Rwanda launches first 'Made in Africa' smartphones . Rwanda's Mara Group launched two smartphones on Monday, describing them as the first "Made in Africa" models and giving a boost to the country's ambitions to become a regional technology hub. The Mara X and Mara Z will use Google’s Android operating system and cost 175 750 Rwandan francs ($190) and 120,250 Rwandan francs ($130) respectively.

Siemens backs mega green power hydrogen project in Australia . Siemens is partnering on a 5 000 MW combined solar and wind farm in Western Australia that will produce renewable hydrogen for potential export to Asia. The Murchison facility will use Siemens’ electrolyser technology to convert power from the solar and wind units into hydrogen, it said in a joint statement with developer Hydrogen Renewables Australia. The project’s location, north of the coastal town of Kalbarri, makes it “one of the most cost-effective” spots in Australia to produce clean energy, according to the statement.

Nuclear faces climate-fight irrelevance without lower cost . Catastrophic climate change can still be averted even without increasing one of the biggest sources of carbon-free electricity. That was the message sent to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials on Monday, who convened their first-ever conference exploring how nuclear power could help mitigate climate change. Reactors currently supply about a third of the world’s low-carbon electricity, but that share could tumble as economies turn to cheaper technologies.

EU urged to copy China’s Belt and Road plan to engage in Africa . The European Union (EU) is being urged to copy China’s Belt and Road Initiative to better channel the billions of euros in aid it sends to Africa each year. The proposal for a single institution to deal with all aid to the continent is part of a report on the bloc’s external lending strategy circulated to EU diplomats and is due to be presented to the bloc’s finance ministers later this week. It includes the establishment of a “European Climate and Sustainable Development Bank” to consolidate the bloc’s development funding activities.

Implats to acquire North American Palladium for R11.4bn cash . Platinum group metals mining company Impala Platinum (Implats) on Monday entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares in North American Palladium Limited for close to R11.4-million. North American Palladium (NAP), a company headquartered in Toronto, Canada, primarily mines and explores for palladium.

Presidential Climate Change Commission to be just-transition crucible – Creecy . Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy has confirmed that the Presidential Climate Change Commission, which was proposed as part of agreements reached at the 2018 Jobs Summit, will...

Presidential Climate Change Commission to be just-transition crucible – Creecy . Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy has confirmed that the Presidential Climate Change Commission, which was proposed as part of agreements reached at the 2018 Jobs Summit, will be established and will become a key platform for facilitating South Africa’s ‘just transition’ to a low-carbon economy. Speaking at a recent stakeholder dialogue hosted as part of South Africa’s preparations for the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting, Creecy revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa had agreed that the process of establishing the commission should begin in earnest.

Biggest global trade zone may boost South Africa, Ramaphosa says . President Cyril Ramaphosa is hopeful an agreement that could see the continent become the world’s largest free-trade zone will boost the country’s sluggish economy. But the targeted start date is fast approaching and nations have yet to agree to any tariff concessions. The African Continental Free Trade Area, will be a “game changer” for South Africa, Ramaphosa said in his weekly letter to citizens Monday. Africa’s most-industrialized economy is “well-placed” to benefit due to its established manufacturing base, developed infrastructure and deep financial markets, he said.

Jobs Summit committee reports progress in various areas . The Presidential Working Committee on the Jobs Summit, which held its monthly meeting on Monday, noted that substantial progress had been made in reforming and modernising South Africa’s visa regime, issuing water-use licences, releasing broadband spectrum, saving jobs in distressed firms and improving the certainty of electricity supply. These were among the updates provided to government, labour, business and the community at the second committee meeting.

Volvo, Geely to merge engine units in electric car push . Volvo Cars and China’s Geely plan to merge their engine operations into a standalone company, a step the Swedish automaker says will cut costs as it shifts to a fully electrified lineup. The combined unit would supply two million diesel and gasoline-powered engines, compared with the 600 000 Volvo produces today, giving the two companies more scale to reduce material costs. It could also supply other car manufacturers, though none have expressed interest yet, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.