Aluminium giant Alcan's chief executive said this week he has not spoken with a Russian investor who is reportedly interested in the Coega aluminium smelter

VETERAN deal maker Brian Gilbertson emerged at the weekend as a potential white knight to save the $2,2bn Coega aluminium smelter project.

Johannesburg - The industrial development zone (IDZ) at Richards Bay could acquire an operating licence by June this year, it emerged yesterday.

Twelve years ago Rael Levitt bunked university lectures to attend auctions.

Cement sales in the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) increased 5.7 percent last month as economic growth spurred demand from the construction industry.

Bisho - The Eastern Cape government has proposed to host a railway indaba next year at which the vastly underutilised railway network in the province will be on the spotlight.

Current investments being negotiated for the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) have the potential of taking up 70% of the available land on phase one of the project.

Bisho - The Eastern Cape government in conjunction with the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) ensures that women continue to be among the key beneficiaries of economic benefits of the multibillion Rand Coega project.

IDC will invest in the planned aluminium smelter at the Coega industrial development zone and the Sishen and Sishen South iron-ore projects.

Australian-style multiple auctions - introduced to South Africa last year by Auction Alliance in the residential market - have now been extended to commercial property.