SIBLING RIVALRY
By Stephen Cranston
When Sanlam and Metropolitan were split in 1993, they operated in distinct and mutually exclusive markets. Sanlam was the king of the Afrikaans middle market, Metropolitan the queen of the emerging black consumer market. The resu...
POSITIONED FOR GROWTH
By Julie Bain
Sasol could have been forgiven for thinking its relations with important stakeholders would be sweetened with the appointment of its first black and female chair , to replace the outgoing Pieter Cox. But the Public Investment Corp (PIC), which h...
STRANGLED ALMOST TO DEATH
By Rob Rose
After what could most charitably be described as mixed success, empowerment financier Makalani is rejigging its strategy to placate shareholders. But the overdue changes may not be enough to save the company from the chopping block. ...
LACKING POWER
By Julie Bain
New timing of mine developments and a shortage of electricity have forced Impala Platinum to reassess its mid term production target. The world's second-largest producer now aims to produce 2,5m ounces of platinum by 2015, spending ...
ENERGY-EAGER EXXARO
By Matthew Hill
Exxaro Resources CEO Sipho Nkosi sees "big business" in power generation, and wants to get involved beyond Exxaro's role as one of the three largest coal suppliers to Eskom. Exxaro is already looking at helping companies set up coa...
STRONG STRUCTURES
By Julie Bain
If you were thinking now was the time to invest in big construction companies, you may just have missed the boat. It might be worth waiting until the hype has gone from the market, say analysts. Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon, (WBHO), Group Five, Ave...
ADAPT OR FRY
By Sasha Planting
The head of consumer brands company AVI, Simon Crutchley, is a determined man: non performing portfolios must go while performers must be enhanced. That is the clear signal from the decision to sell the Argentine fish business, Alpesca, which subsidi...
INVESTMENT OF THE WEEK
By Stephen Cranston
Who it is for: Investors looking for a combination of income at similar levels to bonds, with capital appreciation ahead of the listed property sector. Who runs it: Angelique de Rauville and Vuyani Bekwa of the Investec Pro...
GROUNDED ON A REEF
By Rob Rose
Gold Reef's decision to scrap its much-criticised plan to virtually give away 1% of its shares to top brass was the right move, but it came only after a heated meeting where it was roasted for an hour over poor governance. Typically...
FANATICAL ABOUT COSTS
By Sasha Planting
Whitey Basson chuckles when asked how he contains his company's costs. "There are two ways - the accountant's way and the retailer's way," he says. The Shoprite CEO says the accountant in him (he's a CA) watches costs like a hawk. "We make only...
MODEST EXPECTATIONS
By Larry Claasen
For a company closely connected to the high-flying construction sector, Durban-based cable distribution group ARB Holdings is doing the unusual thing of downplaying its success. According to some projections the construction boom wi...
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION
By Julie Bain
AVENG Ord price R68 <...
FOOD PRODUCTS
By Sasha Planting
AVI Ord price R15,61 ...
LIFE INSURANCE
By Stephen Cranston
METROPOLITAN Ord price R12,55 ...
LIFE INSURANCE
By Stephen Cranston
SANLAM Ord price R17,25 <...
FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS
By Sasha Planting
SHOPRITE Ord price R47,60 ...
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION
By Julie Bain
WBHO Ord price R145 <...
DIAMONDS & DOGS
By Jamie Carr
Diamond WBHO Think back to that glorious day when the potentates of Fifa spun 2010 in our general direction. Most of us were too busy demonstrating our newly acquired virtuosity with the vuvuzela to notice, but there must h...
