BizNews Radio

The MD of Cape Town-based Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, Prof Petro Terblanche, chats to BizNews in the wake of an announcement by the WHO that its consortium will be one of six tech-transfer hubs established on the continent. These six hubs will be ramping up production of commercially viable vaccines to about one billion doses for the continent, but its focus also will also lie beyond the current pandemic. It will be supporting efforts to increase Covid-19 vaccination rates in Africa, currently as low as 11% having received a single dose. Terblanche says they have created a platform that will allow them to manufacture vaccines for other diseases like HIV/Aids, TB, influenza, and ebola.

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Andrew Goodhead, our very own BizNews adventurer, is travelling all the way from Cape Town to the third BizNews Conference (March 2022) on a solar-powered e-bike. After two days of travelling, we caught up with Andrew who – after spending his first night under the stars – is in Sutherland and on track.

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Stafford Masie is an Eldorado Park local who soared to magnificent heights in Silicon Valley, eventually returning to South Africa to continue his journey launching Google's footprint in the country. He's a tech investor and entrepreneur who'll be speaking at the upcoming BizNews Conference kicking off at the beginning of March. The topic of his talk will be cryptocurrency and why he believes it's creating a new and necessary monetary framework in the world. Here's a teaser of Masie's crypto mantra.

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Sasfin Securities David Shapiro talks commodity counters on a day where two JSE resource heavyweights, Sasol and Amplats, released solid financials. The resource counters have been a major contributor to the performance of the JSE All Share Index, with supply-demand imbalances resulting in persistently higher commodity prices across the board. Sasol and Amplats announced strong results, largely expected by the market, with Amplats R300 total financial year dividend the highlight in the commentary. Strong Brent crude and chemical prices into the second quarter will continue to be a tailwind for Sasol, with management indicating the importance to reinstate dividends, but only when the debt has been shaved to acceptable levels.

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TreasuryOne’s currency expert Andre Cilliers unpacks the optimism around the rand, with many analysts predicting there is more positive price action to come after a good start to the year for the local currency. Inflation and the interest rate cycles are two important factors influencing currency markets at the moment. Cilliers outlines the emerging market central banks are ahead of their developed market peers in this regard. He notes this as another tailwind for the emerging market basket, which has enjoyed mixed success thus far in 2022. The rand continues to be one of the best performing currencies this year, buoyed by robust commodity prices. Long may it continue. 

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The question of whether it is a good idea to stay in South Africa or to leave is often fiercely debated in families, around dinner tables, and on social media. But what if there are options between those two extremes, where you can enjoy the good weather, fabulous people, food and family, and secure a future overseas, invest money in safer options, and educate your children overseas? Thomas Barlow of Sable International says the answer lies in becoming a globalised or internationalised citizen, which does not always involve leaving our sunny shores. Barlow told BizNews how Sable plots the path to globalisation.

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In early February this year, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) went to court on an urgent basis seeking to interdict the Auditor General's office from publishing its audit findings in Parliament. The AG is opposing this in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. Besides disputes over just how bad it's financials are - whether liabilities exceed R360bn or R30bn - the RAF is also under the hammer with the Special Investigating Unit currently probing years of fraudulent payments to service providers. The Democratic Alliance's Shadow Minister of Transport, Chris Hunsinger, says while the basic fuel price has increased 119% over the last 12 years, contributions to the RAF have skyrocketed by 425% over the same period. BizNews' Michael Appel makes mention of the fact that a bankrupt RAF made headlines several years ago for renting office furniture at R666 per chair per month. In fact, it was worse than his memory serves. The RAF was paying R1,666 per chair per month. Approached for comment, the Auditor General would only confirm that the matter is currently before the courts.

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An ambitious plan to democratise private equity for both investors and capital-seeking companies is in the final straight. After a year's intense focus, AltVest is getting ready to list in the Cape Town Stock Exchange in six weeks. The new company will function like a private equity ETF with Economic Notes also listed on each of its individual investments, enabling investors to acquire a direct slice for R50 a pop. In this podcast, AltVest directors Warren Wheatley and Koshiek Karan explain how the exciting new company works - and why they believe it will revolutionise a sector that was previously the preserve of the one percent of the one percent.

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Among the innovations at the third BizNews Conference (BNC#3) are informal "nightcap" conversations - one featuring Rory Steyn, who spent five years as the head of Nelson Mandela's security detail. In this appetiser, Steyn shares his thoughts on South Africa's most famous president, shares a constant observer's insights into the current incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa, and answers whether Rob Hersov is correct to claim right Mandela would vote for the DA were he alive today. Rory speaks to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

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A voice for South African savers, UK-based fund manager Sean Peche has had enough of the brutal value destruction taking place at JSE index heavyweights Naspers and Prosus. He has no emotional attachment or position in either company, however, he believes South African savers are being done a terrible injustice. Naspers and Prosus, by virtue of their size, make up a considerable portion of the JSE All Share Index. As a result, South African pensioners and savers – which would be invested in local passive indexes – have large exposure to the investment-holding giants. Numerous capital allocation mishaps and billions of dollars in value destruction, Peche is calling for a change in leadership at the helm of one of South Africa’s largest businesses.

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