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Digital infrastructure provider WIOCC Group is furthering its expansion strategy in three African countries, enhancing the continent’s digital infrastructure and connectivity and supporting economic growth after securing funding through a financing package from IFC and Proparco. The financing includes loans of $10-million and R200-million from IFC, as well as $20-million from Proparco, a development finance institution and subsidiary of the Agence Française de Développement Group.

Netherlands-based global major engineered heavy lift and transport company Mammoet has announced that it has started assembly of its latest, and the world’s biggest and strongest land-based, crane, the SK6000. This is a ring crane design, and its assembly is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year. “This is a thrilling new chapter for Mammoet and modular construction in heavy industry, as we see the SK6000 taking shape,” affirmed SK6000 Project Manager Koen Brouwers. “It will offer a hook height, outreach, and lifting capacity far in excess of any crane on the market. We are excited to bring this groundbreaking technology to our customers, helping them achieve their project goals with greater efficiency and more sustainability.”

South Africa’s State power utility and biggest source of air pollution won an appeal to keep five of its oldest plants open even though they are set to flout incoming emission caps. The plants - which account for almost a quarter of Eskom Holdings’ almost 45 GW of coal-fired generation capacity - will be allowed to operate under current emission limits until the end of March 2030, Barbara Creecy, South Africa’s environment minister, ruled. That will exempt them from more stringent restrictions on pollutants, ranging from particulate emissions to sulfur dioxide, that come into effect in 2025.

Dr Nicole Taylor, onboard the SA Agulhas II

Stellenbosch researcher investigates seasickness, using an app she developed

Published: 20 Jun 24

Contrary to much popular opinion, many sailors and other professional seafarers suffer, to greater or lesser degrees, from seasickness when they re-embark on sea voyages. Suffering dizziness, tiredness, general discomfort, and, at the worst, nausea and vomiting, undermines their ability to fulfil their duties, at least during the early stage of their mission. Effectively countering, indeed preventing, seasickness would benefit both the individuals concerned and the efficiency with which they execute their duties. “Existing models tend to describe levels of motion sickness for groups, rather than individuals,” points out Stellenbosch University Mechanical and Mechantronic Engineering Department postdoctoral research fellow Dr Nicole Taylor. “Studies on motion sickness appear to be conducted in a manner that collects data from individuals, then aggregate results during analysis.”

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