Business News Leaders

Covid-19 Business Watch: Lockdown let down

It’s day 221 of one of the worlds’ longest running and arguably most economically damaging lockdowns. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation this week amid suggestions that the government could reinstate stricter measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. In SA the 7-day average has dropped to…

3 Nov 2020 1AM 25 min

JSE supports capital flow reforms

The JSE and Intellidex are developing a position paper that proposes exchange control reform, to encourage greater capital flows and investment into South Africa. Business Day TV spoke to JSE CEO Leila Fourie for more detail.

3 Nov 2020 1AM 5 min

How has Covid-19 dampened merger talks in the mining sector?

Covid-19 has hampered merger activity in the mining sector. Industry players have cautioned that only a few deals may be completed amidst the weak economic environment. Business Day TV spoke to RMB's Henk de Hoop for his views on consolidation in the industry.

3 Nov 2020 1AM 4 min

US election preview: what are the foreign policy stakes for South Africa?

Despite some predicting a blue wave a month ago, the U.S. election has tightened further over the last week, making it harder to call. Opinion polls in the most competitive states that will decide the election have shown a closer race, still favouring Biden slightly though. To help you navigate…

2 Nov 2020 1AM 25 min

Can the recovery in manufacturing activity be sustained?

Manufacturing activity picked up in October as the sector benefitted from easing lockdown restrictions, according to the latest Absa purchasing managers index (PMI). Business Day TV spoke to Absa senior economist Miyelani Maluleke to find out if the recovery can be sustained.​

2 Nov 2020 1AM 7 min

Aspen bags Covid-19 vaccine deal

Aspen Pharmacare has reached a preliminary agreement with Johnson & Johnson to manufacture the US company's Covid-19 vaccine should its clinical trials prove successful. The production will be done at Aspen's Port Elizabeth facility. Business Day TV spoke to the drugmaker's CEO Stephen Saad for more detail on the agreement…

2 Nov 2020 1AM 6 min

Why have IPOs lost their appeal as an exit strategy for private equity firms?

Initial public offerings (IPOs) have fallen out of favour with private equity firms as a way to exit their investments, according to the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (Savca). To find out why Business Day TV spoke to Savca CEO Tanya van Lill.

2 Nov 2020 1AM 4 min

Cop Under Cover

Michael Avery speaks to Johann van Loggerenberg, about his fourth book, Cop Under Cover. In it Van Loggerenberg describes his life with killers, drug lords and corrupt officials in vivid detail. This portrait of the criminal underworld also reveals the price he had to pay to lead a double life…

30 Oct 2020 2AM 25 min

Eskom posts R20.5 billion annual loss

Eskom has narrowed its annual loss to R20.5 billion. The power utility has however warned that a larger loss is on the cards for 2021, and that liquidity constraints continue to hamper its ability to achieve financial stability. Business Day TV spoke to CEO André de Ruyter about the performance,…

30 Oct 2020 2AM 4 min

What did Moody's make of Mboweni's medium-term budget?

Finance minister Tito Mboweni has warned that SA may be headed for a debt crisis and yet in the tabling of his medium-term budget, the minister committed to finding more money for SAA. Government's need to help struggling state owned enterprises has been a key concern for ratings agencies, so…

30 Oct 2020 2AM 7 min

Outlook for soft commodities

Soft commodities have mirrored the decline in equity markets as escalating coronavirus related concerns continue to spook investors. Business Day TV discussed the detail with Carlos Mera from Rabobank.​

29 Oct 2020 2AM 4 min

Afrimat's diversification strategy pays off

Afrimat’s diversified portfolio has helped it turn a corner during the half-year. The group is now in a net cash position having bounced back from having a debt pile of close to R146m. Afrimat says this puts the business on a firm footing to make acquisitions. Business Day TV spoke…

29 Oct 2020 2AM 9 min

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