Business pessimism as bad as in apartheid era; HIV ramps up Covid-19 deaths; Sasol rollercoaster; MultiChoice jumps

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In today's news headlines:
* South African business confidence has plunged to the lowest level in 45 years, with companies even more pessimistic now than when disinvestment from the country over its apartheid policies started gaining momentum more than three decades ago;
* People with HIV are almost three times more likely to die if they contract the coronavirus than those with no co-morbidities, irrespective of whether they are taking anti-AIDS drugs, an analysis of South African data shows;
* In a two-punch blow, the torrent of claims is coming on top of the destruction to investment portfolios that insurers have amassed in recent years;
* The Sasol rollercoaster ride continues: It has plunged from R300/share in 2019 before surging about 700% in recent weeks and landing at around R139/share at the end of the trading session; and
* Africa’s largest pay-TV group MultiChoice reported its first full-year profit as a stand-alone company on Wednesday, in the middle of a range it forecast last week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 Jun 2020 8AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

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