Fracking, like gold, could be a major “game changer” for South Africa. Exploiting shale gas reserves beneath the Karoo Basin could easily create 850 000 jobs and play a significant role in boosting the country’s economic growth. And that is just for starters. The expected gains from hydraulic fracturing are so “mindboggling” that we misjudge … Read more
One of the common laments you hear about the economies of Africa is that they are insufficiently entrepreneurial. Although the streets of any given African capital are usually abuzz with hawkers,the overall impression we have of the continent is that it is an entrepreneurial vacuum. Some lay the blame at the feet of African nations’ governments, … Read more
My UNDICTATED column in Business Day this week stirred some very powerful pots. And reminded me that everyone is entitled to change their mind. Especially elephants. And especially about stuff said in, erm, convivial surroundings. Richemont chairman Johann Rupert says my take on his relationship with Naspers’s Koos Bekker is “devoid of any truth”. Bekker … Read more
Here, at last, is a rational approach towards the JSE’s “surge” over the past year and a half. As we hear almost daily, the JSE’s All Share Index (ALSI) is trading in record territory. And record highs are uncomfortable places for most sane investors. But how the ALSI got there and what it means cannot … Read more