Construction looks forward to year of growth
THE construction sector is confident that it will again experience good growth this year after a brisk last year that saw the sector expanding by 5,32%. Government will spend about R50bn on construction projects over the next three years.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Listings of directly held assets set to rise
THE value gap between listed property and directly held property is narrowing, says the latest property report by consulting group Rode.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Oversupply no issue for Abro Luntz
PROPERTY consulting group Abro Luntz is braving the oversupplied office market in the north of Johannesburg with a new 1000m² development at a site in Glenhove Road, Melrose.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Stakeholders meet to drive downstream exports
The South African government is working with the steel industry in a bid to help boost exports of value-added steel products – an area that has remained stagnant for a number of years.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Higher lights and water bills
The Johannesburg city council wants to hike electricity and water tariffs well over the inflation rate with its new budget in June.
(©www.netassets.co.za)

Mettle going shopping in building products sector
FINANCIAL services company Mettle is snapping up businesses in the building product and service supplies sector. The company announced yesterday the acquisition of the third company in this industry in less than six months.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Bank groups crowd out small punters
THE SA hope of building strong small to medium-sized entrepreneurial activity in commercial property is slowly fading away. This was a dream born when institutional investors decided to reduce fixed-property exposure in pursuit of more liquid instruments.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Sasol catalogues litany of potential horrors for listing
WHETHER or not there is a war against Iraq, SA petrochemicals and synthetic fuels group Sasol has catalogued a whole string of other horrors that could affect its profitability from a terrorist attack to currency and oil price fluctuations, the cost of HIV/AIDS and the funding of black economic empowerment.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Revamp needed in how state's development funds operate
THERE needs to be a revamp in the way dedicated funds set up to achieve government's development objectives go about their work. This is one of the conclusions to be drawn from the recent public hearings held by Parliament's trade and industry committee on the performance of these special funds.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Strong housing market boosts earnings at Iliad
BUILDING material supplier Iliad Africa says it is finding itself in "uncharted water" with the market it is in growing so rapidly. With an increasing number of foreign home buyers entering the residential property market, black consumers buying more expensive homes and property generally being seen as an investment with a good rate of return have all contributed to boosting Iliad's growth for the year to December.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Training bodies face a new obligation
CHANGES to the law governing the Sector Education and Training Authorities are likely to make it compulsory for them to report quarterly to Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Labour dept to act on non-performing Setas
The South African Department of Labour welcomed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Labour's hearings, on the Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (Seta), as an opportunity to ensure that these bodies are held accountable.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Environmentalist slams State’s inaction on energy reform
South Africa’s ‘business as usual’ approach to its energy industry has come under fire, with calls for reform of the country’s energy generation strategy.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Cabinet approves new BEE strategy
Government's long-awaited policy on black economic empowerment was approved by cabinet on Wednesday, and includes financial support measures as well as legislation.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

ABB’s divestment talks to be tied up soon – CEO
Engineering firm ABB expects talks with parties interested in buying its non-core businesses to be completed ‘fairly soon’, the firm's CE Juergen Dormann said in a newspaper interview.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

SA in running for big auto investment
It is still uncertain as to how much will have to be invested in DaimlerChrysler’s East London manufacturing plant to make it suitable for the new W 204 Mercedes-Benz.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

R54m boost for biotech partnerships
The Gauteng biotechnology regional innovation centre, known as Biotechnology partnerships and development (Biopad), had its budget increased by an additional R54-million from R84-million in January.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Flowmeter specialist finds a measuring solution at steel mill
At the beginning of the year, Iscor’s steel mill, Saldanha Steel, in the Western Cape, commissioned four of flowmeter specialist company Chlorine & Flow Technologies’ (C&F’s) flowmeters on its electric arc furnaces.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Industry to to be showcased at Blue IQ business week
The South African Institute of Measurement and Control (SAIMC) will take part in Blue IQ’s business outreach programme, Blue IQ Means Business Week 2003, which will be held in Sandton, Johannesburg in October.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Majority of instrumentation cost maintenance-related
Process control solution provider and instrumentation supplier Endress + Hauser (E+H) has launched a new management system for instrumentation which could reduce end-user costs significantly.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

