Classic Business

Anthea Gardner, MD Cartesian Capital

Andrew Millson, head of CSI and sustainability @ Food Lover's Market; Andy Du Plessis, MD of FoodForwardSA, and Donovan Adonis from GAPA

Maryna Calow, communications manager at Wines of South Africa

& Lucky Ntimane, the convener of the National Liquor Traders Council

Chemicals and explosives group AECI is proceeding with a R110m interim dividend payment, albeit a “conservative one”, as it braces for further fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.Headline earnings per share fell 34% to 240c in the group’s six months to end-June, with profit falling 36% to R260m, as the pandemic shuttered mines and factories. The group saw writedowns of goodwill, property, plant and equipment amounting to R69m during the first half of 2020, as well as restructuring costs. This was partly offset by the receipt of R108m in profit on the sale of its paper chemicals unit. CEO Mark Dytor, explains to Michael Avery why he remains cautious about talks of infrastructure led growth and recovery in South Africa.

EOH, has been trying to clean up its Augean stable since signs of corruption and malfeasance first surfaced several years ago, which led to change in executive management and the departure of Asher Bohbot and the subsequent clean-up job embarked up by CEO Steven van Coller. It’s a bitter pill for the current executive to have to swallow to be censured by the JSE and fined for exposing these past sins of a previous board.

Michael Avery asks Megan Pydigadu, CFO of EOH Group, whether it’s time to name and shame the directors involved and what actions are being taken against former directors for these transgressions?

Setlogane Manchidi, the head of CSI for Investec & Phemelo Segoe, operations and client manager for Tuta-Me

Prof Adrian Puren, head of the Centre for HIV and STIs at NICD

Cobie Legrange, co-founder of RexSolom Invest

One thing we know for certain about this pandemic is that nobody has been spared. While its highlighted deep-seated structural inequality in terms of access to things like online education it’s also been indiscriminate in the wealth destruction effects we’ve seen.Still, tor those high up on the corporate ladder, or wealthy enough not to work, the global recession triggered by the pandemic is more of an inconvenience than an existential threat to their wealth. The US stock market has proven resilient, as have other asset classes such as art and gold.

Michael Avery talks to Eric Enslin, CEO of FNB Private Wealth and RMB Private Bank, about the financial impacts of Covid 19 on the well heeled

Wayne McCurrie, portfolio manager, FNB Wealth and Investments & Simon Brown, founder of JustOne Lap