Rational Perspective
1,628 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago -Rational Perspective is Alec Hogg's regular podcast.
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Episodes
Rational Radio: Tongaat, Sasol, Adrian Gore's shares and SARS Investigative unit
December 02, 2019 12:03 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBIn this week's episode of Rational Radio, in order of appearance host Alec Hogg speaks with: David Shapiro, who unpacks similarities between Tongaat and Steinhoff, assesses SAA and explains Discovery founder and CEO Adrian Gore's R1.4bn share option transaction. Chris Logan of Opportune who has been on the Tongaat management case for the past five years so is well placed to explain how the tragedy occurred. Tracey Davies of shareholder activist NGO JustShare who reports back on the Sasol and ...
The Editor's Desk: Tongaat and companies run by and for managers
November 30, 2019 09:59 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBAs the details of the alleged accounting fraud at Tongaat Hulett emerge, former Tongaat executives are being targeted for criminal and civil charges. It’s refreshing to see managers being held accountable for their actions – all too often they seem to walk away unscathed, leaving pain and loss in their wakes. But it’s also a reminder of what RECM’s Piet Viljoen reminds us of: the danger of companies run by managers, for managers. In this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss the Tong...
The Editor's Desk: The FirstRand unbundling & SA’s junk rating
November 25, 2019 20:24 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBIt was a week of contrasts. First, there was good news for shareholders as Remgro and RMH announced plans to unbundle a 40% stake in FirstRand. Then, more bad news for taxpayers as S&P revised its outlook for South Africa to negative, suggesting an additional downgrade is in the pipes. In this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss the reasoning behind the unbundling and the implications of SA’s worsening debt position. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week's Rational Radio - Sasol, Shapiro, O'Sullivan, S&P and SABC
November 25, 2019 13:22 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBIn this week's episode of Rational Radio, guests in order of appearance were: SA's favourite market watcher David Shapiro on ESG investing, Sasol and Naspers/Prosus; Econometrix chief economist Azar Jammine warns that the S&P rating report on SA has major implications for long-term interest rates; SABC chairman Bongumusa Makhathini attacks the Sunday Times's weekend report by defending his board's call to engage with the State Security Agency; Forensics for Justice founder Paul O'Sullivan exp...
This week's Rational Radio: Eskom, Sasol, Richemont, Steinhoff and bully-boy Sanlam
November 18, 2019 16:13 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBafter a short break, Alec Hogg's weekly Rational Radio show is back. In today's episode: David Shapiro on Sasol, Eskom, SAA and the markets. Jared Watson explains why he laid criminal charges against former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi - and got landed with a defamation suit for his trouble. Jean-Pierre Verster takes a close look at the latest news from Steinhoff and explains why Richemont's planned assault on China won't work. Magnus Heystek tells us why the Rugby World Cup victory might have b...
The Editor's Desk: Orbvest and SAA and the DA, oh my!
November 16, 2019 10:11 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBAfter hosting a webinar with Orbvest, Alec Hogg had a number of questions from the community. In this episode, he explains why Biznews does these webinars and what the relationship with Orbvest is all about. He and Felicity Duncan also discuss the strike action at SAA and the reasons why the company finds itself in the place it is in. Workers are bearing the brunt of the punishment for years of mismanagement and corruption and they’re speaking out about it. They also talk about Felicity's spa...
The Editor's Desk: Inside the Biznews/Lebashe deal and what’s next
November 09, 2019 11:12 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBThis week, the Lebashe Investment Group announced the launch of its new media entity, Arena Holdings. More importantly (for us) it has signed a strategic equity partnership with BizNews. In this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan talk about Lebashe’s acquisition of Tiso Blackstar’s media assets, the strategic thinking at Arena, and why Biznews signed on the dotted line. They also explore what this deal means for Biznews and our community. And, of course, they couldn’t resist saying a few ...
The Editor's Desk: What can we learn from Metaco and Comair?