Back to Index

'Banks reduced their risk days before RAG sank'
THE former financial director of Retail Apparel Group (RAG), Malcolm Hyland, said yesterday that the banks asked him to sign a document that reduced the risk on their exposure to RAG eight days before the company went into liquidation.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Former director queries RAG figures
The former financial director of Retail Apparel Group (RAG), Malcolm Hyland, suggested yesterday that one of the company's liquidators may have exaggerated RAG's financial woes prior to its demise in order to be appointed.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Minorities agree to Nando's delisting
Opposition from disgruntled minority shareholders to the 70c a share buy-out offer from the Nando's Group Holdings controlling consortium petered out when 96.6% of voters accepted the tabled offer at a shareholders meeting yesterday.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Metropolitan Retail's restructure pays off
Cape Town - All indicators were pointing to an increase in new business, reduced lapse rates and a further reduction in costs at Metropolitan Retail, the individual life business division of Metropolitan group, according to Derek Pead, the chief executive of the retail division.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Tradehold sells UK retail chain
Cape Town - Listed retailer Tradehold has reached an agreement to sell a controlling stake in UK retail chain Your More Store (YMS) to Carel Stassen, the head of part of Tradehold's portfolio in the UK.
(©www.busrep.co.za)

Back to Index

SANS10100 : THE STRUCTURAL USE OF CONCRETE PART 2 : MATERIALS AND EXECUTION OF WORK
Standards South Africa has released SANS10100 : The structural use of concrete Part 2 : materials and execution of work, for public comment. As this standard will affect all members producing concrete in its various forms, members are advised to obtain a copy and scrutinise the standard before it is published in its final form. Copies may be obtained by email by contacting Howard Richardson on contract@safcec.org.za
Closing date for comment is 18 April 2003.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

SAFCEC PHOTO COMPETITION
Entries for the SAFCEC Photo Competition for photographs to be included in the 2003 SAFCEC Annual Report and the 2004 SAFCEC Calendar, are invited. The closing date for entries s 20th June 2003, which seems a long way off, but this is to give all members plenty of opportunity to have their sites photographed in time.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

TRAINING IN KZN
Attached to this Newsletter is a schedule of training course offered by Construction Resource Development Centre in Pinetown, KZN. Click here for the schedule.
(©www.safcec.org.za)

Back to Index

FOSSFA aims to spur open source in Africa
The formal launch of the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) should help to consolidate the efforts of programmers across the continent to deliver home-grown solutions to ICT users.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Investing in national pride helps to sustain young democracies
I COULD not help reminiscing as I witnessed at first-hand the challenges Nigeria faces with its current elections.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Glotec expands into Ethiopia
Global Technology Holdings secures a contract with the Development Bank of Ethiopia, its first venture into the African country.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Foskor buys out Nigerian fertiliser plant
The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is participating in a R1,6bn acquisition in Nigeria through its Foskor fertiliser subsidiary.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Nigeria launches bitumen project
Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a gigantic bitumen production project in the southwest region in a bid to diversify the country's sources of foreign exchange.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Trade barriers hurt African agriculture report
TRADE barriers and subsidies in developed countries are depressing prices of agricultural goods, resulting in a "tax" of $7,1bn a year on African countries.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Back to Index

Top honours for Platinum
In the face of stiff competition, Anglo American Platinum has been judged the winner of this year's Excellence in Corporate Reporting Awards
(©www.bday.co.za)

Promise of gas inches closer
This year signals a turning point for gas development in Southern Africa.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Northam likely to establish a local refinery
MOUNTING pressure on Northam. Platinum to move downstream has prompted the company to consider the establishment of a platinum refinery in SA. Northam, in which Mvelaphanda Resources is a 22,4% stakeholder, would neither confirm nor deny this at the weekend.
(©www.bday.co.za)

