Flash Briefing: SA born biotech billionaire injects billions into WC vaccine production; Facebook bosses to appear in SA

Loading player...
* South African-American biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong has committed an initial R3 billion to help build out South Africa’s capabilities to produce COVID-19 vaccines.
* South Africa’s Department of Health said that while Covid-19 infections climbed 46% in the last week the country has not yet reached a “resurgence threshold.”
* The South African Medical Research Council has produced a report into excess deaths over the past year suggests more than 133,000 people in the country have died from Covid-19.
* Absa expects a 10-fold profit jump for the six months to June 30, it said on Thursday, citing cost controls and reduced bad debts.
* South Africa’s biggest food producer Tiger Brands said on Thursday it expects its half-year profits to rise by up to 55% versus a year earlier.
* Facebook has been called to appear before South Africa’s Parliament this month to explain what it is doing about “harmful misinformation” spreading on its platform, marking the first time the social media giant has appeared before lawmakers in Africa, reports Forbes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 May 2021 10AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

BN Daybreak: Apple earnings; Amazon AWS; RMB housing; Anglo’s SA exit; Tesla China sale

Today's BizNews Daybreak covers Apple's quarterly results, Rivian's SUV success, and Anthropic's AI breach, alongside a semiconductor rally driven by Microsoft and Oracle. Football federations oppose FIFA selling World Cup stakes, while Donald Trump claims a Gaza disarmament agreement. Meanwhile, Alec Hogg discusses Anglo American’s South Africa exit, RMB launches…
30 Jul 11PM 14 min

Cityboy: How psychopaths win big in business, politics - but lose in life

A former top-ranked City of London stockbroker has written a manual for winning at business, politics and life. There's just one catch: to follow it, you'd have to think like a psychopath. Geraint Anderson, the man behind the legendary "Cityboy" column, tells BizNews editor Alec Hogg why he built his…
30 Jul 9AM 32 min

R1-billion blended finance programme to transform real estate

In this interview with Chris Steyn, Alessandro Scalco of RMB Sustainable Finance shares the details of a R1 billion Blended Finance Programme to formalise and scale South Africa’s burgeoning affordable rental market. Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) has partnered with INDLU, a property financial technology company that empowers landowners to build,…
30 Jul 6AM 15 min

BN Daybreak: Ramaphosa interdict bid; Fed holds rates; Fauci's Fifth Amendment; Zambian kwacha

In today's episode, the Fed leaves interest rates unchanged amid a fractured vote and market sell-offs. Locally, four parties are challenging President Ramaphosa's impeachment interdict, while Treasury controversially releases funds to 69 failing municipalities. We also cover Dr. Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment regarding the Covid-19 response, Zambia's kwacha surging…
29 Jul 11PM 16 min