Sandton penthouse, a snip at R60-m – with pics of what it looks like inside

“Paul is a real estate novelist…” sang Billy Joel in his classic Piano Man, the perfect description for those who turn wrecks into renovator’s dreams; broom cupboards into cosy. But at R60m for a penthouse, you might expect more than a line opening with “Refrigerated walk-in wine room, 4 palatial bedrooms with the wooden floor … Read more

GPI demands closer look: dominance in LPMs and strong moves into fast food

There’s been a lot of noise around talented jockey S’Manga Khumalo becoming the first black to pilot a winner of the Vodacom Durban July. Rightly so. But in the excitement, an even bigger breakthrough is forgotten – 2011’s J&B Met when the Hassen Adams-owned Past Master made him  the first black owner to win South Africa’s … Read more

Rock bottom for Arcelor Mittal SA? Perhaps. It surely can’t get much worse

For Newcastle-raised university students, the best vacation job by far is at the local Arcelor Mittal steel mill. I  was lucky enough to land one over the 1979  Christmas holidays, spending it working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week as an Operator. Including the double time earned for overtime (and on Xmas Day … Read more

Kenyan bank’s technology delivers cost:income ratio of just 49%

Smart regulators, a wave of broadband and an enterprising population has put East Africa and particularly Kenya on top of the continent’s Internet pile. So it’s not surprising to see Kenyan banks leading the way in the practical application of technology to their operations – with some astonishing results. In this respect Equity Bank, Kenya’s … Read more