The most interesting thing in this interview, I think, is the point that Clive Ramathibela-Smith makes when discussing the platinum strike. He notes that the same issues keep rearing their heads, and comments, “It’s a prosperous country and a prosperous nation, and we’re still dealing with issues that should have been deal with, I reckon, … Read more
Tony Leon is a fearsome intellect, a patriotic citizen and a fiesty ex-politician. He’s also one of the best possible interviewees – informed, entertaining and open. Since leaving politics he’s been writing a great deal. His third book, Opposite Mandela, is a gem. It takes us into a world only insiders really know, sharing previously … Read more
One doesn’t often think of Telkom as operating at a competitive disadvantage, but when it comes to the cellular market, that’s exactly the situation. Compared to Vodacom and MTN, Telkom is a midget in terms of market cap, and while Vodacom and MTN trade at earnings multiples of 14 and 16 times respectively, Telkom trades … Read more
South Africa needs more CEOs like Ketso Gordhan – particularly in the mining sector where the massive gap between the top income earners and the workers has led to strikes and violent labour unrest. Gordhan, a former politician, decided to chop R1m off his salary after hearing that staff at PPC weren’t happy about the … Read more
PPC, the cement producing giant has released its interim results today, PPC currently boasts a market cap of just under R20 billion. PPC shares have gained 6.02% on the year, and have a seen erratic movement over the last 3 years. Today PPC is trading at a PE ratio of 18.41, with a dividend yield … Read more
With the JSE and S&P 500 at record high levels, and markets around the world having enjoyed a strong run, looking for value can be quite a challenge for investors. With stock prices so high, it’s hard to find companies that will outperform over time, delivering earnings in excess of what their price promises. Nevertheless, … Read more
In this deeply honest assessment of the SA construction sector, industry experts Liz O’Leary and Brian Africa expose the real reasons why the SA State has been unable to deliver on its infrastructure investment promises. It’s not just incompetence and a lack of capacity. Those charged with making the decisions of how to allocate tenders … Read more
Last week PPC chief executive Ketso Gordhan told us he’d cut his salary and bumped up those of the lowest workers at the cement manufacturer to reduce the ratio between top and bottom earners. It’s now at 48:1, down from the 120:1 when he was appointed in January. Gordhan is targeting 40:1. As Biznews.com blogger … Read more
The 40 year graph of SA’s quarterly Business Confidence Index shows the country to be a lot better off than the media mood would suggest. Sure, there’s been a downturn, but nothing near the experience of previous cycles. And some sectors are positively rocking. Like parts of the construction industry exposed to State infrastructure spend … Read more
Among the key areas of focus is the PIC’s purchase, for R4.3bn, of 29% in Ayo Technologies, a JSE-listed associate of Sekunjalo, the creation of medical doctor turned entrepreneur Iqbal Survé.