October 19, 2019 09:10 - 16 minutes - 15 MBWhile the specific tale of Comair’s acquisition of Metaco is unique, the story of failed acquisitions is as old as corporations themselves. Most mergers fail to deliver on their promises and end up costing more than they produce. In this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss the lessons that can be learned from Metaco’s struggles. They also talk about IQ and what it really means – Felicity is a confirmed IQ sceptic, but there are plenty of people out there who put a lot of stock in t...
The Editor's Desk: The Guptas, Angelo Agrizzi, and Iqbal Survé
October 12, 2019 09:05 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBIt was a busy week on the corruption front. News broke that the Guptas have been sanctioned by the US Treasury, closing the net around their empire. Angelo Agrizzi sought and won a postponement ahead of a tough cross examination. And the Financial Sector Conduct Authority raided the offices of Sekunjalo Investment Holdings and African Equity Empowerment Investments, whose chairman Iqbal Survé launched a counteroffensive aimed at Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan for alleged misbeh...
The Editor's Desk: Behind our apology to Minister Fikile Mbalula
October 05, 2019 09:49 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBLast week, Biznews issued an unreserved apology to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. In this episode, Alec Hogg explains the background to the story and why Biznews has a policy of full right-of-reply. Alec and Felicity Duncan also discuss the changes Biznews has made to its model portfolio, explaining why we’re rotating into South African stocks. Alec talks about some of the feedback he has received from the community on these changes. They finish up with a discussion on what the struggles ...
Meet Masa Son - the "crazy" Vision Fund founder backing WeWork and Uber
October 04, 2019 06:29 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBAfter spectacular early successes backing AliBaba and Yahoo, Softbank's Masayoshi Son raised $100bn from investors in a matter of weeks. The Korean-Japanese behind the revolutionary VisionFund spent this money almost as rapidly, pumping billions into WeWork, Uber and their lookalikes - alongside unorthodox bets like $300m injected in to a dog-walking app. Son is on his way to raising another $100bn in Vision Fund II, claiming that he already has more than that committed by his fans. But crit...
The Editor's Desk: Behind the failures of WeWork, Uber, et al
September 28, 2019 09:08 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBThe failed WeWork IPO has dominated global business headlines in recent weeks, and with good reason. It looks like the “smart money” actually really is in public markets, where investors are rejecting stratospheric private valuations for loss-making “tech” companies that are actually old-fashioned businesses wearing techface. In this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan deconstruct the struggles at WeWork, Uber, and other businesses that have found public markets a little too rational. They...
Nutshell: Agrizzi - chess master or genuine; Paul O’Sullivan’s unwavering mission; Trump Impeachment? WeWork or WeDon'tWork; Collaborative land reform
September 27, 2019 11:58 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBIn this edition of Nutshell, Jared Watson tells Biznews about the files he released on Bosasa. While we are all wondering when we are going to see people in handcuffs for corruption, Forensics for Justice's Paul O'Sullivan leads the way and tells us why he is like a terrier who does not let go. We explore the story of the U.S Democrats who think that this time they may have found a way to nail President Donald Trump and impeach him with Bloomberg News White House Reporter Justin Sink weighin...
Rational Radio - the full show featuring O'Sullivan, Shapiro, Watson.
September 25, 2019 12:12 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBThree forthright personalities feature in this episode of Rational Radio. In order of appearance: Paul O'Sullivan, founder of Forensics For Justice, reports back after a morning at the courts where he is defending himself in a harassment charge levelled by a businessman he accuses of paying R60m in bribes to land R4bn in contracts from Eskom. South Africa's favourite market commentator David Shapiro applies his mind to the prospect of SA's highly rated Capitec Bank eyeing its UK lookalike Met...
