Coronavirus: the price of global pandemic responses has been to make many other diseases worse

We are living through an age of untold suffering. Over 500 000 people have died from coronavirus in the US alone, over 120 000 in the UK, and over two million worldwide. With Covid-19 dominating the...

EVs are more expensive than traditional cars

Last week, I engaged in a thought experiment about the future of the American gas station once electric vehicles take over the road. My conclusion: the big highway rest stop is probably OK, as is the...

Woolworths reports online sales surge

Woolworths delivered a more than 58% improvement in headline earnings per share in the 26 weeks ended 27 December 2020, with the retail group benefiting, in part, from a big focus on e-commerce. The i...

Treasury gazettes draft changes to Pension Funds Act – but it's not asset prescription

The public will have until 29 March to weigh in on proposed changes to Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act. The changes aim to make it easier for retirement funds to invest in infrastructure asset ...

Asia markets tumble as rate hike fears take hold

The rollout of vaccines, slowing of infections and Joe Biden's impending huge US stimulus are proving to be a double-edged sword for traders. Alarm bells have been ringing for weeks as the yield on be...

State capture: Eskom's Tsotsi changes tune on Gupta man's instruction under Zondo examination

Before the State Capture Commission on Friday, former Eskom board chair Zola Tsotsi admitted that he did not ignore a letter sent to him by a Gupta associate as he stated before. The letter, which was...

Another hefty loss for Steinhoff as high finance costs, litigation provisions bite

Stellenbosch-headquartered furniture and household goods company Steinhoff has posted another multi-billion rand loss. Despite a "resilient" operational performance, the group suffered from high inter...

African Gold SPAC raises R5.3 billion ahead of US listing

African Gold Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company targeting gold assets on the continent, raised a more-than-expected $360 million ahead of a listing in New York on Friday. “We are...

MTN to appeal Syrian court’s ruling

South Africa’s MTN Group said on Friday it intends to appeal the Administrative Court of Damascus’ ruling to place the company’s Syrian business under judicial guardianship and is also considering oth...

Oil set for steady gains

Oil prices will stage a steady recovery this year as vaccines reach more people and speed an economic revival, with further impetus coming from stimulus and output discipline by top crude producers, a...

Government needs to stick to the 2021 budget

It was ugly, but it suggests that South Africa’s financial position has not deteriorated as much as was foreseen in October last year in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) presented by fi...

Kim Reid stepping down as Takealot CEO

In a surprise development, Takealot.com has announced that its CEO, Kim Reid, is stepping down from the role. He is not leaving Takelot, though – he will become chairman of South Africa’s largest onl...

SA’s trade surplus narrows to R11.83 billion in January

South Africa’s trade surplus narrowed to R11.83 billion ($790 million) in January from a revised surplus of R33.06 billion in December, data from the revenue service showed on Friday. Exports fell 13....

Steinhoff agrees sale and lease-back of Conforama Iberia properties

Steinhoff is to sell the properties of its European subsidiary Conforama Iberia and lease them back, the South African retail group said on Friday, as part of efforts to cut debt and pay back creditor...

Steinhoff FY core profit hit by Covid-19 impact

South African retail group Steinhoff said on Friday core annual profit fell 21%, reflecting the impact of lost sales during the Covid-19 lockdown. Steinhoff, which has been battling the fallout from a...

Skeptical Moody's sees SA debt burden rising

Ratings agency Moody's noted that although government's deficit forecasts have been revised lower, the country can't avoid a rising debt burden over the next three years. Moody's raised concerns that ...

Moody’s says lower deficits in SA budget won’t prevent debt rising

Rand slips as the reality of SA's debt trajectory sets in

The rand was the worst performing emerging market currency on Thursday, it weakened beyond R15/$ in the overnight session. The local currency had previously made gains on a global market risk-on senti...

Weed love some! Beckham-backed dagga skin cream bends stock market curve

Cellular Goods, which is backed by retired soccer star David Beckham, surged more than fourfold as it started trading in London after raising £13 million (R270 million) in an initial public offering, ...

MAS Real Estate declines declaring an interim dividend

MAS Real Estate Limited has announced its adjusted total earnings of €57 million for the six months ended on the 31st of December 2020 compared to an adjusted total loss of €85.5 million for the prior...

Cabinet names permanent CEOs for struggling Prasa and Post Office

Cabinet has announced new CEOs for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa and the SA Post Office, two struggling state entities that have faced a high turnover of top executives in recent years. Zo...

Terugploeg’s help with real impact becomes a reality

The first sod of Terugploeg’s new packaging, processing and distribution facility was turned on Wednesday, the 24th of February 2021. Strategically located next to the N4 highway near the Cullinan/Ra...

Expect steep fuel prices in March, AA warns

The price of petrol could rise by as much as 66 cents per litre, and diesel 57 cents per litre in March, according to the Automobile Association's (AA) estimates. The AA on Friday issued a statement o...

