Alec Hogg’s regular column covering investment, economics, moneycraft and, occasionally, something very personal.
Hi there, It’s a joy to be alive. But some days not as much as others. Yesterday was one of those. From the eye-witness and social media reports, during yesterday’s peak morning rush, four young men drove a VW Golf into a crowded bus terminus near Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja. Minutes after they had … Read more
Hi there, A friend has come back after four months in the US. Having taken advantage of the American Green Card fast-track for investors, he and a couple of close South African friends have invested in a business in California. He’s been there to help give the company a kick start. He is like hundreds … Read more
Hi there, Sometimes things just work out. Often when it isn’t planned that way. That happened yesterday when one guest arrived really early; just as I was about to start talking to another one. The excessively prompt interviewee was John Mauldin, Texas-based investment guru, superstar of the new media age. His influential emailed weekly newsletter … Read more
Hi there, A career in the public eye is often a rollercoaster ride. Like flies on fresh horse droppings, fair-weather friends flock in the sunshine and scatter during thunder. It takes time to discover that the only relationships worth having are those which remain steadfast in storms. For me, Michael Jordaan, “MJ” to his legions … Read more
Some of my favourite interviews have been  with authors. They are invariably good communicators, rarely needing more than a few prods to impart interesting tales. And as there’s a volume from which to prepare, it’s easy to turn onto a new road if one avenue runs cold. I was sent a copy of the new … Read more
Hi there, Yesterday provided two reminders of how the power in media has shifted online. The first was what we saw after Marika Sboros’s superbly written article on Oscar Pistorius’s mental health went viral. We got our first taste of the impact of what social media popularity does to readership when an article we published by Gareth Cliff (Twitter … Read more
Hi there, As a journalist I’ve always been fascinated by body language experts. Those who explain how someone with folded arms is actually showing they’re closed to outside opinions; or how liars tend to flicker their eyes to the left when answering a searching question. Body language is useful for those of us who never … Read more
Hi there There have been a few property listings on the JSE lately. But none captures the imagination quite like yesterday’s newcomer, Safari Investments. After raising R374m in a private placing of shares to new investors by pitching at a 9% yield, Safari is no patchwork quilt portfolio. It has been slowly built through its … Read more
Hi there, We travelled to Durban this weekend for a blessed occasion – a big birthday which ended with the surprise engagement announcement of a most extraordinary couple. It was quite an event, and took us back to the Beverly Hills Hotel for the first time in some years. Brilliant hotelier Sol Kerzner’s 1964 creation, … Read more
Hi there, Among the benefits of focusing your career in a single area and sticking with it, is the relationships you establish. Give it enough time and people you have worked with tend to drift back into your life in a different shape and form. One of the hidden reasons to strive for integrity in … Read more