The Editor's Desk: Alec Hogg on prescribed assets & Mboweni's plans
September 22, 2019 09:17 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBWe’ve had a couple of weeks of important economic policy news and in this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss how the policy picture is changing. They spend some time on the proposed Prescribed Assets Requirements and talk about resistance to the policy ideas put forward in Tito Mboweni’s economic growth proposals. They also explore offshore investing, and Alec has some words of caution for South Africans venturing their money abroad without doing their due diligence. See omnystud...
Nutshell: Rush for US visas; Prescribed Assets debate; Search Fund investing; Richemont, Prosus and superfast 5G
September 20, 2019 09:36 - 29 minutes - 27 MBIn a week where South Africans have been told they can't smack their children and we all rejoiced in the success of the Ndlovu Youth Choir, South Africans have been debating the government's plans to introduce prescribed assets which got Andrew Cantor from Future Growth hot under the collar. There is an interview with US immigration lawyer Bernie Wolfsdorf on the door closing on US investment visas and the fickleness of markets that wiped a couple of billion off Richemont's value is investig...
Rational Radio 18 Sept 2019 - The Full Show
September 18, 2019 12:10 - 1 hour - 57 MBHere's the Rational Radio episode of Wednesday 18 September featuring, in order of appearance - Bernie Wolfsdorf, the Durbanite who has been the top US immigration lawyer for seven of the last ten years; Willem Roos, chief executive of the data-only mobile phone company Rain which today launched 5G - the first in Africa to do so. Brendan Mullen, former consultant who discovered the hot new concept of Search Investing which is sweeping across the world - and SA. David Shapiro talks about Sasol...
Nutshell: Prosus soaring debut; Absa CEO; IMF bailout unnecessary; Chair theft debacle; Barista jobs for the deaf
September 13, 2019 11:36 - 29 minutes - 27.5 MBIn Nutshell: The Naspers spin-off, Prosus arrived with a bang in Amsterdam with its share price soaring and we have CFO Basil Sgourdos explaining what will happen next. The interim CEO of Absa, Rene van Wyk looks at where the banking group plans to expand in the future. As South Africa struggles to overcome its economic woes, with the latest business confidence index at the lowest in 20 years; there are increasing calls for an IMF bailout but economist Dawie Roodt says the country does not n...
Rational Radio - the full show: 11 September 2019
September 11, 2019 11:59 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBHere's the Producer's Cut of the full Rational Radio show hosted by Alec Hogg on Wednesday, 11 September, 2019. In the lineup: Naspers listing in Amsterdam this morning - commentary from Naspers FD Basil Sgourdos who was there when the bell was rung. More on the debate around Discovery allegedly overstating its assets with SA's financial services icon Kokkie Kooyman of Denker Capital. Investment markets with David Shapiro who praises Naspers but had some very different thoughts about Sasol...
BBC goes in-depth with SA anti-apartheid hero Peter Hain
September 10, 2019 12:30 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBThe BBC’s Radio Four is known among the British as the nation’s cerebral option. This well deserved reputation comes from decades of delivering consistently high quality content. What follows is an excellent example of this high standard. Since 2013, historian Peter Hennessy has picked four of his country’s highest profile politicians for in-depth interviews that explore their formative influences, experiences and impressions of people they had known. The final interview of the Seventh Seri...
The Editor’s Desk: The WEF, the Joburg riots, and the President
September 07, 2019 09:23 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBAlec Hogg spent the week in Cape Town attending the WEF Africa summit, which was disrupted by violent xenophobic riots in Johannesburg and anti-violence protests in Cape Town. In this episode, Alec and Felicity Duncan discuss the WEF meeting and the impact that the social unrest in South Africa had on attendees. They look at what South Africa learned at the meeting and the prospects for the African continent. They also talk about Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership and his Cabinet – and what an econ...