Alexkor winner to be announced within days
The announcement of the winning bidder for a controlling stake in State gem-miner. Alexkor is only days away, observers close to the process predict.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Mining-royalty structure released
The South African government released its long-awaited royalty structure for mining companies on Thursday, with rates ranging from one to eight percent depending on the commodity.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Strike persists at Implats
World number two platinum producer Impala Platinum (Implats) said yesterday an HIV/Aids-related strike over death benefits at its operations, which has slashed output by 80%, had entered its third day.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

R40m NDC-Bell equipment deal launched
South African black-owned diamond-miner New Diamond Corporation has clinched a R40-million partnership deal with South African earth-moving equipment manufacturer, Bell Equipment Company, for the supply of machinery to its Schmidtsdrift mining project on the Vaal River, near Kimberley in the Northern Cape. Schmidtsdrift has the potential to produce 1,6-million carats.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Botswana smelter restarts after six-week repair
Canada's LionOre Mining International said this week production at the BCL smelter in eastern Botswana had resumed after the smelter was shut down for six weeks to repair a leaky boiler tube.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Harmony, NUM reach agreement on social plan
South African gold producer Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) yesterday announced that the parties had agreed to sign the company’s Social Plan Framework Agreement and to establish a Social Plan Fund.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

New technology revives KZN coal mining
Mining company Auger Mining South Africa has been reviving the northern KwaZulu-Natal coal industry, with updated technology that would make it economically viable to mine millions of tons of reserves, the firm’s director, Bob Ricketts, said.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Mining royalties Bill ready – cabinet
Mining companies operating in South Africa will know today what royalties they will be paying the government under a new mining regime, the cabinet and finance ministry said yesterday.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Three new front-end loaders for a Middelburg coal-mine
When, in April 2000, the life of Turkish-owned Sumo Colliery South Africa’s Eerstelingsfontein coal-mine at Belfast, Mpumulanga, came to its end, the company acquired a tract of land north of Middelburg, negotiated the mining rights and relocated the entire coal plant from the now defunct Belfast operation.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Oil analysis on earthmoving equipment essential, says firm
The transmission on a Caterpillar wheel loader working at Idwala Carbonates’ Opencast mine in Kwazulu-Natal has clocked up 36 000 hours as a direct result of the customers’ well-managed preventative maintenance programme, which incorporates Barloworld Equipment’s scheduled oil sampling programme.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

SA manufacturer conducts trials on new scraper tractor
Richards Bay manufacturer Bell Equipment is currently holding trials in Hluhluwe, in northern Kwazulu-Natal, to test the South African market potential of its new 4206D construction scraper tractor, which was on show at Electra Mining last year.
(©www.miningweekly.co.za)

Back to Index

Foreigners sold on lifestyle estates
FOREIGN investors looking to own "lifestyle estates" with either a wine, agricultural or guesthouse component are flocking to the Boland and Overberg region of Western Cape, says Pam Golding MD Andrew Golding.
(©www.bday.co.za)

PQs and sectional levy payments
Owners in a sectional title (ST) scheme do not necessarily all pay the same monthly levy - but the differing values have nothing to do with the amount of 'ground' each section covers, or its use.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Spotlight on: Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom is experiencing a real estate 'rush' and estate agents in the North West town are battling to accommodate an influx of new residents as the stock of homes for sale or to let dwindles rapidly and prices rocket.
(©www.property24.co.za)

SA market matches global trends
Despite the upheavals of the past few years, the South African residential property market is in step with world trends.
(©www.property24.co.za)

Back to Index

Scam-busting sites
Con-artists have gone high-tech in an effort to fleece you of your cash, but you can turn the tables on them – by hopping online.With most investments, you run the risk of losing some of your boodle if the markets dip. But if you fall for a scam, you are likely to lose the whole caboodle.
(©www.persfin.co.za)

