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South Africa Gets World Bank Funding For Clean Energy Project
The World Bank has granted South Africa financing of $497 million to decommission one of its largest coal-fired power plants and convert it to renewable energy. According to a statement by the apex bank, the newly closed Komati power station about 170 kilometres (105 miles) northeast of Johannesburg will be repurposed using solar and wind…
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Economy: Here Is Why South Africa Is Extending Fuel Levy Cuts
The South African government is considering an extension on the reduction in the general fuel levy until early August to ease pressure on consumers from high domestic fuel prices linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In March, the government announced a temporary reduction in the fuel levy of 1.5 rands ($0.09) per litre for two months…
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A Look At South Africa’s Transition To Low-Carbon Economy
To prevent the catastrophic impacts of climate change, a pact signed and detailed in the Paris Agreement called for countries to limit global warming to 2ºC. To stay within the carbon budget, the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gas emissions should not exceed 450 ppm CO2 for E5. Like other continents in the world, Africa recognizes…
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Deadly Floods Displaces 40,000 In South Africa’s Coastal City
One week after heavy torrential rains hit South Africa, rescue operators have recorded a death toll of at least 443 people, with at least 63 others still missing. Heavy flood engulfed the KwaZulu-Natal province in the port city of Durban last week, pulling buildings and people along with it. Official data from government agencies shared that…
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South African Court Blocks Oil Exploration By Shell
A court decision has annulled all rights given to Shell to explore oil and gas using seismic waves on the Indian ocean, off the coast of South Africa. The High Court in the Eastern Cape town of Makhanda backed a suit filed by conservationists and local groups who shared concerns on the environmental consequences of…
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Sinovac Begins Pediatric Vaccine Trials In South Africa
Chinese vaccine makers Sinovac Biotech has launched the main phase of a global Covid vaccine study on children and teenagers in South Africa, with the first two participants jabbed in Pretoria. The study is testing the efficacy of Sinovac’s two-dose CoronaVac on 14,000 children aged between six months and 17 years in Chile, Kenya, Malaysia,…
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South Africa To Launch COVID Vaccine Passports
The South African government has announced the introduction of a “vaccine passport” idea, amid widespread mistrust of the Covid-19 vaccine in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday in a televised address that the passport would serve as proof of vaccination for various purposes and events. While he promised that more information about the…
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South Africa Reports Steady Economic Recovery In Q2
Though South Africa’s economic growth margin is still considered stuck in its longest downward cycle since World War II at below 3%, recent reports show the economy has quickened in the second quarter of 2021 as restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic were eased. According to Statistics South Africa, gross domestic product expanded 1.2% in the…
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Reactions To South Africa’s Nuclear Energy Plan
South Africa’s nuclear energy industry dates back to the mid-1940s when the predecessor organisation to the Atomic Energy Corporation (AEC) was formed. Years passed and the commitment to nuclear energy slowed, as the world championed renewable energy. Now 31 years later, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has announced its plans to revive its…
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South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria Top Global Unemployment Rates
According to a recent report published by Bloomberg, Nigeria has the third highest unemployment rate at 33.3 percent among a list of 82 countries. Nigeria comes behind South Africa which has the highest rate and Namibia. According to the report, South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 34.4 percent in the second quarter from 32.6 percent.…