Nutshell: WEF - SA wants direction; Opportunities in robots, population growth; Support for Tito’s plan; Psychopaths; Apple reveal
September 06, 2019 08:44 - 29 minutes - 27 MBIn this week's Nutshell: Xenophobia and femicide protests dampened President Cyril Ramaphosa investment drive at the World Economic Forum in Africa which is taking place in Cape Town but it gave Alec Hogg the opportunity to put questions from the Biznews community to some of the business leaders at the forum. Deloitte's Martyn Davies said the protests outside the conference centre were a sign of people wanting to see action in Southern Africa. There was widespread support among business lead...
The Editor’s Desk: Steinhoff, the Watsons, & the need for balance
September 01, 2019 08:55 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBSome of the best stories have a clear villain and a clear hero – that’s why people love Star Wars. But real life is sometimes more like Game of Thrones, with no heroes, no villains, just complex human beings making the decisions that seem best to them. We were reminded of that this week as Alec Hogg’s interviews with Jared Watson and Bernard Mostert shone some interesting new light on Bosasa’s Gavin Watson and Steinhoff’s Marcus Jooste. While both men must, ultimately, be convicted or exonera...
Nutshell: Watson mystery deepens; Jooste forgiven; Tito’s turnaround plan; ETF wealth growth; Manage loan sharks; SA optimism
August 30, 2019 06:54 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThis week in Nutshell: The mystery surrounding Bosasa CEO, Gavin Watson's death deepens with Judge Zondo revealing that he had asked Watson for an affidavit, as his nephew Jared speaks to Alec Hogg about his role in helping Gavin. Bernard Mostert talks about the decision of his CEO Braam van Huyssteen to forgive Markus Jooste and their quest to get Tekkie Town back. Dawn Ridler gives advice on how to grow your wealth with ETF's, while Candice Paine lifts the lid on loan sharks. And Allan Kn...
Rational Radio: August 28 - the full show
August 28, 2019 09:18 - 1 hour - 65.1 MBA cracking episode of Rational Radio this week featuring interviews, in order of appearance: Tech entrepreneur Alan Knott-Craig gives us the back story to his well-read piece on why he has no intention of joining those on SA's emigration bus. Independent financial advisor Candice Paine makes her first of what we hope are many appearances answering a tough financial problem being faced by a member of the Biznews Community. Chartered accountant Jared Watson, who spent months helping put togethe...
The Editor’s Desk: Listen in as Alec & Felicity argue about GG Alcock
August 25, 2019 18:05 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBThis week we have something a little different for you – the opportunity to listen in on a vigorous, off-the-cuff, and unscripted debate between Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan over the GG Alcock article on the informal economy. It’s a long argument, but an interesting one, as Alec and Felicity debate the role that the informal economy can play in a developing South Africa and address bigger questions about the changing world of work and the future of the economy. See omnystudio.com/listener f...
Nutshell: Worldview on Eskom finances; Jobless or township entrepreneurs; Beware company cockroaches; Agrizzi vs Watson; Grow your own Managers; Umhlanga boost
August 23, 2019 05:46 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBIn this week’s Nutshell, there is a critical worldview of Eskom’s finances from Nick Smith-Saville from Debtwire. David Shapiro invokes Warren Buffet’s analogy of a cockroach as he examines companies in trouble, while the author of the Bosasa Billions, James Styan gives us more information of his meeting with Angelo Agrizzi. We examine GG Alcock's unemployment figures and view that “the townships are full of entrepreneurs.” We also feature construction company WBHO’s outgoing chair Mike Wylie...
Rational Radio - The full show, 21 August 2019
August 21, 2019 12:41 - 1 hour - 63.6 MBIn this producer's cut edition of this week's Rational Radio show in order of appearance: Nick Smith-Saville of Debtwire (London) on Eskom - debt, recovery prospects and tax burden. Ram Ottapathu, founder of retailer Choppies, who has been accused of using the now suspended JSE-listed company's money to buy shares for himself in a private business Mike Wylie, outgoing chairman of WBHO on how the once tiny company has grown to be the last major construction business still standing in SA -...
