Category: News
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Cash is king (but is it?)
By Mags Heystek* Many investors tend to use a universal benchmark when gauging investment performance, and most default to Money Market rates, and to a lesser extent, cash rates that their banks provide in current accounts. There are many different money market fund options available, and the performance is roughly equal, because the underlying investment…
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Hersov: There are two South Africas — it’s time Washington started treating them differently
Key topics: Risk of AGOA loss for SA under ANC policy direction Sakeliga proposes subnational certification for US market access Critique of ANC policies; call for pro-trade, property rights reform By Rob Hersov “AGOA or not to AGOA. That is the question” South Africa is facing a moment of truth. Not another ANC press conference.…
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Ian Bremmer on BizNews: Forces moving markets right now — and what to do about them
Key topics: AI boom amid weak global regulation and geopolitical fragmentation Rising protectionism reversing decades of globalisation Growing geopolitical tail risks: wars, nuclear, pandemics By Ian Bremmer* It’s a fascinating moment for international politics and global markets. The world is in turmoil, primarily because the United States, still the dominant superpower, has become a fundamentally…
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OpenAI plots biggest ChatGPT overhaul since launch
Key topics: ChatGPT to become a superapp with AI agents and coding tools OpenAI shifts focus to higher-margin business products ahead IPO Competition with Anthropic intensifies in enterprise AI market By Cristina Criddle in San Francisco $850bn start-up to recast hit chatbot as a route to higher-margin products before a potential IPO OpenAI is preparing…
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Gen-Z socialism rises on cost-of-living anger and AI anxiety
Key topics: Gen-Z socialism focuses on affordability, rents, and lower living costs New left politics targets AI fears, inequality, and billionaire taxation Global resurgence of left-wing parties with populist economic policies From The Economist, published under licence. The original article can be found on www.economist.com © 2025 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. The Economist Different times inspire…
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The Section 89 report decoded: the charges against Ramaphosa that could end his presidency
This article was first published by The Common Sense Key topics: Section 89 report alleges constitutional violations by Ramaphosa Phala Phala cash theft raises corruption and legal concerns Impeachment process and court rulings may impact presidency From The Common Sense The president of South Africa was robbed. He did not call the police. He called his…
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Boardroom Talk: When the hungry fight the hungry – SA’s xenophobia problem
Key topics: Xenophobic violence rooted in unemployment and economic failure Illegal migration driven by desperation, not criminal intent Job creation key to easing tensions and restoring stability By Alec Hogg* A few years ago, I bumped into an old friend at OR Tambo, both of us killing time before early-morning flights. He’d just returned from…
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Sakeliga proposes ‘off-ramp’ to shield compliant businesses from US tariffs and ANC policy fallout
Listen here As the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) faces bipartisan scrutiny in Washington ahead of its December 2026 deadline, South African business group Sakeliga has submitted a radical new proposal for “subnational differentiation”. Russell Lamberti explains how the plan would allow individual companies, municipalities, and provinces—like the Western Cape—to bypass looming punitive US…
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The NdB Sunday Show: Lauren Evanthia – Tender tycoons, political treachery & human tragedy…
Listen here In the latest edition of NdB Sunday Show with Chris Steyn and Lauren Evanthia, the Founder of the Organic Humanity Movement, they talk about the authorities going after the R3million Bentley Continental GT that had belonged to President Cryil Ramaposa’s nephew by marriage, Hangwani Morgan Maumela, who has been fingered as the Tembisa…
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WATCH: Inside SA’s black market for number plates | Special Feature
A Business Day investigation has exposed how easily illegal and cloned licence plates can be bought in South Africa — in some cases within minutes, with no proof of ownership, ID or vehicle registration required. In this BizNews special feature, Business Day deputy editor Kabelo Khumalo, DA trade and competition spokesperson Toby Chance, Licence Plate…
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Dell takes aim at Apple with a $699 touch-screen laptop
