Business News Leaders

Tito’s wager on wages

Finance minister Tito Mboweni presenting his medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) yesterday reminded South Africans that the country’s Aloe Ferox is drought resistant, but the aloe is also bitter and the bitter pill that the country needs to swallow was only partially delivered yesterday. This year 57% of the country’s…

29 Oct 2020 2AM 25 min

Unpacking Mboweni's medium-term budget

Finance minister Tito Mboweni has presented his medium-term budget. The MTBPS puts forward a bold plan to slash government's wage bill over the next three years as a way to reign in a soaring budget deficit. The budget also shows that funding state owned enterprises will come at a sacrifice…

28 Oct 2020 2AM 12 min

Inflation eases to 3% in September

Inflation slowed to its lowest level in 3-months, coming in at 3% year-on-year in September. Business Day TV unpacked the print with Walter de Wet from Nedbank CIB.

28 Oct 2020 2AM 4 min

Day of debt reckoning arrives

The day of the medium-term budget policy statement reckoning has arrived. Michael Avery discusses how the fiscal crisis will define public policy over the medium term with former head of the Treasury budget office, Michael Sachs, currently an Adjunct Professor at Wits Southern Centre for Inequality Studies; Michael Katz, Chair…

28 Oct 2020 2AM 28 min

Unpacking Ramaphosa's green energy plan

President Cyril Ramaphosa says that government is planning to lessen the country's dependence on Eskom and will be welcoming independently generated solar energy as a solution to the way forward. To unpack Rhamaphosa's green energy plan in more detail Business Day TV caught up with RMB Infrastructure Transactor Daniel Zinman.

27 Oct 2020 2AM 3 min

Lockdown causes turbulence for Acsa

The Covid-19 related lockdown has been hard on the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) as travel restrictions brought flights to a near standstill under level five. So how does the company plan to move forward from this turbulent time? Business Day TV spoke to the group's CFO Siphamandla Mthethwa…

27 Oct 2020 2AM 7 min

Why Treasury should support the Land Bank

Finance minister Tito Mboweni is putting the final touches on his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) and reports suggest that the statement could include financial support for the Land Bank. This would be welcome news for Agri SA as the organisation says that the bank needs to be supported…

27 Oct 2020 2AM 4 min

Government and labour still poles apart ahead of key MTBPS

For every R10 of government expenditure, more than R3 is spent on transfers, about R3 is spent on public servant salaries & R1 on debt. The remaining R3 is supposed to cover goods, services & infrastructure. Transferring money from the wage bill to infrastructure is what the President’s Economic Advisory…

27 Oct 2020 2AM 26 min

Oil continues to slide

Oil continues to lose ground as Covid-19 cases in the US and Europe rise, sparking concerns about demand. Business Day TV spoke to David Elmes from the Warwick Business School about the dynamics currently at play.

26 Oct 2020 2AM 4 min

Covid-19 serves up tough times for Famous Brands

Covid-19 has served up tough times for Famous Brands. The owner of Wimpy has had to contend with restaurants being shut, weak demand and constrained consumer spending. So how does the business rebuild post the pandemic? To find out Business Day TV spoke to Famous Brands CEO Darren Hele.

26 Oct 2020 2AM 8 min

Where will growth come from for Adapt IT?

Adapt IT has opted to hold on to its final dividend as Covid-19 batters the SA economy. The technology group does however expect a bump from the education and telecoms sectors as the pandemic boosts demand for online learning and services related to working from home. ​Business Day TV caught…

26 Oct 2020 2AM 5 min

What to expect from Mboweni's mini budget​

With just under a week to go before finance minister Tito Mboweni unveils his mini budget, economists and the business community have come out with what they'd like to see in the MTBPS. Business Day TV caught up with Citadel's chief economist Maarten Ackerman to discuss his expectations. ​

23 Oct 2020 2AM 8 min

So, for the record by Anton Harber

Michael Avery interviews well-known journalism professor and author, Anton Harber, about his new book, So, for the record, which goes behind the headlines that damaged media credibility during the Jacob Zuma era of state capture. The masterfully crafted account of how the Sunday Times became the modern day Ozymandian parable,…

23 Oct 2020 2AM 24 min

Presidential Employment Stimulus: how far does it go to address the unemployment crisis?

The launch of the Presidential Employment Stimulus in South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan marks a fundamental shift in the government's approach to tackling unemployment. But there has been some misunderstanding by commentators on how it will be funded and rolled out. Michael Avery speaks to Dr Kate Philip,…

23 Oct 2020 2AM 26 min

Carbon tax deadline looms

South Africa is ranked among the top 15 emitters of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) per capita in the world, making it the most polluted non-oil producing nation. The deadline for paying the carbon tax for the 1 June – 31 December 2019 period is looming at the end of October…

22 Oct 2020 2AM 24 min

What does the future hold for Altron?

Altron is optimistic about its future prospects. The technology services firm expects to derive more benefit from customers opting to go online and it's planning to list its Bytes UK unit on the London Stock Exchange. Business Day TV discussed the outlook in detail with the group's CEO Mteto Nyati.

22 Oct 2020 2AM 5 min

Why Covid-19 volatility failed to boost active funds

The passive vs active debate has been raging for years now, and the passive side seems to be winning - well at least in SA with almost three quarters of local active funds failing to beat their benchmark index in the first half of the year. Sangeeth Sewnath from Ninety-One…

22 Oct 2020 2AM 4 min

What kept Clicks healthy during Covid-19

Social distancing drove many from malls to online shopping and the pandemic also resulted in increased demand for medicines and other healthcare products. This worked in Clicks' favour. The retailer's annual online sales surged by 361% while its medicine distribution unit, UPD produced double digit turnover growth during the period…

22 Oct 2020 2AM 8 min

Is the JSE facing a delisting crisis?

There are 250 fewer companies listed on the JSE now than in 2000. Last year alone, 21 companies delisted and this trend has continued into 2020, with Afrox, Intu properties and Peregrine being among the recent companies to ditch the local bourse. So could the JSE be dealing with a…

21 Oct 2020 2AM 5 min

SA’s Cost of Capital Increases During Covid Crisis

Government ministers would be shocked by the economic value implications of sovereign risk and its impact on the cost of capital. CDS’s have widened to 300 basis points since Covid struck further raising the cost of capital for businesses to invest in SA. Michael Avery speaks to Prof Brian Kantor,…

21 Oct 2020 2AM 25 min