Alec Hogg: "Why South Africa is a fat pitch for long-term investors."
August 21, 2019 11:49 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBOn August 16, Isipingo-based shoemaking entrepreneur Rajeev Patundeen turned 50. As part of the celebrations, he invited 70 friends, family and business associates for lunch - and asked Biznews founder Alec Hogg to join them at a restaurant in Durban to explain why, at a time when gloom is pervasive, he is so positive about South Africa's future. Here's the recording of Hogg's address, one based on underlying realities facts lost in the noise dominating discourse in the young democracy. See ...
Meet billionaire Vivian Reddy: If you can dream it, you can live it....
August 19, 2019 14:14 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBHaving been raised in the province, trips to KwaZulu-Natal are always an occasion for me - a time to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and absorb the latest news. During a visit at the end of July, I noticed a number of cranes in the centre of Umhlanga. On inquiring, a story emerged that the construction of a massive mixed use development had been stalled for so long that the corrosive effects of the sea air meant the entire structure might need to be demolished. I passed on the scutt...
The Editor’s Desk: Looks like we owe you an apology, Vivian Reddy
August 17, 2019 11:01 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBOn 27 July, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discussed the scuttlebutt about a commercial development in KwaZulu-Natal run by entrepreneur Vivian Reddy. Word on the street was that all wasn’t as it seems and that the deal was smelly. But after Alec sat down with Reddy and got the details, a different picture has emerged. Reddy has been working hard to make a success of the project in the face of a run of bad luck, and if he succeeds, the people of Umhlanga will have reason to say a big thank you...
Nutshell: Ideology trips Ramaphosa; Anti-expropriation drive ramps up; NHI deflates Discovery; Steinhoff's bowl of spaghetti
August 16, 2019 08:12 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBThis week in Nutshell: Ideology including land expropriation and a national health service looms over the South African economy with a warning from Bloomberg that President Ramaphosa's left-wing alliance members are hampering reform. Expropriation without compensation is reaching its last phase; the Institute for Race Relations' Terence Corrigan explains why he thinks it may be opening the door to amending other laws with a simple majority. The bill providing for National Health Insurance is ...
Rational Radio - The full show: 14 August 2019
August 14, 2019 16:25 - 1 hour - 55 MBIn this episode of Rational Radio the guests are: Terence Corrigan of the IRR on the basics of why Expropriation Without Compensation will be an economic disaster; Econometrix's Azar Jammine explains why emigration from SA is picking up and what it will mean for the country's already small personal income tax base; Rhanzo Mukansi of Futuregrowth looks at what a world of negative bond yields (Germany is there, US following) tells us about the state of the world; Money manager Wilhelm Hertzog r...
Editor’s Desk: Shining a light on the Stellenbosch Mafia exposé
August 11, 2019 09:12 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBThe bad behaviour of a group of powerful and wealthy men known as the Stellenbosch Mafia makes for exciting reading. It also highlights how far South African society has come from the bad old days. Historically, South Africa was an opaque and shadowy place, in which the powerful and the wealthy operated with impunity. But the last decade has seen South Africa shrug off its authoritarian legacy and embrace the democratic norms of openness and transparency. A library-full of tell-books like The...
Nutshell: The Stellenbosch Mafia; Hogan Lovells SA disintegrates; Parliament's shame over PP; CemAir strangled; Ice cream galore
August 09, 2019 06:16 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBWe look at a summary of the interviews featured on Biznews this week. In the spotlight are: Pieter du Toit, the author of theThe Stellenbosch Mafia, provides interesting insights with his interviews with Johan Rupert and former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste; Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan says he won't rest until law firms and the companies that helped state capture come clean; Paul Hoffman from Accountability Now, says Parliament should hang its head in shame that they are allowing the ...