Rand steadies after slide to three-week lows

The rand firmed slightly on Friday morning but remained near its weakest in three weeks after a jump in US treasury yields triggered a sharp slide in the previous session. At 0645 GMT the rand was 0.1...

Terugploeg’s help with real impact becomes a reality

Judge in Google case disturbed that even ‘incognito’ users are tracked

When Google users browse in “Incognito” mode, just how hidden is their activity? When Google users browse in “Incognito” mode, just how hidden is their activity? The Alphabet Inc. unit says activating...

Judge in class action Google case disturbed that even ‘Incognito’ users are being tracked

Google has become a target of antitrust complaints in the last year, accusing it of abusing its dominance in digital advertising and online search. In this case, Google is accused of relying on pieces...

Stocks extend drop as global bond selloff eases: markets wrap

Global bond markets attempted to recover from an aggressive selloff that drove steep losses in Treasuries and US stocks Thursday. The dollar extended overnight gains. Shares in Europe dropped, with t...

Global bond selloff eases; stock slump extends: markets wrap

Global bonds attempted to recover from an aggressive selloff that drove steep losses in Treasuries and US stocks Thursday. Asian shares slumped and US and European futures pointed lower. Benchmark Tr...

SA’s January credit growth slows to 3.26% y/y

What investors are watching after the spike in treasury yields

Here are some thoughts from market participants on what to watch for next. The surge in global yields and slump in stocks has left bond and equity investors alike nursing losses and asking whether the...

Biggest foreign-worker exodus since WWII adds to britain’s woes

Presenting a challenge to an economy already roiled by Brexit and the coronavirus. Foreign workers are leaving Britain at the fastest pace since World War II, presenting a challenge to an economy alre...

Musk says nickel is ‘biggest concern’ for electric-car batteries

It’s scarce and expensive, so the chief executive officer of electric-carmaker Tesla tweeted on Thursday that the company’s shifting some cars to a type of battery that uses iron instead. Subscribe fo...

KWK Architects repurposes industrial site and warehouse into office space for Washington Universi...

The project’s first two phases have been completed with the third and final phase under way. KWK Architects is currently leading a project to repurpose nearly eight acres of industrial space into new ...

Dartmouth College’s new faculty and graduate student center completes

Anonymous Hall, a $28 million-dollar, 32,995-sf faculty and graduate center named for alumni and friends who have quietly supported the college over two centuries, has completed on Dartmouth College’s...

Design unveiled for federal courthouse in Huntsville, Ala.

General Services Administration recently unveiled the design for a new federal courthouse in Huntsville, Ala. The three-story Fentress Architects-designed courthouse will include five courtrooms and s...

Is green the new gold? Investment opportunities in South Africa’s cannabis industry

In September 2018, the Constitutional Court of South Africa decriminalised the private use of cannabis. The South African government is also gradually becoming receptive to the growth of cannabis for...

Transfer of immovable property following divorce

Conveyancing and property law, family divorce and matrimonial law. In respect of immovable property, it is important to note that the divorce order merely records that the party/parties are entitled t...

Cabinet approves four bills

Cabinet has, at its ordinary meeting the week, approved the Land Court Bill and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Amendment Bill of 2021, among others. “Cabinet approve...

West Africa: Ghanaian businessman grows skin- and hair-care company into a regional player

The story of how Moses Atobrah started Debbies – a skin- and hair-care products business in Accra, Ghana – begins with the tale of two women in his life. For years, Atobrah watched his mother run her...

Revamped Checkers Hyper Brackenfell features a food truck and pet shop

The newly-revamped Checkers Hyper flagship in Brackenfell now boasts a food truck, party shop and pet shop - unique services introduced to the retailer's Western Cape store network for the first time....

Revamped Checkers Hyper Brackenfell features a food truck and pet shop

The newly-revamped Checkers Hyper flagship in Brackenfell now boasts a food truck, party shop and pet shop - unique services introduced to the retailer's Western Cape store network for the first time....

Woolworths expands casual wear offering after return to profit growth

South African retailer Woolworths said on Thursday it was expanding its casual and sports leisurewear ranges to reduce reliance on formal wear, after reporting a rise in half-year profit for the first...

Vumelana Advisory Fund welcomes R9.3bn allocation to land restitution claims

The Vumelana Advisory Fund has welcomed the R9.3bn allocated over the next three years to finalise 1,409 land restitution claims, as recently announced in the Budget Speech. “It is encouraging to also...

Discovery: Profitable in a pandemic

The number of members in the Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS), managed by Discovery Health, continues to decline from a peak reached in 2018/2019. Members on KeyCare plans, which are restricted ...

Another citizen group takes its local municipality to court

In this case to get rid of a municipal manager who just won’t leave, despite repeated accusations of mismanagement. It seems the citizens of North West province have had it with dysfunctional local go...

Woolies prepares for a food fight

The Woolworths share price touched a 12-month high on Thursday following the release of a comparatively strong set of interim results encouraging optimism that management is making progress dealing wi...