Rational Radio

Flash Briefing: Mabuza fuels rand; Prasa's anti-corruption steam; Tuna Bond minister heads home; Sasol, Eskom

In today's business headlines: The Rand gained on news that Deputy-President David Mabuza will not be sworn in as MP. Corruption busting at Prasa gathers momentum with suspensions. South Africa has decided to extradite Mozambican Manuel Chang wanted for the tuna bond scandal to his home country not the US…

22 May 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Tesla Code Red; Tuna Bond first netted; Jamie Oliver's UK

In today's business headlines: Morgan Stanley sees Tesla at $10 as market for electric cars goes soft. Huawei goes to EU warning it could happen to any international company. Ex-Credit Suisse banker pleads guilty in Tuna Bond scandal. Jamie Oliver restaurants in the UK declared insolvent. JSE is flat with…

22 May 2019 4 min

Entrepreneur's survival toolkit from the banker to business owners

Times are tough for South African business owners, the toughest in the nine years that Mercantile CEO Karl Kumbier has been focusing on banking entrepreneurs. So what to do about it? In this forthright podcast Kumbier provides a reality check on what happens when government and big corporates push out…

21 May 2019 18 min

Entrepreneurial masterclass: On location with Brian Altriche

JOHANNESBURG — Prepare yourself to be exposed to an hour of entrepreneurial energy, advice and wisdom. From a guy who left South Africa as a teenager to duck apartheid’s National Service; fed himself in California by playing his guitar and applying his design talents; and came home to forge a…

20 May 2019 57 min

Flash Briefing: Richemont jumps on results; Aussies move Right; Personal Finance hits the Ivy League;

After being behind in the polls for two years, Australia’s conservative government won a surprise victory in Saturday’s elections, taken over the line voters in resource-rich districts. The share price of JSE heavyweight Richemont rose almost 5% after Friday morning’s release of its financial results to end March. Personal finance…

19 May 2019 4 min

The Editor’s Desk: Times are tough, but Ramaphosa is ready

Cyril Ramaphosa is in the driver’s seat, but the course he has to navigate is full of challenges. From Eskom to Makhanda, Ramaphosa faces a landscape marred by corruption, mismanagement, incompetence, and failure. How he and his team rise to these challenges will determine whether South Africa Inc sinks or…

18 May 2019 16 min

Flash Briefing: Eskom weighs down Moody's; SA bonds sidestep EM jinx; Cosatu wants cabinet cut; Anglo

In today's business headlines: Moody’s outlook on South Africa more gloomy as it includes Eskom in its calculations. South Africa dodges the emerging market bond jinx. Investors are hoping for a streamlined Ramaphosa cabinet with Mboweni in charge of Finance. Cosatu wants Ramaphosa to cut the size of the Cabinet…

16 May 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Discovery #2 insurance brand globally; Capitec business banking green light; BAT's Twisp deal challenged; MSM, Netcare still falling

Innovative South African group Discovery has been rated as the world’s second strongest insurance brand. South African banking’s great disruptor, Capitec, was yesterday given the green light to acquire a ready-made vehicle to enter the business banking market. More action will play out at the Competition Tribunal today where two…

15 May 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Bitcoin jumps 33% in week; WhatsApp hacked; $2bn Roundup award; Discovery, Shoprite, Vodacom, Kumba, Pepkor.

One and a half billion people worldwide who use WhatsApp to make free phone calls are discovering it does come at a price. The share price of German chemicals group Bayer took another hit yesterday after a California court awarded $2bn in punitive damages to a couple claiming weed killer…

14 May 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Investors cheer SA election; Total bets $8.8bn more on Africa; Uber; Net1

Despite the South African ruling political party’s worst showing in a national election since 1994, global investors celebrated the ANC’s 57.5% victory as an improvement on the 54.5% it polled in the municipal elections three years ago. French oil major Total is doubling down on its African bet. It has…

12 May 2019 4 min

The Editor's Desk: Our big, fat election wrap-up

The election is over and the results are in. In this week's episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss those results in detail. They look at the percentages and vote tallies, breaking down just what it all means for the DA, the ANC, and the EFF. They consider the market…

12 May 2019 19 min

Flash Briefing: Anglo selling last SA gold mine; RCL gains 18% in fortnight; Markets hit by US aggression.

Investors around the world took fright yesterday when the US seized a North Korean ship alleging it had been illegally transporting coal from president Kim Jong Un’s ostracised country in violation of US sanctions. South Africa’s national and provincial election dominated the local news yesterday with investors a little concerned…

9 May 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: A nightmare trifecta for Steinhoff, Jooste; Massmart's price drop continues.

Long delayed financial results for the year to end September 2017, released late on Tuesday, revealed that former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste voted himself R30m in bonuses which he banked just months before the group’s December 2017 meltdown. Steinhoff’s restated financial results were dire, with a R65bn net loss causing…

8 May 2019 4 min

Flash Briefing: Massmart CEO leaving; Naspers drags JSE lower; Trump hits shares; Group 5 asset sales

Shares worldwide took a hit yesterday after an unexpected intensification in trade tensions between the US and China. The global softening of share prices had an impact in South Africa where dominant stock Naspers lost 3.5%, mirroring a 3% drop in the price of its major asset, Hong Kong-listed Tencent…

6 May 2019 4 min

The Editor’s Desk: A last look at what may happen this election

As Wednesday’s election draws near, everyone is talking about what the final tally will look like. In this week’s episode, Alec Hogg shares what he thinks the results may look like and what he’s been watching this election cycle. He shares his optimism about the DA’s on-the-ground campaign and the…

6 May 2019 16 min

Flash Briefing: Changes coming to Berkyville; New SAA flights to China; How word sees SA election; Majority support Trumponomics

There was another record turnout at Saturday’s Berkshire Hathaway AGM where chairman Warren Buffett (88) and his deputy Charlie Munger (95) answered five hours of questions from shareholders. Still in the US, president Donald Trump’s prospects for re-election in 2020 could be higher than most pundits are predicting. The South…

5 May 2019 3 min

BRK 2019 AGM Highlight: Why retirement funds should stay away from private equity

The Berkshire duo warm into this question from this shareholder, who is a manager at a Canadian public sector pension fund. He asked for their view on private equity investments - particularly for retirement funds like the one where he works. The Buffett and Munger response won't thrill the army…

5 May 2019 8 min

BRK 2019 AGM Highlight: Munger on Amazon purchase - we're trying to atone

Warren Buffett's favourite broadcaster, CNBC's Becky Quick, poses a question many shareholders are mulling - does Berkshire's purchase of Amazon.com shares signal a radical change in direction? Charlie Munger is at his caustic, self-deprecating best in his response. *This is one of the highlights from the five hours of Q&A…

5 May 2019 6 min

BRK 2019 AGM Highlight: Buffett addresses debate on Capitalism v Socialism

Warren Buffett describes himself as "a card carrying capitalist" primarily because of a belief the system which underpins its economy is responsible for the abundance of his homeland, the United States. In this highlight, he is quizzed about his other very public loyalty, as a supporter of the Democratic Party,…