The City of Cape Town plans to build a permanent desalination plant, costing R1.8 billion.
The City said it had already actioned its Water Strategy as 15 million litres of groundwater had come online from the Table Mountain Group Aquifer daily, while other projects including permanent desalination and water reuse were also planned.
Mayco member for water and waste services Xanthea Limberg said: “The temporary desalination plants at Strandfontein and Monwabisi were constructed as emergency water supplies at the height of the drought crisis have both been decommissioned by the contractor in terms of contractual requirements.
“The City also gained valuable knowledge and experience that will be incorporated into the planning and operation of the larger, planned permanent plant.”
It is provisionally programmed to commence water production by the end of 2026, Limberg said.
“The fixed component of the tariff covers approximately 20% to 25% of the water costs. If this was dropped, the consumptive tariff would have to be increased to compensate. No profit is made from the sale of water, and the City strives to keep costs as low as possible,” she said.
The Western Cape experienced a severe drought during 2017 and 2018, and dams almost emptied in terms of usable water. Residents were preparing to line up for water rations distributed by the South African Defense Force. Due to a continued global increase in emissions, climate change is altering weather patterns around the world for the worse, and urgent action is needed.
In September last year, it was reported the City was looking to build another desalination plant to become water-resilient by 2026. The City is considering the development and commissioning of a permanent desalination plant with a capacity of 50 million litres per day by 2026.
In response to the drought, the Strandfontein, Monwabisi and V&A desalination plants were commissioned for a two-year period as part of the City’s Water Resilience Plan, now referred to as the New Water Plan. A combined total of 14 million litres a day were supplied from these plants.
The City has maintained the fixed charge contributes to the fixed costs for operating the water and sanitation service and that fixed charges for basic utility services are in place in municipalities nationwide.
UCT Future Water Research Institute’s interim director Kirsty Carden said the need for a permanent desalination plant would depend on how the demand for water in the city changed over time.
“The ‘Day Zero’ crisis highlighted the fragility of a water system that is dependent primarily on one source (rain-fed surface water storage) and the need for diversifying water resources for the city, to include groundwater, desalinated seawater, treated sewage effluent and storm water harvesting as a means of building resilience.
“It is likely that permanent desalination will have to be included in this suite of planning options at some stage. Through their New Water Strategy, as well as the Resilience Strategy, the City has already acknowledged that a different approach is needed to managing water resources towards building a water-sensitive city.”
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
Aquila Private Game Reserve Wins Prestigious Award
Aquila Private Game Reserve has received one of the most prestigious sustainable tourism awards in the world.
“We are proud to share the news with you that we have received the world’s most prestigious international sustainable tourism award: The 2020 Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award for a Major Tourist Attraction,” the reserve announced via its Facebook page.
The 2020 Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards was presented at their annual general assembly on Saturday, October 17. This year’s world congress assembly was held virtually after the intended Croatian event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The virtual assembly, together with the presentation of its internationally acclaimed awards, gave a glimmer of hope while the tourism economy of the world is recovering from the COVID-19 lockdown, and some regions going back into strict regulations,” Aquila said in a statement.
“Having previously been awarded the most prestigious South African tourism awards: The 2014 National Lilizela Imvelo Award for best economic impact by a large tourism establishment in South Africa, and the 2015 National Lilizela Imvelo Award for sustainable development, Searl Derman, the owner of Aquila Private Game Reserve was proud to once again be honoured with the world’s most prestigious international sustainable tourism award.”
The Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards were launched in 2002 to showcase global best practice.
“The awards are geared towards enhancing the visibility and grant recognition to entities within the Travel and Tourism Industry,” said Peter Morrison, World President of Skål International.
The awards are open annually to all public and private sector companies, educational institutions, NGOs, and government agencies. In its nineteenth edition of the awards ceremony, 44 entities from 23 countries competed in the nine available categories.
“We send our congratulations to the team at Aquila Game Reserve for this international award, which comes at a time when we are working hard to promote our tourism sector both locally and internationally. Tourism is a major job creator in our province and making this sector more sustainable will help to create and preserve jobs in the long term,” Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
South African Home Affairs Grants Temporary Intra-Company Transfer Visa Concession
The South African Minister of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, has announced a temporary concession granted to intra-company transfer visa holders who are currently residing in South Africa. This allows them another 24-month term for their visas.
