SA media battle goes down to the wire – Sunday Times
The media industry is murder right now, with newspaper circulations and advertising under pressure and no new obvious business model to replace the tired old way of the past. SA’s media companies are hoping at least part of the antidote lies in the launch of three new “wire” services – essentially agencies that sell news […]
Retailers coining it despite sluggish economy – Finweek
In a subdued economy like this one, where growth is pegged at around 2%, the latest retail figures from Stats SA surprised on the upside, particularly for more durable items. While overall retail trade sales increased by only 1.7% year-on-year in January, hardware, paint and glass sales were up 6.4%, while sales of fashion and leather […]
Deindustrialisation: How we got to this point – Financial Mail
Trade liberalisation, which kicked off in the dying days of apartheid and involved slashed import tariffs, proved a huge shock to the manufacturing sector — the first of many. “Trade liberalisation was a shock which many companies, after having benefited from apartheid protectionism, probably couldn’t live with. It needed to be better calibrated and better aligned […]
Manufacturing: Down in the dumps – Financial Mail
The manufacturing sector can and must adjust to a higher cost base to stem the tide of deindustrialisation in SA. Fuelled by consumption and credit, the service sector has easily outpaced the growth of productive sectors, pointing to an unsustainable and deep structural problem. Manufacturing, which holds the key to long-term job creation, employs 1,75m people, […]
Portentous developments – IRFinity Magazine
Gavin Wood discusses how 2014 presented market dislocations and structural changes that have important implications for the course of financial markets. view article
Steady as she goes – Financial Mail
The jury is still out on whether Barclays Africa Group is back in the banking game. There are indications that SA’s third-largest bank by market value is on track for a turnaround. But not all the signs are positive. A year ago, CEO Maria Ramos committed to a three-year strategy to turn around the SA […]
Sun in R94bn offer for casino group Peermont – Business Report
Hotel chain Sun International planned to buy out casino resort group Peermont for R9.4 billion in line with the group’s strategy to enhance its existing portfolio and seek new growth opportunities, it said on Friday. “This acquisition will enhance Sun International’s position and scale as a leading hotel, resort and gaming operator, which in turn […]
Clover races to meet demand – Business Day
Clover Industries, which started making yoghurts and custards this year, will spend R65m on installing another yoghurt production line because the one it bought from DairyBelle has run out of capacity two years earlier than expected. Dirk van Vlaanderen comments on the company’s interim results. view article
PPC takes title of being SA's worst performing stock – Business Report
Cement-maker PPC is under new leadership, in talks about a possible merger and facing tougher competition at home and on the continent. That’s made it the country’s worst performing stock this year. The shares are down 37 percent so far this year, closing at R17.44 on the JSE yesterday and trading almost 47 percent lower […]
Big five banks growing in hard times – Business Day
SA’s big five banks grew earnings by low double digits last year, despite a tough economic environment which has put consumers and corporate customers under pressure. The economy grew 1.5%, while FirstRand, Standard Bank, Barclays Africa, Nedbank and Investec grew headline earnings by an average 11.6%, EY African financial services sector leader Emilio Pera said on […]