Debate is good. More so when it’s based on facts rather than narrative. In this excellent blog, advocate and labour lawyer Frans Rautenbach relies heavily on facts, providing plenty of links to his highly credible sources. Â The only people who still believe Nationalisation can work are those who have never bothered to check its record. … Read more
Pravin Gordhan kicked off just after 2pm. Here is the full Budget Speech as presented to Parliament. You can download all the detail at a special section of the Treasury’s website by clicking here. Â – AH 2014 National Budget Address by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan:Â I have the honour to present the fifth and … Read more
By Alec Hogg The House of Cards is my favourite television show. Apparently, fellow West Ham United fan Barack Obama is also a close follower. Word has it the Leader of the Free World asked where he could get an advance copy of the Second Season which premieres in the US on Friday. Hopefully Multichoice … Read more
Sometimes, the debate between those who favour a free market system, and those who favour state-led development gets oversimplified. The debate is caricatured as a binary choice: Wild West, unregulated free markets on one side, and intrusive, Soviet-style government control on the other. But as this contribution from Alex Zarr argues, this is a false … Read more
 Inventions enabling gas to be liberated from shale deposits through hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has transformed the US energy equation – and with it the psyche of those living in the world’s largest economy.  With gas and electricity prices having already halved in price, America is embarking on a strategy of “Re-shoring” of manufacturing, bring back … Read more
Vigorous, respectful debate is stimulating. And that’s what we got in this interview with Investec Asset Management’s Peter Kent who follows the party line on currencies – which is why desk jockeys in London and New York are apparently targeting Emerging Nations, including SA. It’s not fair, I countered, but then again neither is life. … Read more
The sharp disparity between rich and poor remains an embarrassing blight on the South African landscape. Shanty towns continue to mushroom on the periphery of towns and cities while some live in suburbs behind high-tech security in comfortable homes. Politics has failed to address the daily hardship faced by most South Africans, so how do … Read more
This is an Election Year. So expect to experience the emergence of political punditry on a grand scale for much of 2014. Biznews blogger Alexx Zarr has decided to beat the pack by sharing what he sees in his crystal ball. Zarr’s views are, well, somewhat different to mine. He predicts the ANC will … Read more
The infant is growing and in rude health. On 4th August 2013, Biznews was born. It has been muscling up every day since, helped by editor Alec Hogg’s Undictated column. Initially commissioned by Business Day newspaper, Undictated has evolved into a self-standing section exclusively for Biznews. Here, in descending order, are the 10 best read … Read more
Can you educate people to do sensible things with their money? Or is good financial management, like common sense, probably something you are born with? Prolific Biznews.com blogger Alexx Zarr reckons there’s more to equipping people with the skills to make smart personal financial decisions than putting together a financial education curriculum. Addressing basic literacy … Read more