Business Day Spotlight

Connecting Africa’s mobile money to global finance

Increasing interoperability between mobile money and card systems as a means to broaden Africa’s access to the global financial system is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Christian Bwakira, group chief commercial officer at Onafriq. The discussion highlights: Onafriq’s efforts…

22 Jul 2024 38 min

Radisson’s strategy to grow hotel count in SA

Radisson’s plans to grow its hotel business in SA is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight.  Topics of discussion include: Trappler highlights Radisson’s business model; plans for growth; the impact of a macroeconomic downturn on the travel sector; funding growth in a high interest rate environment; and…

19 Jul 2024 29 min

With billions in play, Absa faces challenge of bankable sustainable projects

Demand for billions of rand in sustainable finance does not yet match the urgency of climate change, says Absa’s head of responsible finance, heaping pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government to push through policies aimed at bridging the gap. In this episode Business Day Deputy Editor Tiisetso Motsoeneng is joined…

19 Jul 2024 26 min

Cisco’s strategy for continued growth in SA

Cisco’s strategy to continue growing its business in SA in economic downturn is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Smangele Nkosi, GM of Cisco SA, at the company’s offices in Midrand’s Waterfall Precinct. Topics of discussion include: Cisco’s current position…

17 Jul 2024 45 min

Qualibooks strategy to grow SA’s reading market amongst school goers

The economics around reading and increasing literacy in SA takes centre stage in this focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Chris de Beer, director at Qualibooks Group. Topics of discussion include: Qualibooks business model; trends around reading and literacy in SA;…

15 Jul 2024 36 min

Economics of raising capital through the blockchain

Raising capital through tokenisation, underpinned by blockchain technology, is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight.  Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Connie Bloem, co-founder and executive head at Mesh.Trade. The discussion highlights: raising capital through tokenisation; Mesh.Trade’s business model; how tokens are being applied to real-world assets and fund raising; global…

12 Jul 2024 41 min

SweepSouth evolution over a decade, unpacked

The evolution of SweepSout’s business over 10 years in SA is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by the team from SweepSouth: Aisha Pandor, co-founder and former CEO; and Lourandi Kriel, the new CEO. The discussion highlights: the development of SweepSouth's…

10 Jul 2024 45 min

Standard Bank moves to offer instant payments for businesses

Instant payment for businesses in SA is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by a team from Standard Bank’s corporate and investment bank: Stuart McDermid, executive head for product solutions, together with Nthabiseng Mohale, manager for interbank and regulator forums. The…

8 Jul 2024 44 min

Liberty's index tracking strategy beyond R9bn under management

The growth of index tracking backed investments in the realm of employee and corporate funds is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Kgotso Thipa, head of investment distribution and servicing at Liberty Corporate Benefits. The discussion highlights: the size of…

5 Jul 2024 45 min

Economics of SA’s funeral insurance sector in 2024

The economics of SA’s funeral insurance sector in 2024 is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Clinton Macdonald from KGA Life. The discussion looks at: economics of funeral insurance in SA; headwinds facing the industry; competition; technology investment; and an…

3 Jul 2024 38 min

Effective tech strategies for African banks in 2024

Strategies around banking technology, in service of greater financial inclusion, in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Heidi Custers, digital transformation director at Backbase. The discussion examines some of the fundamental shifts banks can take towards servicing customers better; demographic factors working in…

1 Jul 2024 49 min

Plentify’s push to lower household energy costs through tech

The use of technology to increase power savings in the home in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Jon Kornik, co-founder and CEO of Plentify. Topics of discussion include: Plentify’s business model; power consumption trends in SA; the move to increase power usage…

28 Jun 2024 40 min

Naspers/Prosus vision for profitable e-commerce growth

The growth and profit strategy SA’s largest listed group takes centre stage in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Ervin Tu, president and chief investment officer at Naspers and Prosus. Topics of discussion include: the group’s road to profits; investment philosophy; development of…

26 Jun 2024 28 min

The rise of insurance marketplaces in SA, unpacked

The rise of insurance marketplaces, driven by technology, is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Vis Govender, co-founder at Everything.Insure and group CEO at firstEquity Group. Topics of discussion include: the structure of firstEquity Group; Everything.Insure’s business model; defining insurance…

24 Jun 2024 50 min

Growing SA's consumer credit market

The economics of SA’s consumer credit market is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Regan Adams, CEO of RCS. Topics of discussion include: local consumer credit statistics; the market for store cards; the power of data; credit beyond the Covid-19…

21 Jun 2024 37 min

Nolo Letele’s three decades at MultiChoice

The journey for one of Africa’s pay TV pioneers is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by businessman Nolo Letele. Topics of discussion include: Letele career in technology and broadcast; history of MultiChoice over the last three decades; the journey to…

19 Jun 2024 30 min

Unearthing Sportingbet’s formula to SA’s online betting market

The economics of online sports betting in SA is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Sportingbet’s Retief Uys. Topics of discussion include: Sportingbet’s business; growth of online betting in SA; use of data to increase consumer participation; popular sports; responsible…

14 Jun 2024 44 min

Call termination rules will unfairly favour big operators, says Cell C boss

Efforts to reduce communication cost in SA is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Jorge Mendes, CEO at Cell C. Topics of discussion include: the purpose of call termination rates and the new proposals; impacts on the local industry; whether…

12 Jun 2024 26 min

iStore push to dethrone PCs in corporate SA

iStore’s push to increase adoption of Mac computers in businesses is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business, the enterprise unit for one of SA’s top Apple retailers. Topics of discussion include: growth in…

10 Jun 2024 44 min

Economics of micro lending in SA, according to EasyPay

The economics of micro lending in SA is the focus in this edition of the Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Simphiwe Phakathi, executive head of sales and distribution at EasyPay Everywhere. Topics of discussion include: increased demand for micro lending in SA; EasyPay’s plan to capture…

7 Jun 2024 26 min