We now shift our focus to Biotechnology, a burgeoning business sector, across the fields of science, healthcare, and food, that is making a profound impact in food security and health care, with the development of new drought tolerant crops and vaccines for HIV and other viral agents. The BIO Africa Convention which is set to take place this August, at the International Convention Centre, in Durban, will showcase Africa's biotechnology innovations in the health, agriculture and industrial sectors to the global world. For more on this, we are now joined in studio by...

GUEST: Dr. Siya Ntutela – Who is the CEO of Africa Bio, Biotechnologist; Strategist; Pharmaceutical Executive; an Intellectual and Innovation Management Expert

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says criminals should not be given the responsibility to keep South Africa safe. The DA's written Parliamentary question to the Police minister has revealed that 27 police officers working at Crime Intelligence had criminal records. Twenty of them have committed traffic-related offences and the other seven serious offences.

GUEST: DA's Shadow Deputy Minister of Police, Diane Kohler Barnard

Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee wants specialized police units to deal with Taxi violence and cash-in-transit heists.

Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee wants specialized police units to be brought on board to tackle the escalating taxi violence and cash-in-transit heists. Committee chairperson Francois Beukman says more crime intelligence assets should be allocated to dealing with highly-armed criminal syndicates. Beukman says specialized methods are needed as conventional ways of dealing with such dangerous crimes are not sufficient…

GUEST: Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee chairperson, Francois Beukman

South Africa has failed to improve on its overall competitiveness. This is according to the latest Institute of Management Development (IMD)‘s World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY). In the rankings released by the 2018 Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), South Africa remained rooted at 53 out of the 63 countries surveyed by the IMD. In 2017 South Africa was rated 53. Of the myriad of issues that hampered SA’s growth, youth unemployment stood out starkly with unemployment amongst the youth increasing from 50% in 2017 to about 65% in 2018.

Guest: Chief Economist at Productivity SA, Dr Leroi Raputsoane

As this is the last Tuesday of the month, we will be dealing with questions that have come in during the month through my radio line, that are of a similar nature. We will also take calls and SMS’s on General Financial questions on this day.

1. How do I calculate how much life assurance I need?
2. I have received a letter from my insurance company informing me that my RA is falling due. I am still working. Should I continue or just stop it, or start drawing?
3. Should I take into account my group life cover under my pension fund when calculating how much life assurance I need?
4. How do I know how much to draw from my living annuity?
5. I am changing jobs and wondered whether I should take my pension money, pay the tax and pay off my bond or preserve it? How do I do the calculations?
6. Can one achieve enough income from a share portfolio after tax, compared to money in a money market account, where you are paying a maximum rate of tax?
7. I have got R438 000 worth of shares made up of 6 shares. Should I rather be investing in Satrix?
8. I am looking to park R100 000 which I will need in the next 6 to 12 months. Should I invest it?
9. What difference can it make to delay retirement for 5 years?
10. What will happen when governments bring in preservation of retirement savings when I leave my job, and I cannot live?

Guest (studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

The phenomenon of women murdered by their intimate partners, Gender based violence, violence during protests, in schools, politically motivated killings, taxi violence, are we a society that is running out of empathy? What is at the heart the violence and the breakdown of the moral fibre in society? Are fractured families and the breakdown in the family unit a cause?
How can this be addressed?

Guest: Lebogang Ramofoko - CEO of the Soul City Institute for health

Businesses or Companies face all kinds of risks, some of which can cause serious loss of profits or even bankruptcy. Research suggests that cyber incidents remain a top threat for South African businesses. Other business threats that have emerged are namely climate change and loss of reputation or brand value.

GUESTS: Christopher Palm, who is the Chief Risk Advisor at the Institute of Risk Management

Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation said on the occasion of the Budget Vote of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation that despite the deepened levels of political stability and security on the African Continent, our region continues to be plagued by pockets of instability and conflict, which impedes the prospects of future stability, prosperity, integration and development. South Africa has actively participated, through both bilateral and multilateral efforts, to resolve some of the Continent’s pressing conflict areas; these countries include: Lesotho, the DRC, Madagascar, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia, Central Africa Republic, Mali and Libya. With this in mind, we unpack further South Africa’s role currently in Africa, and how we are viewed today, as a brand, by the rest of the continent?

Guest: Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi - Deputy Director General For Global Governance And Continental Agenda

The 20th BRICS Summit will be taking place from the 25th to the 27th of July 2018. South Africa will be chairing BRICS for 2018. But before that, will be the South Africa will be hosting top scholars from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa for the 10th BRICS Academic Forum to take part in arguably the most important debate in the developing world today – how are we going to solve urgent socio-economic challenges? Whether it’s the looming water crisis, recent strikes over the new national minimum wage or increasingly worrying literacy statistics, many of the major issues dominating today’s headlines are all symptoms of much broader issues. They are a result of far-reaching challenges like climate change, inequality, economic prosperity and education - issues to which the South African BRICS Think Tank (SABTT) will propose actionable solutions moving forward.

Guest: Professor Ari Sitas, Chairperson of the South African BRICS Think Tank

Government has instituted a special council on Sate Owned Enterprises (SOE's) to ensure that these enterprises return to their envisaged developmental mandates and to financial profitability. SOE's have been plagued by numerous irregularities and instances of alleged mis-governance. In the wake of this announcement, talks of merging or consolidated government departments into existing ministries, to reduce operating expenditure and to prevent overlapping functions and duties, have once again resurfaced. In 2014, the EFF stated that South Africa's 35 ministers and 37 deputy ministers would cost taxpayers R720 million per year, while the official opposition party, the DA, has suggested that deputy minister positions should be done away with to save money. On The Talking Point we will discuss austerity measures that need to be taken to transform our institutions to respond to the economy that the country needs...

GUEST: Dr Dale McKinley, an independent writer, researcher, lecturer and political activist.