Covid-19 cases near 1,000 as SA shuts; SA billionaires embarrass Branson; price gougers; forced Covid leave

Loading player...
In today's news headlines:
* As the confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa head towards 1,000, the country has gone into a lockdown for 21 days;
* As the nation-wide lockdown took effect from midnight on Thursday, the government reminds employers they can enforce leave over this period;
* As has happened in other countries, the shutdown is likely to put businesses under severe strain. Mr Price has warned of no sales for the next three weeks;
* Spar and Pick n Pay are on a list of price gougers, with the Competition Commission asking the CEOs of the biggest retailers to avoid exploiting consumers - or face harsh treatment from the government;
* British billionaire Richard Branson is at the centre of a storm for trying to take from government amid the coronavirus crisis. Compare this to South African billionaire Johann Rupert, whose family has pledged R1bn to help small businesses survive the unprecedented shutdown; and
* European markets perked up on expectations that governments will work hard to reignite economic activity after the coronavirus has been brought under control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Mar 2020 1PM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

BN Daybreak Thurs 15 Jan: Abedian on SA Silence about “21st Century Nazis”; Mining Indaba's back story; Sasol Surges

In this morning's briefing, Alec Hogg unpacks a volatile geopolitical landscape where conflicting reports emerge from Iran—Donald Trump claims de-escalation while internal memos suggest mass casualties. We speak to Iranian-born and bred entrepreneur and former UCT Economics Prof Iraj Abedian, who delivers a scathing critique of the South African government's…
14 Jan 11PM 17 min

BN Briefing: Leaked Iran death toll, US-SA relations, and Equities vs Gold

In this BizNews Briefing, Dr. Iraj Abedian reveals leaked reports of 12,000 deaths in Iran, questioning the South African government’s silence. The Hudson Institute's Josh Meservey analyses Pretoria’s alignment with American adversaries. Plus, David Shapiro discusses the "survival mode" of South African business, and Peter Major explains why equities historically…
14 Jan 5AM 13 min