BizNews Radio
Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
MTN nationalisation threat; Sasol delays results (again); No Eskom "haircut"; HK activists want US help.
The fallout from last week’s xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals is now affecting some of South Africa’s major companies, especially MTN. China’s exports to the US fell for the fourth straight month in August, down almost 16% year-on-year, after a 6% drop in July. South Africa’s oil-from-coal and chemicals group…
SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago: Is SA's upbeat 2Q GDP flash in the pan?
SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago's once jet black moustache has greyed. And there are a few more lines on his face. But apart from those physical signs, only those who live close to the fire would appreciate the tough ride he has had over the past few years as, first, Zuptoids…
Andrew Muir: Environmental tipping point near - at last world is listening
Wilderness Foundation head Andrew Muir is one of those low profile South Africans who quietly go about changing the world. He is a regular on global platforms, providing compelling evidence of the environmental challenges being wrought by man's ignorance of how his actions are affecting Mother Nature. Andrew is also…
Skye Meaker: WEF Africa's youngest agent for positive change
I met Skye Meaker earlier this year in Davos, the day before his 17th birthday. The lad from KZN was the youngest attendee of the couple thousand participants at the annual meetings of the World Economic Forum. He had been invited as the winner of a global competition for wildlife…
SA violence in global spotlight; 300 arrests; Boris prepares to die for Brexit; US stocks soar; MAS, Capitec, Discovery, Hyprop, Assore
The World Economic Forum on Africa was supposed to be President Cyril Ramaphosa’s chance to prove South Africa’s claim to being the continent’s top investment destination. But it has all gone horribly wrong, says Bloomberg. About 300 people have been arrested as police move to restore calm across South Africa,…
Dr Martyn Davies: Time for talking is over - SA needs action. Now.
At the WEF Africa meeting, independent-minded Dr Martyn Davies of Deloitte picked up a bunch of penetrating questions from the Biznews community - and provided his own forthright responses. Davies, who is fluent in Mandarin and travels widely, tackled thorny issues ranging from the proposed NHI through to stalling economic…
ON THE RECORD: Nick Binedell on robots v humans, corruption and re-introducing death penalty
At the WEF Africa meeting, Nick Binedell, the founder and former dean of GIBS, Africa's top business school, applied his mind to some tricky questions posed by members of the Biznews community. His responses opened a number of new avenues of inquiry. He was talking to Biznews founder Alec Hogg…
ON THE RECORD: Absa's Jeff Gable talks turkey on Tito's recovery plan
One of the most popular themes of questions posed by the Biznews community ahead of the WEF Africa meeting related to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's economic revival plan. So Alec Hogg tracked down one of the relative few economists who have actually read the entire document. Among the questions were…
ON THE RECORD: PWC's Africa boss Dion Shango answers our community
In Monday's Daily Insider newsletter, we asked members of the Biznews community to send through questions that we could ask heavy hitters attending the WEF Africa meeting. Alec Hogg caught up with Dion Shango, the Africa head of PWC, the world's leading Big Four accounting and auditing firm. Alec got…
Xenophobia storm hits MTN, Shoprite, Pepkor, Pick n Pay; Nigeria recalls SA envoy; Ramaphosa Tweets for calm
Mobile-phone giant MTN and grocer Shoprite are among South African firms facing a backlash to xenophobic violence in their home country. Nigeria has recalled the High Commissioner to South Africa and is boycotting the World Economic Forum in protest against attacks on its citizens living in the country. Hundreds of demonstrators protesting…
Recession avoided; Rand rebounds: Aspen reduces debt; Boris loses majority; AMCU deregistration reconsidered; army deployed for xenophobic attacks
In today’s business headlines: South Africa has averted a recession after economic growth rebounded in the second quarter; The Rand firmed on the surprising GDP rebound; The Pound rebounded as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost his majority in Parliament; Aspen Pharmacare is making progress in reducing its debt burden,…
Modern business world encourages psychopathic behaviour - Heidi Maibom
Former Steinhoff CEO, Marcus Jooste is rumoured to have been asked if he was an 'effing' psychopath when it came to light that he had been lying for years to colleagues and close friends. DA MP, David Maynier caused a stir in Parliament when he repeated the question to Jooste…
Bumper Sea Harvest; Sugar tax hits RCL Foods; Vox buys out Investec; Manufacturing sentiment slips; Petrol price hike; Tesla powers Zim
In today's business headlines: Sea Harvest Group reported a surge in first-half sales and profits; While RCL Foods reported a 60.8% drop in full-year profit hurt by a poor performance in its sugar and chicken divisions; Vox Telecom SA shareholders including Rand Merchant Bank agreed to buy out fellow investor…
Steinhoff dumps Deloitte; IDC wants R157m from Moyo; HK protests escalate; Trump raises China tariffs
The business ethics of Old Mutual’s former CEO Peter Moyo are back in the spotlight after a dynamite disclosure that the iDC wrote off a R157m loan to his private company shortly before it paid Moyo and other directors fat dividends. Violence flared up in Hong Kong over the weekend…
Massmart slides while Woolies steadies; Phuthuma Nathi bonanza; August stock blues; Unions torch Tito plan
In today's business headlines: Massmart is pinning its hope on a new CEO, Mitchell Slape to stop the slide at the Walmart controlled retailer; Full year earnings from Woolworths showed signs of improving performance and is pulling other retailers up; Black shareholders of MultiChoice South Africa are benefitting from a…
When you are DEEP in debt. How to deal with loan sharks, banks. Listen!
One of the earliest money lessons I received was to borrow money from the bank when you don’t need it - because, when you do need urgent financial help, the bank will not give you funds. So: set up an overdraft, but don’t use it unless there is an emergency;…
David Shapiro: Justifiable concerns around Discovery's "aggressive" accounting
On the Rational Radio show this week, SA's favourite market commentator David Shapiro was in top form, sharing his forthright opinions on the three big investment stories of the moment - Discovery's apparent valuation hole; Sasol's massive overspending on its US chemicals plant; and Naspers' pending listing of its global…
Tekkie Town's Bernard Mostert: How Jooste duped us out of R3.3bn
As the entrails of the corrupt Steinhoff empire become exposed, bruised investors are realising how little defence they have against a sociopathic CEO supported by crooked auditors. But spare a thought for Braam van Huyssteen, his CEO Bernard Mostert, and Tekkie Town which invested two and a half decades building…
Jared Watson: Shining new light on Gavin Watson's untimely death
For some time, chartered accountant Jared Watson had been working with his uncle, the late Gavin Watson of Bosasa fame, on a submission for a confidential SARS tax inquiry. They were together on Sunday evening and were to meet the next morning to drive together to put the final touches…
Alan Knott-Craig: How arranged marriage with SA becomes love affair - commitment
Within a couple days of it being published on Biznews.com, Alan Knott-Craig's think piece on how to live happily in South Africa was read by more than 50,000 people. That's an exceptional number for what; after all, is a clear diversion from the usual mass market fare of doom and…