Turn a trust to your advantage
The concept of a family trust sounds wonderfully wealthy and secure from the point of view of the beneficiary, but living trusts are not to be entered into lightly, particularly now that the Minister of Finance has them in his sights. You need to understand fully why you should transfer your assets into a trust. We consulted a panel of experts from the Financial Planning Institute (FPI) about the advantages and pitfalls of living trusts and their role in estate planning.
(©www.persfin.co.za)

Back to Index

Oil prices slide as Iraqi war begins
Oil prices drop lower in Asian trade as US forces begin their attack against Iraq.
(©www.bday.co.za)

CPIX slows, but rate cut still unlikely
Food prices show signs of abating Economics Correspondent CONSUMER price inflation slowed for the third consecutive month last month
(©www.bday.co.za)

Back to Index

Listings of directly held assets set to rise
THE value gap between listed property and directly held property is narrowing, says the latest property report by consulting group Rode.
(©www.bday.co.za)

No change to interest rate
The South African Reserve Bank has left its key repo rate unchanged at 13.5%.
(©www.news24.com)

Eskom unhappy with SNO licence
Eskom CEO Thulani Gcabashe says that it is unfortunate that South Africa's second network operator has not yet been licensed.
(©www.news24.com)

Rand erodes JSE's gains
The JSE Securities Exchange was flat at the close after a firmer rand sparked profit taking towards the close.
(©www.bday.co.za)

SA leaves 02/03 maize estimate at 8,84mt
South Africa's crop forecasters left their 2002/03 maize crop estimate unchanged at 8,84-million tons yesterday, from 8,78-million tons the previous year, but said farmers would plant less wheat.
(©www.engineeringnews.co.za)

When you need speed... think ADSL
Telkom are rolling out a very affordable new super-fast technology firms should take note of. It allows upstream connections of 256Kbps and downstream speeds of 512Kbps with a monthly cap of 3GByte.
Browse to the ASAQS website for more information...

INFLATION AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
In this quarterly report JHI explore the theme of inflation and the commercial property market – this is done in broadly three parts.
(©www.jhi.co.za)

To paraphrase a famous quote: What you think, you said; what you said, you believed; what you believed, you created; and what you created, you are living. Right now, asserts Kathy Gates, this very moment, you are living what you THINK.
(©www.projectmagazine.com)

TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT THE ICEC WORLD CONGRESS

The Place: Cape Town, South Africa
The Date: 17th-21st April 2004
The Theme: Value Beyond Cost

Presented by:
The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors
and
The Cost Engineering Association of South Africa

Click here to remain updated!

SEEN ON OUR WEBSITE

In the Classifieds:

QS Position
Mahlati Ntene Liebetrau is looking for a qualified QS for its Johannesburg office. Experience of not less than three years a must.

QS required
BSc QS with minimum 2 years post graduate experience to join company for projects in Mpumalanga/Limpopo. Must be PDI

Looking for staff? Remember to first look in Classifieds
.
Please note: Old adverts in the "Employment Wanted" and "-Vacancies" section have been deleted. We have reprogrammed the Classifieds so that you now have full control over the ads that you place. You should enable "cookies" on your browser when placing an ad - this will allow you to see the adverts you placed whenever you visit our Classifieds. Please delete ads when they are no longer required.

Remember: Visit the ASAQS website for new updates!

We currently have more than 900 access accounts to the CUG!
New members to the CUG:

Marienes Muller
Shaynee van den Heever
Gary Margison
John Gouws
Ferdinand Fester
Andrew Crosby
Jooste Senekal
Johann Pieterse

Please note : Only paid-up members of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors are allowed entrance to the CUG. We still receive a number of applications every month from non-members. If you have any questions regarding membership contact Mrs Barbara Morgan on 011-3154140

Also note that your registration to the CUG will remain in force as long as you remain a member of ASAQS and there is no need to register every year. If you have not received an e-mail confirming your registration contact ASAQS.

Back to Index