Rational Radio - the full show, August 7
August 07, 2019 15:03 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBIn this edition of Rational Radio: Paul Hoffman of Accountability Now who has fired two three more salvos at the embattled Public Protector who, in his words, has five fires burning under her bum....... it was a criminal charge laid by Hoffman which has led to Busiswe Mkhwebane being investigated by the Hawks. The advocate says she faces a stiff jail sentence for perjury. Miles van der Molen founder and CEO of Cemair is an entrepreneur after all of our hearts; his 20 aircraft business whic...
Editor’s Desk: Truth & lies in the Agrizzi & state capture story
August 03, 2019 09:13 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBThe long and ugly story of state capture has been filled with competing narratives – a kind of giant game of he said/she said/they said/he said. Over the last year, the testimony of Angelo Agrizzi – who has claimed that a near-death experience convinced him to speak out on his role and the role of others in state capture – held the nation spellbound at the Zondo inquiry. But Agrizzi’s account of what happened is, after all, only one side of the story. In this episode, Alec Hogg reflects on wh...
Nutshell: No innocents in tobacco industry; Big Bank challenges; Portugal property pull; Minor metals rising; Business supports Thuma Mina
August 02, 2019 08:19 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThis is a weekly wrap of some of the interviews featured on Biznews. In the first edition we focus on: The revelations of Johann van Loggerenberg on the tobacco industry wars with SARS; Nedbank lay-offs with some insight into the Old Mutual-Peter Moyo stand-of; The prospects of Portugal as a residential property investment destination; The impact of electrical vehicle on the mining industry; and Efforts to bring business and the government closer together. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Valence Watson: My brother Gavin, Agrizzi and Bosasa
August 01, 2019 18:05 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBI last saw Valence Watson more than a decade ago when acting as peacemaker in a meeting between my former colleague, the late Barry Sergeant, and a group of BEE investors in the now de-listed gold company Simmer and Jack. After that meeting, the great investigative journalist spent time getting to know Valence and his brothers, the now apparently infamous Watson clan from the Eastern Cape. It’s instructive that Barry's initial hostility and deep scepticism went full circle – first in the sto...
Rational Radio - The full show - 31 July 2019
July 31, 2019 17:24 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBHere's the Producer's Cut of this week's show featuring: Gavin Montgomery of WoodMcKenzie who shares his insights into the way electric vehicles will take over from internal combustion engines - and how that will impact the price of metals like nickel, cobalt and lithium. Kokkie Kooyman of Denker Capital, a global expert on financial services, applies his mind to Nedbank's retrenchment of 1 500 staff and its travails with the 20% stake in turbulent Ecobank. Nick Binedell, former dean at GIBS ...
PF Live : The full show focusing on global property investments for SAs
July 30, 2019 11:54 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBIn this episode of Personal Finance Live, we talk global property investing for South Africans keen to diversify their portfolios, with: Brenthurst founder and chairman Magnus Heystek who likes the appeal of Mauritius but warns against indiscriminate purchasing as not every property project is created equal. Orbvest director Justin Clarke who updates us on the mushrooming company which focuses on medical properties in the USA, applying knowledge acquired in this specialised niche back home. C...
The Editor’s Desk: Johnny Clegg embodied our hopes for SA
July 27, 2019 09:07 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBLast week, South Africans came together to mourn the loss of musician Johnny Clegg. Clegg, who was born in the UK, moved to South Africa as a young child. His wholehearted embrace of Zulu culture and his political advocacy against racism and apartheid set him apart in a relentlessly divided country. In this episode, Alec Hogg describes his experiences at Clegg’s memorial service and reflects on the life of a great South African. On a more sombre note, he and Felicity Duncan discuss his visit ...
Rational Radio: The full hour's show - 24 July 2019
July 24, 2019 12:55 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBIn this episode of Alec Hogg's weekly Rational Radio show: Former SARS spokesman and co-author of the "Rogue: The inside story of SARS's elite crime busting unit." He talks about what happened at SARS, the rolling back of State Capture - and the shadowy antibodies fighting it. Whistleblower Juan Lerena who was sued by former employer Sime Darby after he reported the company and Unilever to the Competition authorities for collusion. He has paid a hefty price for his action. Fasie Malherbe, co-...
