BizNews Radio
Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
David Shapiro: Making sense of Adrian Gore's R1.4bn share transaction
In the latest episode of Rational Radio, South Africa's favourite market commentator David Shapiro unpacked the massive (and complex) put and call options entered into this week by Discovery founder and CEO Adrian Gore. The trades reported on the Stock Exchange News Service relate to Gore's decision to borrow money…
MTN, Vodacom ordered to slash data prices; Worse than Eskom: SA water crisis looms; manufacturing slumps
In the headlines today: President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that South Africa faces a grave water crisis. In his weekly letter to citizens, he says: “Unless we take drastic measures to conserve water sources and promote efficient use, water insecurity will become the biggest developmental and economic challenge facing this…
Azar Jammine: IMF's shout out to Ramaphosa - bring Alliance onside. Quick.
A bit like a multinational Stokvel, the Washington-based International Monetary Fund acts as the banker of last resort for member countries which get themselves into difficulties. To prepare itself, the IMF has a regular programme of sending surveillance teams to assess its potential exposure - and where it finds problems,…
Companies losing faith in SAA; Inflated Tongaat Hulett profits; Zuma’s date with justice; tweeting for Africa
In today's business headlines: Companies are starting to lose faith that South African Airways can and will be saved. Sanlam Travel Insurance Consultants said it would exclude SAA from its insolvency cover and Flight Centre has stopped selling SAA tickets. An investigation into alleged wrongdoing at Tongaat Hulett found that…
Hennie Bezuidenhoudt: How Orbvest hedges risk when investing in US medical properties
There's no business on earth which doesn't carry risk, says Orbvest chairman and co-founder Hennie Bezuidenhoudt. But after scouring the global property landscape for suitable offshore investment opportunities, Bezuidenhoudt and his Orbvest colleagues specialised in the US medical property market for good reason. In this insightful interview he explains why…
Eskom’s surprising profit; Govt finances will worsen; Ramaphosa pulls Chairman's convo plug; KPMG, Steinhoff
In today's business headlines: Eskom has posted a surprising R1.3bn profit in the six months through September, which is almost double that of the previous year thanks to higher tariffs. The Reserve Bank says there's a high likelihood that the South African government’s finances would deteriorate further posing a risk…
Piet Viljoen: Investors AWOL so many managers run companies for themselves
Piet Viljoen, top money manager and founder of RECM, linked up with old pal Alec Hogg in this week's episode of Rational Radio to talk about his alma maters Allan Gray and the recently renamed Ninety One (Investec Asset Management). He offers some scathing opinions on Tiger Brands - a…
Business confidence uptick; SAA sends red flare; Junk could see $8bn bond sell-off; Zuma tax returns; Brait overhauls New Look
In today's business headlines: South African business confidence improved in the fourth quarter for the first time in almost two years owing to a recovery in residential activity and expectations of a good Christmas shopping season. The Rand Merchant Bank business confidence Index rose to 26 for the fourth quarter…
SA wealth report; SA female board representation up; survival secrets of dogs, humans; JSE, Rand
In today's headlines: How many wealthy people are there in South Africa? A new report suggests that there are just over 2,000 individuals with net assets of $10m (R150m) and more and just under 40,000 South Africans with net assets of about $1m (R15m) or more. In his weekly newsletter…
Determined Kayamandi student, Aphelele Mvamva scoops fast track wine career opportunity.
21 year old Aphelele Mvamva lives with her sister in the Kayamandi township just outside Stellenbosch. It means “nice place” in iXhosa but the hostel that she lives in, is anything but. As a little girl, she was shuttled between the Eastern Cape and Stellenbosch where her mother Nokalothi was…
The astonishing tale of how Absa helped Eskom man steal R66m: Paul O'Sullivan joins the dots
Absa, one of South Africa's biggest banks, turned a blind eye to money laundering. That's abundantly clear from the evidence Forensics for Justice founder Paul O'Sullivan has pieced together. Absa is hiding behind technicalities to avoid explaining its role in state capture and corruption at Eskom, which is the state…
Shareholder activist Tracey Davies targets this week's Sasol, FirstRand AGMs
Fireworks are likely when two of South Africa's top companies host shareholders at their annual general meetings this week. Tracey Davies, an environmental lawyer turned shareholder activist (LLB at UCT, LLM at NYU), intends peppering questions at the directors of Sasol (Wednesday) and FirstRand (Thursday). In the latest episode of…
David Shapiro: Why ESG is hot - and managers need to pay attention
After getting a blast last week over his Sasol comments from an environmental activist, David Shapiro spent time investigating the hot new trend among investors called ESG - Environmental, Social, Governance. He concludes that the business of business is no longer just business. This has significant implications for investible assets…
IMF warning for SA growth; Ramaphosa race row twist; Eskom pollution slammed; Zesa turns off its own lights; Uber
The International Monetary Fund, which has slashed its growth forecast to just above zero for South Africa, warns that only radical reform will turbo-charge the country's economy. President Cyril Ramaphosa is at the centre of a race row. First he appointed a white man to head Eskom, and in the…
Azar Jammine: S&P switch to "negative" a red flag for SA interest rates
Friday's report from ratings agency S&P switched its outlook on South Africa from "neutral" to "negative" - signalling another credit downgrade is on that cards. That would take the country's sovereign debt rating to three notches below the all-important Investment Grade level. Most analysts are focusing on another of the…
Chair Bongumusa Makhatini on SABC board's approach to State Security Agency
A storm has erupted around around a front page Sunday Times report that SABC's directors resolved to approach the State Security Agency to help address "leaking" of board minutes. Harvard-educated SABC chairman Bongumusa Makhatini reacted aggressively, accusing the newspaper of pursuing a commercial agenda and using fake news to attack…
Deeper into junk; SAA strike over; ME arms exports blocked; Zuma must get his day in court
In today's business headlines: South Africa could fall deeper into junk territory after Standard & Poor's Global Ratings agency cut the outlook on its assessment of the nation’s debt to negative, citing slow growth, the upwardly revised fiscal deficit and a growing debt burden. South African Airways restored a full…
Bongo arrest signals action; Repo rate unchanged; no Bosasa auction; Corpse delivered at OM; FirstRand, MrP, Telkom
In today's business headlines: Former State security minister Bongani Bongo has been arrested in a case related to bribery at state owned companies in what is seen as Cyril Ramaphosa’s first action to end corruption. Bosasa assets cannot be put up for sale. That is according to Jared Watson, the…
Perry Feldman on FMF's Khaya Lam: 8,500 new homeowners - 6m to go
There is a strong school that believes those who have accumulated wealth make great philanthropists because they understand how to leverage their resources for maximum impact. In this fascinating interview, Perry Feldman shares a practical example of this by unpacking an innovative homeowner focused project championed by the South Africa's…
Gordhan won't interfere; Bosasa goods under hammer, Prasa's Lucky Montana asset seizure; Inflation, Remgro
In today's business headlines: The government has ruled out intervention in the ongoing battle between South African Airways and unions leading the strike. Assets belonging to several entities of Bosasa, which include the company's former headquarters and a copper plant will be auctioned off over three days in December. Former…