Pretoria - Transport Minister Dipuo Peters has announced the successful broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) bidders for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s Rolling Stock Fleet Renewal Programme.

The B-BBEE shareholders are Khiphunyawo Rail, which is currently active in the rail sector. Community Rail Services was selected as the new entrant, while in the black investor category, Elgin-Identity Rail Corporation was chosen.

Peters said the creation of job opportunities, production of local content, skills development and community upliftment remained the essential ingredients in the success of any procurement process of the Rolling Stock Fleet Renewal Programme.

“As government, we take it upon ourselves to ensure that partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders are forged to ensure the fruition of these commitments.

“It is also remains our responsibility that government’s resource injection will yield maximum benefit for the citizens of South Africa,” she said.

The minister said her department, together with National Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry, will continue to provide the required technical and administrative support to all the preferred bidders and Prasa throughout the project.

She said they would work to ensure that processes unfold smoothly so that there are no delays in the actual implementation phase.

“Let us deliver and not waste time. My department is always willing to iron out any deadlocks that might be encountered along the way.

“We also take it upon ourselves to ensure legislative compliance throughout the programme’s implementation,” she said.

As today marks the beginning Women’s Month, Peters said it was heartening to see that women empowerment was one transformation imperative that was not compromised.

Prasa Group CEO Lucky Montana said the B-BBEE entities will participate in the shareholding of the project company with Prasa and the project company’s employee trust as well as the educational trust, which is for the development of rail sector talent such as engineers, artisans and technologists.

He said Prasa believed the three B-BBEE entities, together with the three trusts, will create broader participation, which is one of the objectives of the agency.

“This procurement process has created an opportunity for entities to participate in the equity of the project company, who but for this process would not have had the opportunity to participate.

“As Prasa, we sought to procure black enterprises currently involved in the rail sector, black enterprises wishing to enter the rail sector and investor black enterprises,” he said.

Bidding Process for B-BBEE

Chairperson of the Prasa Board, Sfiso Buthelezi, said the process to select the preferred bidders was thorough and robust.

Prasa initiated the process for the participation of the B-BBEE entities in October last year and bidders submitted their proposals on December 14, 2012.

The agency received proposals from 60 bidders, with some submitting their proposals as both active black enterprises and investor black enterprises, bringing the total number of proposals to 74.

However, Montana said 38 bidders complied with the mandatory response requirements in the Invitation to Participate (ITP), while 36 did not meet the mandatory requirements in the ITP.

Short-listed bidders were invited to participate in a further process in relation to the procurement to enable Prasa to solicit further information for purposes of further interrogation, consideration and due diligence on some of the key response areas in terms of the ITP.

The B-BBEE bidders will partner with Gibela Rail Transportation to manufacture South Africa’s next generation of modern commuter trains, which will boast the latest available technology in the rail industry.

The Gibela Rail Transportation consortium, which is led by French multi-national company Alstom, was selected as the preferred bidder in December 2012.

Khiphunyawo is a black enterprise currently involved in the rail sector and comprises SA Freight Logistics and Autism South Africa, among others. Community Rail Services comprises a number of people with disabilities, black female youth, Parmtro Investments and Kaelo Investments.

Elgin-Identity Rail Corporation is an investor black enterprise with a trust established to benefit people with disabilities. - SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria – A South African delegation, led by President Jacob Zuma, is in talks with representatives from the European Union (EU), where ways to boost trade and investment are being discussed. After doing his 67 minutes of service on Mandela Day in Danville, West of Pretoria — where he handed over houses to the poor [...]EU, Trade and investment talks is a post from: South Africa Business



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Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Marius Fransman is to travel to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the 2013 Substantive Session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session.

South Africa assumed its membership of ECOSOC in January for the 2013-2015 term.

“South Africa’s three year term on the ECOSOC presents an opportunity to strategically position South Africa’s leadership on development issues and reinforce the country’s role as a consistent and effective player in multilateralism, while ensuring that the ECOSOC is further strengthened and reformed to better meet evolving global challenges and the needs of developing countries,” the department’s spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.

Fransman is expected to make a statement on the theme of the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) as well as participate in the thematic debate and panel discussions.

The 2013 ECOSOC Substantive Session will incorporate the AMR and will have a focus on the theme: “Science, technology and innovation (STI), and the potential of culture for promoting sustainable development and achieving the MDGs”.

Additionally, a thematic debate will be held on the contribution of the ECOSOC to the elaboration of the development agenda post-2015.

Panel discussions on international cooperation in the development, transfer and diffusion of technologies in Africa and least developed countries, as well as one on universal health coverage, will also be held.

ECOSOC is the principal UN body tasked with the co-ordination of the economic and social activities of the UN.

It is thus the main body for policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development and for the follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The council consists of 54 member countries, elected on a rotational basis, by the UN General Assembly. - SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, Elizabeth Thabethe, has arrived in Benin on the last leg of her West Africa Outward Selling and Investment Mission aimed at increasing bilateral trade, her department said on Monday.

Thabethe is accompanied by a business delegation that has been assisted by the Department of Trade and Industry through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance scheme (EMIA).

The deputy minister’s mission kicked off in Accra, Ghana, last Wednesday, where she met with the Ministers of Trade and Industry Haruna Idrissu and Tourism Abla Dzifa Gomashie. Thabethe also met with the Ghana Trade and Investment Promotion representatives.

During the deputy minister’s visit, an undertaking was made at the bilateral meetings to fast-track the implementation of the Economic and Technical Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2011.

