BizNews Radio

Single-use plastic has become the key environmental issue of our time. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has predicted that there could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050. That figure may be disputed because fish are hard to count, but it is undeniably a massive problem. A company that is doing something about it is Scarabtech, a technology company that was started in the United States and its technology is now being developed in South Africa. They were one of the regional winners of the African start-up awards. The CEO and Founder of Scarabtech, Jeffrey Barbee’s vision is an army of their mobile units, called beetles that turns plastic into carbon-neutral energy. Barbee who is also an investigate journalist has recently highlighted a Canadian oil company efforts to explore oil in the Okavango Delta. He told BizNews that Southern Africa has become ‘ground zero’ for oil companies. – Linda van Tilburg

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News headlines:

*The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has warned companies against introducing mandatory vaccination policies, which it says risks infringing the Constitutional rights of workers.

*Business chambers and even provincial governments are heading the way of legal action against Eskom’s plans to hike electricity prices by 20.5% this year.

*Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has tripled down in her tirade against South Africa’s constitution, penning a third column/open letter criticising the highest rule of law in the country.

As is customary for a Monday, Sasfin Securities David Shapiro brings us up to speed with the financial markets. Bloomberg published data showing foreigners are net sellers of South African equity so far in 2022, despite the JSE All Share Index climbing 3% in the first two trading weeks of the new year. Foreigners selling South African assets has been a common theme for several years but given their importance to the price action, the data and JSE’s performance over the two-week period is contradictory, which Shapiro explains. Naspers’ strong start to the year is questioned given the muted price action in its crown jewel Tencent. Shapiro outlines there might be other factors at play between the price dynamics of Prosus, Naspers and Tencent. Lastly, the economic data coming out of China – showing GDP growth of 8.1% in 2021 – is discussed at length.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What has a dead porcupine and baboon got to do with an Eastern Cape farmer's right to privacy and an animal rights activists' right to freedom of speech? BizNews Investigations Editor Martin Welz breaks down a recent Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that has potentially profound implications for engagement on social media. Also, the SCA hammers home the point that animals as "sentient beings" have rights.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ek gesels met Jean Pierre Verster van Protea Capital Management oor wat Verskansings fondse is, sy benadering tot besluitneming, en die huidige mark.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marius Strydom outlines the two key driving factors behind the mass exodus of businesses leaving the local bourse. Although the delisting trend is not completely unique to South Africa, the pace of delistings are. Marius puts this down to a decreasing number of foreign shareholders in local businesses, indicative of the negative sentiment towards JSE-listed business. The second is a slide in analyst coverage, which has decreased significantly, especially in the small to mid cap space. Lack of coverage leads to thin volumes and lack of interest, which takes away many of the primary benefits of being listed. Lastly, Marius focused on solutions in order to change the direction of the trend.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Piet Viljoen’s Counterpoint value fund has been the best performing local fund over the last five years, managing to achieve a compound annual return of a shade under 15%. This is a phenomenal achievement, especially against a backdrop that hasn’t always been conducive to his investment style, which is value focused. The interview concentrates on two topics; the delisting trend that faces the local bourse and legacy-stricken Steinhoff. Piet, who has listed businesses himself, says the burdensome regulatory and accounting requirements outweigh the benefits of being listed on an exchange. He adds that investors may be getting a bit excited regarding Steinhoff’s R25bn valuation, as despite the more transparent road to recovery, it still faces a number of challenging headwinds.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of the BizNews Power Hour features a powerful interview with the DA's federal chair Helen Zille who looks back on the aftermath of November's Local Elections; discusses the dynamite expose of ANC cadre deployment into the judiciary; looks ahead to a probable change in SA's national government in 2024 - and shares how her party has managed to attract so much young talent. Also in this programme, our partners at the Financial Times of London explain why both allies and enemies are now calling for UK PM Boris Johnson’s head and explains why activists are targeting global public relations firms. Plus Accountability Now's founder Adv Paul Hoffmann considers consequences for the corrupt after recommendations made in the Zondo Commission's first volume.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal chairperson of the Democratic Alliance has never been a shrinking violet. But in this powerful interview, Helen Zille surpasses her own direct approach by launching a bare knuckled attack on South Africa's ruling political party whose "cadre deployment" strategy exposes it as the true architect of State Capture. Zille believes recent expose's contained in the Zondo Commission’s report and recommendations show ANC-instigated crimes against the country are worse than even she imagined - but looks ahead with some optimism to a change in SA's government after the 2024 National Elections. A must-listen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News headlines:

*Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has heavily criticised tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s recent opinion piece where she challenged the effectiveness of South Africa’s Constitution

*The Pretoria High Court has found that South Africa’s Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act and the Aarto Amendment Act are unconstitutional.

*Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says his city formally rejects an application by Eskom to increase the price of electricity by 20.5% in the 2022/2023 financial year.