Business News Leaders

Phase two of SA’s vaccine rollout underway

Discovery is working alongside the government to get South Africans vaccinated and phase two of the vaccine rollout strategy is now underway. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam spoke to Ryan Noach, CEO of Discovery Health for an update on the process, and what it suggests for herd immunity at this…

19 May 2021 2AM 7 min

Insurance claims amid COVID-19

Liberty has released its 2020 claims data. The statistics show that Liberty paid a total of R12.4 billion in insurance claims during the period and over half a billion of that went towards confirmed Covid-19-related deaths. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam caught up with Nalen Naidoo, Divisional Executive for Retail…

19 May 2021 2AM 6 min

5am Club and Covid Burnout

Setting a record for self-help books, Robin Sharma’s The 5am Club — Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life, has been on the SA list of top 10 best-selling books for the past 24 months. This says heaps about what South Africans like to read. While professionals are striving to find…

19 May 2021 2AM 23 min

Has Covid killed the MBA?

We live in turbulent and complicated times and business schools are not immune to the uncertainties that now afflict so many aspects of our social and economic lives. Covid just brought forward some of the searching questions around the future of business schools and the much-debated MBA. Youval Harari cautions…

18 May 2021 2AM 25 min

Data demand continues to boost Vodacom

Vodacom has raised its final dividend by 1.2%. That's as increased data usage and robust demand for the group's financial services helped lift profit during the full year. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam unpacked the performance with CEO Shameel Joosub.

18 May 2021 2AM 7 min

Moody’s warns of downgrade

Moody’s says South Africa could face another ratings downgrade and has flagged weak economic growth and government's high debt burden as risks. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam spoke to Lucie Villa, Senior Credit Officer at Moody's for more detail.

18 May 2021 2AM 6 min

Economists expect Sarb to stand pat on rates

Interest rates were cut by a total of 300 basis points last year as the Reserve Bank stepped in to help support the economy following the fallout from Covid-19. But as the vaccine rollout begins and economic activity picks up, what does this spell for monetary policy? To find out…

18 May 2021 2AM 4 min

Astral declares dividend despite earnings knock

Astral has opted to pay an interim dividend of R3 despite the group’s half-year headline earnings per share declining by 37% due to rising feed costs. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam spoke to CEO Chris Schutte for more detail on the numbers as well as the company’s outlook.

17 May 2021 2AM 10 min

Data shows urgent need for education intervention

“Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful.” Samuel Beckett’s iconic quip in Waiting for Godot encapsulates the way it’s felt waiting for a vaccine in South Africa. During the peak of the first wave last year a study conducted by an academic consortium National Income Dynamics Study — Coronavirus…

17 May 2021 2AM 27 min

Redefine Properties posts 62.7% profit plunge

Redefine Properties has posted a near 63% plunge in interim headline earnings, as it had to provide rental relief of over R107 million to financially distressed tenants during the period. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam unpacked the performance with CEO Andrew König.

17 May 2021 2AM 4 min

The week in review

Japanese shares led a rebound in Asian markets on Friday, building on the lead from investors on Wall Street snapping up stocks that would benefit most from an economic recovery. The rally interrupted a three-day rout for stocks globally, as market jitters over accelerating U.S. inflation were calmed by Federal…

14 May 2021 2AM 27 min

E-commerce industry records record growth in 2020

The e-commerce industry is taking off in South Africa. That's as research by World Wide Worx showed that online retail sales jumped 66% last year as lockdown restrictions encouraged more consumers to shop online. Alishia Seckam talks to the MD of World Wide Worx Arthur Goldstuck for more

14 May 2021 2AM 6 min

How lockdown has weighed on Long4Life

Lifestyle group Long4Life has reported a 26% plunge in its annual profit as the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown weighed on all three of the group's divisions. The company's second half did however show signs of a recovery but despite this, the group has opted to withhold its full-year dividend…

13 May 2021 2AM 7 min

Can the rebound in mining production be sustained?

Mining production surged 21.3% year-on-year in March, marking the industry's first annual expansion since February 2020. This was boosted by growth in PGMs, iron-ore and manganese-ore. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam unpacked the print with Nedbank CIB's mining analyst, Arnold Van Graan.

13 May 2021 2AM 4 min

Is waiving vaccine patents the panacea?

The US has backed India and South Africa's bid to temporarily lift patent protection for COVID-19 vaccines. The support for an IP waiver by the WTO has left pharma companies dismayed and health activists asking for more. Public health activists say the easing of patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines will…

13 May 2021 2AM 22 min

Could Steinhoff be liquidated?

Former Tekkie Town owners, Braam van Huyssteen and Bernard Mostert are determined to see Steinhoff liquidated. The pair have filed an urgent court application to do so after they gave up a majority stake in the business to Steinhoff in exchange for shares in the furniture retailer which have since…

13 May 2021 2AM 7 min

Ascendis to focus on SA after agreeing to debt-for-asset swap

Health and wellness group Ascendis has struck a deal with its lenders to swap its European assets for debt. This will reduce the firm’s borrowings by R7.6bn and leave it with assets based solely in South Africa. Business Day TV's Alishia Seckam spoke to Mark Sardi, CEO of Ascendis Health…

12 May 2021 2AM 6 min

Transaction Capital plans to up stake in WeBuyCars

Transaction Capital has announced that it will resume its interim dividend payouts after the company reported a strong recovery in earnings following the fallout from Covid-19. The firm, which provides insurance and financing to minibus taxi operators through its SA taxi division, has also announced that it’s in talks to…

12 May 2021 2AM 8 min

Vaccine trust, hesitancy and SA’s 3rd wave

South Africa has the highest number of COVID-19 cases on the African continent. It has more than 50,000 reported deaths. This may be an underestimate, looking at excess death statistics. The economic cost of the pandemic is evident on the streets and healthcare facilities have been under considerable strain during…

12 May 2021 2AM 24 min

Finding value in the small-cap sector

Business Day TV caught up with Integral Asset Management’s investment officer, Keith McLachlan to find out which three companies in the small-cap sector could offer the potential for big returns.

12 May 2021 2AM 4 min