“In my discussions with my Ghanaian counterparts, it was evident that there are opportunities for multi-sectoral collaborations as the country is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

“Despite this, Ghana has an underdeveloped infrastructure, especially in the transport and logistics sector… We have undertaken to assist with our knowledge and expertise in that regard. We will also discuss in broad terms a framework to reconcile all these issues during President Zuma’s state visit in November 2013,” said Thabethe.

According to the MoU, the two countries pledged to intensify efforts for the promotion of bilateral trade, industrial development, technical capacity building and infrastructure development.

Thabethe emphasised the importance of South Africa continuing to pursue economic collaboration and partnerships with African countries when crafting the way forward for sustainable development on the continent.

“It is in this regard that we have taken a conscious decision to partner with both Ghana and Benin during their reconstruction and development phases,” she said on Monday.

The deputy minister’s trip to Benin will conclude on Friday. - SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe says South Africa and Ghana are committed to fast-tracking the implementation of the Economic and Technical Co-operation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed in 2011.

According to the MoU, the two countries pledged to intensify efforts for the promotion of bilateral trade, industrial development, technical capacity building and infrastructure development.

Thabethe was addressing a South Africa-Ghana Business Seminar in Accra.

Thabethe is in Ghana, where she is leading a delegation of businesspeople on an Outward Selling and Investment Mission to increase trade and investment.

“Relations between South Africa and Ghana have matured over the years and the increase in bilateral trade from US $32 million in 2008 to US $60.9 million is indicative of this maturity.

“As much as relations have matured, I believe there exists further potential to increase trade, particularly in value-added products between our two countries and the region.

“With the recent discovery of oil, I would urge Ghana to take advantage of the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone for the servicing of oil and gas rigs and for broader upstream exploration,” Thabethe said.

Thabethe also announced that South Africa would participate in a National Pavilion at the Ghana International Trade Fair in 2014.

Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry, Haruna Idrissu, expressed Ghana’s commitment to deepening economic trade with South Africa.

“It is my belief that we present to you the most conducive conditions to conducting business in Ghana. Our constitution is against expropriation and we are assuring you of significant openness to trading.

“We welcome South African entities that want to invest in any sector and are prepared to assist all value-adding projects. Entities looking to invest in Ghana on private-public partnerships will be incentivised, particularly those in the agro-processing sector,” he Idrissu.

The South African High Commissioner in Ghana, Jeanette Ndhlovu, added that the time for resolutions and declarations must now cease.

“We now have to move for concrete action. The time for action is now,” she said.

The mission will continue with business-to-business meetings between South African and Ghanaian companies, and there will also be site visits to industry related projects. – SAnews.gov.za

Kebony AS, the innovative company offering sustainable alternatives to tropical hardwoods, has won the 2013 Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Award for small and medium enterprises. The Ethical Corporation awards recognise and celebrate the success of the world’s leaders in responsible business excellence from the leaders in sustainability and corporate responsibility. The small and medium enterprises [...]Kebony Wins 2013 Enterprise Award is a post from: Business UK



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Pretoria - Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe will undertake an Outward Selling and Investment Mission to Ghana, which kicks off on Wednesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) said Thabethe would leave today on a five-day trip to Ghana, followed by another to Benin.

“The mission aims to increase trade and investment between South Africa, Ghana and Benin, and will also serve as an ideal opportunity for South African companies that are interested in exporting value-added products and services and are looking for investment opportunities,” said dti spokesperson Sidwell Medupe.

Thabethe is leading a business delegation to both countries. The deputy minister’s mission to Ghana will be from 26 to 30 June, followed by Benin from 30 June - 5 July.

Thabethe is expected to meet with the Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry, Haruna Idrissu and the Ghana Trade and Investment Promotion officials. She will also conduct site visits to projects that are part of the implementation of the South Africa-Ghana and South Africa-Benin economic and technical cooperation.

The targeted sectors for the missions include agro-processing, built environment, infrastructure, energy, mining and the electro-technical sector.

Companies forming Thabethe’s delegation have been assisted by the dti, through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme (EMIA). The EMIA scheme develops export markets for South African products and services, and recruits new foreign direct investment into South Africa. - SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria - The Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, will on Wednesday address the media on trade relations between the United States and South Africa ahead of President Barrack Obama’s visit this week.

The American president is scheduled to arrive in South Africa on Friday for a visit that many experts say will lay the foundation for stronger cooperation between the world’s economic powerhouse and sub-Saharan Africa.

Obama’s three-nation visit includes stops in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. This is his second trip to the region.

Minister Davies will highlight the importance of President Obama’s visit, in relation to trade and investment, and the country’s position as a prime investment destination.

“The United States is one of the five major trading partners of South Africa and our trade with the US has recovered to the levels of 2008 before the global financial crisis.

“Also our trade has been characterised by a proportion of value added products coming from South Africa, which makes it of strategic significance to us,” said Davies. – SAnews.gov.za

Pretoria – Eskom has been named the overall winner of the 2013 Nkonki State Owned Companies (SOC) Integrated Reporting Awards for a second year running. The awards recognise state-owned companies that have excelled in integrated reporting in the country in 2012. Accepting the award on the power parastatal’s behalf on Wednesday, Eskom Group Financial Controller, [...]Eskom wins award is a post from: South Africa Business



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Chinese stocks have fallen to a four-and-a-half-year low amid continued concern over the government's credit-tightening policy.

The Shanghai Composite SSE index fell as much as 5.3% to 1,859 points.

This resulted in shares entering bear market territory - describing a 20% fall from a recent peak.

China's central bank has indicated that its credit-tightening policy will continue, saying the era of cheap credit is over.

A government-led credit boom has been one of the key contributors to China's economic growth in recent years.