela as lead independent director, with effect from January 31. “The board appointed Mr Mkhabela as a lead independent director to strengthen governance and create an organisational structure with robust checks and balances. Leslie has consistently demonstrated decisive, ethical and inclusive leadership,” says Eskom chairperson Mteto Nyati.
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Diamond-dependent Botswana needs economic reset, new leader says

Botswana’s government will develop new industries, dismantle the State power utility to foster private investment and increase concessional borrowing as part of a plan to diversify the diamond-dependent economy, President Duma Boko said. While gems mined by Debswana — a venture between Anglo American’s De Beers unit and the government — account for 80% of Botswana’s economy, they aren’t creating enough jobs, which raises the risk of instability in the arid nation of 2.5-million people, Boko said in an interview. The country is mainland Africa’s richest relative to the size of the population.
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