Key topics: Dell XPS 13 challenges Apple MacBook Neo on price and design More config: up to 32GB RAM, better display, Wi-Fi 7, longer battery Tradeoffs: no headphone jack; Acer also launches $699 rival laptop By Chris Welch Dell Technologies Inc. introduced a redesigned XPS 13 laptop, positioning the device as a direct answer to Apple…
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Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin strategy is unravelling
Key topics: Strategy faces strain as Bitcoin and stock fall; STRC below par First Bitcoin sale breaks “never sell” promise, signals funding stress Three-way conflict between investors, dividends, and capital raising strategy By Sidhartha Shukla Michael Saylor built Strategy Inc. around a straightforward idea: raise money to buy Bitcoin, then never sell it. Over time, that…
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When entitlement replaces enterprise: The Gen-Z economic threat
Key topics: Rise of Gen-Z socialism led by young, online-driven left-wing movements Push for price controls, wealth taxes and nationalisation across economies Critics say it threatens growth and is shifting mainstream centre-left politics From The Economist, published under licence. The original article can be found on www.economist.com © 2025 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. The Economist Something…
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Shoprite ups the ante on customer loyalty with free pet insurance
This article was first published on Business Day Key topics: Shoprite adds free pet insurance via Outsurance partnership Pet care market grows fast but remains highly price sensitive Retailers expand pet services, loyalty, and digital delivery channels By Nompilo Zulu Shoprite says its Petshop Science has partnered with Outsurance to offer its fur customers free accidental…
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Anti-foreigner sentiment surges as South Africa braces for unrest
Key topics: Johannesburg migrant crackdown shuts downtown businesses Anti-immigrant protests fuel election-year tensions Government warns against xenophobia and vigilantism By Ntando Thukwana On a thoroughfare that usually throbs with music, shouted bargains and the bustle of downtown Johannesburg, the metal shutters on the shops are closed. Police patrol the Smal Street Mall, where an operation targeting…
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Ivo Vegter: FIFA — Power, greed and the world’s most untouchable monopoly
Key topics: FIFA accused of corruption, monopoly power, and rule abuses World Cup hosts bear costs while FIFA reaps massive profits FIFA’s 2026 policies spark backlash over fan restrictions By Ivo Vegter* It is corrupt. It is criminal. It is tyrannical. And no other private organisation in the world gets special laws to feed its…
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BN Daybreak – Fri 5 June 2026: US Ukraine aid; DRC Ebola outbreak; Athol Trollip on FMD; Cuba sanctions
Listen here Today on BizNews Daybreak, global updates reveal the US passing a key Ukraine aid bill, leveling strict new sanctions against Cuba, and racing to contain a Texas screw worm outbreak. Locally, Athol Trollip warns that slow cattle vaccinations are worsening South Africa’s foot and mouth disease crisis. Plus, The Economist’s Chief Africa Correspondent,…
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Ebola outbreak in DRC grabs global attention – perfect storm of war, fear, and disease
Listen here John McDermott explores the unfolding Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, unpacking how transmission occurs, why the crisis is spreading, and what makes this strain particularly dangerous. He examines strained health systems, limited aid funding, and the challenge of vaccine development. The discussion situates the outbreak within broader regional conflict and…
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The millionaire machine: How AI is supercharging the franchise industry
Key topics: Greg Flynn builds 3,000+ outlet franchise empire, $1bn+ fortune Franchising drives US economy, jobs, and “American dream” appeal Debate over model: profits, risks, worker wages, and regulation issues From The Economist, published under licence. The original article can be found on www.economist.com © 2025 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. The Economist When Greg Flynn graduated…
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Adcock accused of hiking dialysis costs during surging Covid demand
This article was first published on Business Day Key topics: Adcock Ingram referred to Tribunal for alleged dialysis overpricing (2019–24) Competition Commission alleges abuse of dominance; seeks up to 10% turnover penalty High kidney disease burden; dialysis costs strain access; prior fines and recalls By Tamar Khan The Competition Commission has referred pharmaceutical manufacturer Adcock Ingram…