This waiver is applicable to holders of ICT visas that expired during the lockdown, including the current period and to those which will expire by 31 June 2021; subject to the following conditions:
This temporary visa concession is only applicable to holders of legally issued intra-company visas and who are currently resident in the Republic during the lockdown. Any further extension or modification or amendments to the terms of this concession will only be valid if communicated in writing.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
City of Cape Town Planning to Build R1.8 Billion Permanent Desalination Plant
The City of Cape Town plans to build a permanent desalination plant, costing R1.8 billion.
The City said it had already actioned its Water Strategy as 15 million litres of groundwater had come online from the Table Mountain Group Aquifer daily, while other projects including permanent desalination and water reuse were also planned.
Mayco member for water and waste services Xanthea Limberg said: “The temporary desalination plants at Strandfontein and Monwabisi were constructed as emergency water supplies at the height of the drought crisis have both been decommissioned by the contractor in terms of contractual requirements.
“The City also gained valuable knowledge and experience that will be incorporated into the planning and operation of the larger, planned permanent plant.”
It is provisionally programmed to commence water production by the end of 2026, Limberg said.
“The fixed component of the tariff covers approximately 20% to 25% of the water costs. If this was dropped, the consumptive tariff would have to be increased to compensate. No profit is made from the sale of water, and the City strives to keep costs as low as possible,” she said.
The Western Cape experienced a severe drought during 2017 and 2018, and dams almost emptied in terms of usable water. Residents were preparing to line up for water rations distributed by the South African Defense Force. Due to a continued global increase in emissions, climate change is altering weather patterns around the world for the worse, and urgent action is needed.
In September last year, it was reported the City was looking to build another desalination plant to become water-resilient by 2026. The City is considering the development and commissioning of a permanent desalination plant with a capacity of 50 million litres per day by 2026.
In response to the drought, the Strandfontein, Monwabisi and V&A desalination plants were commissioned for a two-year period as part of the City’s Water Resilience Plan, now referred to as the New Water Plan. A combined total of 14 million litres a day were supplied from these plants.
The City has maintained the fixed charge contributes to the fixed costs for operating the water and sanitation service and that fixed charges for basic utility services are in place in municipalities nationwide.
UCT Future Water Research Institute’s interim director Kirsty Carden said the need for a permanent desalination plant would depend on how the demand for water in the city changed over time.
“The ‘Day Zero’ crisis highlighted the fragility of a water system that is dependent primarily on one source (rain-fed surface water storage) and the need for diversifying water resources for the city, to include groundwater, desalinated seawater, treated sewage effluent and storm water harvesting as a means of building resilience.
“It is likely that permanent desalination will have to be included in this suite of planning options at some stage. Through their New Water Strategy, as well as the Resilience Strategy, the City has already acknowledged that a different approach is needed to managing water resources towards building a water-sensitive city.”
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
We Are Proud to Say We Have Won Graebel’s 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award
This year, as part of Graebel’s 2020 Partner Alliance Excellence Awards, Relocation Africa has received their 2020 Environmental Stewardship Award.
Based on submissions, the award is given to the partner who demonstrates a unique commitment to sustainability innovation.
In our submission, we highlighted our accomplishments with and towards our paperless office, water saving, solar energy system, community outreach via the GOLD charity, vegetable garden, recycling efforts at our head office, and ongoing, team-driven CSR initiatives. We also spoke about our online Consultant training, moving towards a digital (online) portal instead of physical welcome packs, flexible work hours and work from home systems for our team members, remote meetings to reduce our carbon footprint, and integrating sustainable practices into the way we do business with our clients.
We hope that our efforts inspire other companies to take environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices into account for their own operations, and implement ongoing CSR initiatives in their workplaces, as if we work together, we can make the world a healthier place for future generations.
For highlights from the conference, click here.
Graebel Companies, Inc. is a leading provider of global talent and workplace mobility solutions for Fortune 500 and Global 1000 firms and their employees in 165 countries. Since its founding in 1950, Graebel has evolved, innovated and grown to deliver excellent service and results for clients, all while remaining family-owned and focused on its duty of care. With custom technology solutions, Graebel develops and implements mobility strategies that help companies attract and retain talent; respond faster to global market trends; and maximize return on mobility programs. The company addresses every part of the mobility lifecycle for employers and employees, including services for departure and move management, destination, settling-in and ongoing assignments. For more information, visit Graebel.com. Here’s to the world ahead ®.
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For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].