DOING THE RIGHT THING
By Stephan Hofstätter
After almost two years of false starts, SA's most high-profile land claim, Magoebaskloof in Limpopo, is poised to yield its first fruits: the flagship estates of the country's largest tea producer, Sapekoe. For many, especially former tea wo...
IF IT MOVES, SELL IT - OR NOT
By Stephan Hofstätter
A precedent for defining movable assets is likely to come out of the Sapekoe case. The land claims commission is going to court to prevent the tea grower from auctioning its equipment before it hands over its estates to the Makgoba claimants. ...
ETHANOL ENERGY AND CUBAN CRUNCH GIVE PRICE A BUZZ
By Chris Gilmour
The world sugar price is booming and indications are that it will stay high for the foreseeable future. The dynamics that affect both supply and demand, and a number of extraneous factors like the oil price, should ensure that the outlook for t...
BRAZIL BEATS OIL CRISIS
By Chris Gilmour
Brazil launched its ethanol motor fuel programme in 1975 and is now the undisputed world leader in the technology related to this cost-effective alternative to petrol . Successive Brazilian governments, even going back to the military juntas of t...
MOVING ASSETS
By Stafford Thomas
The financing of vehicles is one of the biggest obstacles facing the taxi industry, which is on the fringes of the formal banking sector. But taxis have a big factor in their favour: they are assets with a predicable cash flow and lend themselves...
DEALS ARE BIGGER, SMARTER, SIMPLER
By Sven Lünsche
Merger & acquisition (M&A) activity increased sharply in SA last year in line with the improved economy. And increased foreign investment and black economic empowerment (BEE) activity are set to boost M&A again this year. Ernst & Young's (E&Y)...
HELPING HAND'S STIFF CHALLENGES
By Shareen Singh
The World Bank is using the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) as a case study of how to balance conflicting interests - making money to be independent while financing risky development activities. In 1995 the DBSA began a radical tran...
BE ENGAGED TO BE WED TO SUCCESS
Most companies wanting to improve sales and profits follow the standard routes. They invest in new IT and machinery, try to make their business processes more efficient and increase their marketing budget. Some may even spend on training . But...
BUYERS CAN'T DODGE VARIETY
By David Furlonger
Local motorists, already overwhelmed by an unprecedented variety of brands and models, are about to be offered more. DaimlerChrysler SA (DCSA) is preparing to launch US-built Dodge vehicles in the country. Sales and marketing director Fritz va...
OUR CUP RUNNETH UNDER
By David Furlonger
One-third of South Africans believe the country won't be ready to host the soccer World Cup in 2010, according to market research. African Response MD Beatrice Kubheka describes the level of doubt as disappointing. "One of the primary reasons we ...
