BizNews Radio

In this episode, I speak to Mark Tobin of Coffee Microcaps about the Australian stock market. We compare the JSE small cap sector to its Australian equivalent and Mark shares a few ideas on how the local market can learn from its cousin down under.

In this episode, I speak to Mark Tobin of Coffee Microcaps about the Australian stock market. We compare the JSE small cap sector to its Australian equivalent and Mark shares a few ideas on how the local market can learn from its cousin down under.

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In the quietest corner of the Karoo, stands the 64 dishes of the MeerKAT radio telescope, which enables leading scientists to conduct research on the centre of the Milky Way - 25,000 light years away from Earth. MeerKAT is a precursor of a much larger project, to build the SKA (Square Kilometre Array) in SA and Australia. It will eventually extend into eight countries. The project was given the go-ahead in June 2021. Upon completion, it will be the world’s largest radio telescope. It is a testament to South African scientific capability and innovation, with Professor Justin Jonas (Rhodes University) as the scientist engineer - as well as founder and driver of this ambitious project. He told BizNews about how it created a new generation of scientists, about the data pouring from the telescope, his experience in developing ventilators - and how dealing with the health department made him an even bigger believer in a systems engineering approach.

In the quietest corner of the Karoo, stands the 64 dishes of the MeerKAT radio telescope, which enables leading scientists to conduct research on the centre of the Milky Way - 25,000 light years away from Earth. MeerKAT is a precursor of a much larger project, to build the SKA (Square Kilometre Array) in SA and Australia. It will eventually extend into eight countries. The project was given the go-ahead in June 2021. Upon completion, it will be the world’s largest radio telescope. It is a testament to South African scientific capability and innovation, with Professor Justin Jonas (Rhodes University) as the scientist engineer - as well as founder and driver of this ambitious project. He told BizNews about how it created a new generation of scientists, about the data pouring from the telescope, his experience in developing ventilators - and how dealing with the health department made him an even bigger believer in a systems engineering approach.

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Chief executive of diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater, Neal Froneman joined the BizNews team on a day where one of the world's largest precious metals producers announced record financials. Froneman notes that although the robust commodity prices were a tailwind for the business, operationally performance was excellent. There has been much speculation around the renown deal-maker looking to merge with the likes of Gold Fields or AngloGold, creating a mining behemoth that could compete with international peers such as Barrick Gold or Rio Tinto. Froneman says this is off the table and Sibanye will rather try to accelerate its move to commodities that will benefit from the shift to a clean energy economy.

Chief executive of diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater, Neal Froneman joined the BizNews team on a day where one of the world's largest precious metals producers announced record financials. Froneman notes that although the robust commodity prices were a tailwind for the business, operationally performance was excellent. There has been much speculation around the renown deal-maker looking to merge with the likes of Gold Fields or AngloGold, creating a mining behemoth that could compete with international peers such as Barrick Gold or Rio Tinto. Froneman says this is off the table and Sibanye will rather try to accelerate its move to commodities that will benefit from the shift to a clean energy economy.

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A first in South Africa’s post-1994 history occurred this week when a substantial majority of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) voted to uphold a gross misconduct finding against Western Cape judge president John Hlophe. This decision by the JSC paves the way for an impeachment process by parliament. In order to unpack the process and the allegations against Hlophe, BizNews spoke to Paul Hoffman SC from Accountability Now. While many many hope that this is a turning point for the country, Hoffman stated frankly that ‘I think the turning point should have come many years ago. If he is impeached, which I doubt will happen, but if he is impeached - that will be an indication that the ANC s commitment to the rule of law is genuine and not lip service to the rule of law. If the ANC votes in his favor, it will be a turning point towards the cliff that is marked 'failed state'.’

A first in South Africa’s post-1994 history occurred this week when a substantial majority of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) voted to uphold a gross misconduct finding against Western Cape judge president John Hlophe. This decision by the JSC paves the way for an impeachment process by parliament. In order to unpack the process and the allegations against Hlophe, BizNews spoke to Paul Hoffman SC from Accountability Now. While many many hope that this is a turning point for the country, Hoffman stated frankly that ‘I think the turning point should have come many years ago. If he is impeached, which I doubt will happen, but if he is impeached - that will be an indication that the ANC s commitment to the rule of law is genuine and not lip service to the rule of law. If the ANC votes in his favor, it will be a turning point towards the cliff that is marked 'failed state'.’

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Counterpoint Value Fund manager Piet Viljoen joins BizNews founder Alec Hogg as co-host of the BizNews Power Hour to weigh in on a number of topics in the news. Viljoen shares GG Alcock's sentiments on the SA unemployment rate and says that pharmaceutical companies should make money from producing vaccines, despite what many might say. "If they make money out of this, I think it's a good thing. I'm all for people making money by solving problems for other people. I think that's how the world should work and it should work that way more often," he says. Viljoen also chats briefly about investing, Old Mutual, and Italtile's positive results despite 18 months in a brutal Covid-19 pandemic.

Counterpoint Value Fund manager Piet Viljoen joins BizNews founder Alec Hogg as co-host of the BizNews Power Hour to weigh in on a number of topics in the news. Viljoen shares GG Alcock's sentiments on the SA unemployment rate and says that pharmaceutical companies should make money from producing vaccines, despite what many might say. "If they make money out of this, I think it's a good thing. I'm all for people making money by solving problems for other people. I think that's how the world should work and it should work that way more often," he says. Viljoen also chats briefly about investing, Old Mutual, and Italtile's positive results despite 18 months in a brutal Covid-19 pandemic.

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