Business News Leaders

M&A activity in South Africa soared in H1

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in South Africa soared during the first half of the year. Deals worth $52 billion have been recorded and analysts believe activity will remain strong going into 2022. Business Day TV spoke to Patrick Leyden, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills for more detail

24 Nov 2021 8AM 5 min

Ethos and ARC in R1.5 billion fintech buyout

Ethos Private Equity and African Rainbow Capital have teamed up to acquire fintech platform Crossfin. The R1.5 billion transactions is one of the largest private equity-led investments in the fintech sector locally. Business Day TV discussed the acquisition in more detail with Edward Pitsi, Managing Partner at Ethos Mid Market…

24 Nov 2021 8AM 7 min

Business confidence flat in fourth quarter as shocks weigh

South Africa’s business confidence remains subdued. The RMB/BER sentiment index came in unchanged at 43 in the fourth quarter, as power cuts and intensifying supply chain issues weighed. Business Day TV unpacked the print with RMB Economist Sibohan Redford

24 Nov 2021 8AM 6 min

Rand hits a one-year low

The local unit has been under pressure hitting a one year low on Tuesday off the back of a stronger dollar as traders raised bets for quicker interest rate hikes in the US. Alishia Seckam caught up with RMB’s Varushka Singh for more detail.

23 Nov 2021 9AM 5 min

Has PPC laid a solid foundation for growth?

Cement producer PPC more than tripled its profit in the six months to end-September as it benefitted from higher volumes and cost cutting measures. This comes after a torrid time for PPC where it’s been battling a large debt pile following its push into the rest of Africa. Alishia Seckam…

23 Nov 2021 9AM 6 min

How SA and Kenya are looking to strengthen trade ties

Presidents from both SA and Kenya have addressed the South Africa-Kenya Trade and Investment Business Forum as the countries look for ways to strengthen ties between the two nations. Kenya’s Equity Bank is facilitating some of the deals that are being struck as a result of the engagements and Alishia…

23 Nov 2021 9AM 7 min

The Siren Song of Localisation

Thungela Resources, a major coal exporter which demerged from Anglo American in June, saw its share price fall last month when it reduced its production targets in response to poor rail performance. Thungela and most other big coal miners are stuck. Their masses of export coal have always moved through…

23 Nov 2021 3AM 27 min

Growing demand boosts Omnia

Explosives, fertiliser and chemicals group Omnia has more than doubled its after-tax profit in the six months to end-September thanks to growing demand from SA's mining and agriculture industries for the group's products. Alishia Seckam caught up with Omnia CEO Seelan Gobalsamy to find out if the firm expects the…

22 Nov 2021 9AM 5 min

How Barloworld bounced back in 2021

Diversified industrial group Barloworld has bounced back during its 2021 financial year. The group has swung to headline earnings per share of R11.95 versus a headline loss per share of R2.86 a year ago. The improvement is as as a result of an impressive turnaround at the firm's Car Rental…

22 Nov 2021 9AM 5 min

How Netcare plans to survive a potential fourth Covid-19 wave

Private hospital operator Netcare has resumed dividend payments with a final payout of 34c per share for its 2021 financial year as the group's operations have recovered from the initial impact of Covid-19. The pandemic has weighed on hospital groups as it has led to higher costs due to the…

22 Nov 2021 9AM 6 min

JSE Celebrates 134 Years

November marks the 134th anniversary of the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. It all harks back to the discovery of gold in the Wits basin in 1886, which resulted in the formation of the great mining finance houses with investors who needed a central facility to access primary capital. Initially trading took…

22 Nov 2021 4AM 26 min

The Week In Perspective

South Africa joined a number of emerging markets including Brazil, Russia, Mexico and Poland in tightening monetary policy this year. South Africa, however, stands out as having only hiked by 0.25% as compared to more significant hikes in other countries. SA Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago painted a bleak picture…

19 Nov 2021 3AM 28 min

Did the Reserve Bank make a good call to raises rates on inflation concerns?

The SA Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee raised rates by 25 basis points on Thursday as it highlighted its concerns about rising inflation. The move indicates the slow turnaround from ultra accommodative monetary policy that was implemented to deal with the economic shocks caused by Covid-19. But with SA’s economy…

18 Nov 2021 9AM 8 min

How Life Healthcare has recovered from the impact of Covid-19

Private hospital operator Life Healthcare says its adaption to the Covid-19 pandemic and a strong showing from its international operations helped profits recover during its full year. Alishia Seckam spoke to CEO Peter Wharton-Hood for more detail on the group's operational and financial performance during 2021

18 Nov 2021 9AM 6 min

COP26 |‘GOOD COP, BAD COP'

Welcome, you're watching Climate Conversations on Business Watch with Michael Avery, COP26 has come and gone and we’re discussing whether we’re turning the tide on climate change brought to you by Investec.. It’s been an eye opening 8 week journey through the world of climate science, and politics. We’ve cut…

18 Nov 2021 3AM 28 min

The impact of higher inflation on emerging markets

Fears around rising US inflation are weighing on the dollar carry trade in emerging markets. Alishia Seckam spoke to RMB's Kim Silberman for a better sense on what this means for South Africa, as an emerging market

17 Nov 2021 9AM 3 min

DTIC calls for the promotion on Intra-African trade

The Intra-African Trade Fair, which is currently underway in Durban, aims to improve the ease of doing business on the continent. Business Day TV caught up with the John Rocha, Chief Director of Trade Africa Invest at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and discussed the role government is…

17 Nov 2021 9AM 8 min

Spar lifts annual group turnover by 2.9%

Spar has posted a near 3% rise in annual turnover and a 5.4% increase in headline earnings per share, supported by its Irish and Swiss operations. Alishia Seckam unpacked the performance with Spar’s CEO Brett Botten

17 Nov 2021 9AM 8 min

AI in Africa

Welcome to Business Watch and our final panel zooming in on the incredible leaders we have in the field of artificial intelligence in South Africa. Where we’ve been demystifying this buzz word, we’ve been talking about how AI is being applied inside business every day, what the challenges and misconceptions…

17 Nov 2021 3AM 26 min

How SA can accelerate its automotive sector

The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is currently underway in Durban with the event bringing together heads of state and leaders in the private sector to discuss a range of opportunities on the continent. One sector in focus at the IATF is the automotive industry and how it can promote industrialisation…

16 Nov 2021 9AM 8 min