PF Live: the full show - UK under Boris; O'Sullivan's take on the PP (warning - it's not pretty)
July 23, 2019 11:47 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBIn this producer's cut of the inaugural episode of Personal Finance Live: Biznews.com's London-based "take no prisoners" columnist Simon Lincoln Reader shares what friends and associates of say makes new UK prime minister Boris Johnson tick - and how the UK will fare under his leadership; Orbis head of UK Dan Brocklebank shares his thoughts on investing in that country, the pound, stocks (and bonds) to be wary of and why his favourite share is Chinese; and South African forensic investigator ...
The Editor’s Desk: EOH, Hulamin & the rot in SA’s corporate world
July 20, 2019 08:52 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBCorruption and mismanagement are far from a uniquely public sector problem, as the tales of EOH and Hulamin show. Hulamin has succeeded in destroying billions of rands in capital over the last decade through sheer poor judgement and bad management, while EOH has found itself mired in a billion-rand corruption scandal that reaches all the way to board level. In this episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss this sorry state of affairs, looking at how these companies managed to get so far ...
Lyndsey Duff: Ex-diplomat bringing cutting edge tech back home to SA
July 20, 2019 07:25 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBWhen I met Lyndsey Duff she was based at South Africa House on Trafalgar Square in London, responsible for inward investment into the country. That must have been one of the most difficult jobs on earth, given the State Capture chaos being wrought by the Zuptoids. Instead of following one of many alternative paths, the former diplomat returned home to help introduce the revolutionary What3words system into a country that desperately needs to extend benefits of the formal economy to millions e...
Winde: Soldiers are policing the Western Cape because SAPS is a mess
July 18, 2019 17:29 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBOne of my scariest moments as a crime reporter in the 1990s was being shot at by a gangster in the Cape Flats. I was driving alone in a gang-infested suburb when a young boy, who couldn't have been 13 years old, suddenly stepped out of a group and pointed a gun at me as I drew to a stop at an intersection. As he readied to pull the trigger I put my head down below the dashboard and drove, like a blind person, at speed across the intersection, thinking I had a better chance of surviving a car ...
Chris Logan: Hulamin managers even worse than at former parent Tongaat.
July 18, 2019 10:19 - 8 minutes - 7.75 MBI met Chris Logan more than a quarter century back when presided over South Africa's hottest unit trust management company in an era when these pooled investment funds were mushrooming. Under his watchful eye, the funds managed by Logan's star team at BOE Asset Managers (like Jenny Ferrini, Anet Ahern and Tracey Chiappini) topped most performance tables in SA's pre-Allan Gray era. After Nedbank acquired BOE, Logan moved on and after a short spell with HSBC, started his Cape Town-based Opport...
Peter Hain targets Bain & Co over premeditated capturing of SARS
July 17, 2019 19:43 - 7 minutes - 7.32 MBSouth African-raised British peer Lord Peter Hain is applying pressure on the Westminster Government to stop doing business with global consultancy firm Bain & Co over its misbehaviour in South Africa. The commission of inquiry into the near collapse of SA Revenue Services concluded that there was a "premeditated offensive against SARS by Bain for former commissioner Tom Moyane to seize SARS." The Nugent Commission's final report says Bain executives "trained" Moyane, meeting with him on nume...
David Shapiro: Mourning Clegg, JSE's fallen angels and finding value
July 17, 2019 19:27 - 10 minutes - 9.59 MBSouth Africa's favourite market commentator David Shapiro broke away a little from his usual contribution to reminisce about an interview he conducted with the late musical icon Johnny Clegg who passed away yesterday. In this episode of Rational Radio, Shapiro also shares his thoughts about Impala and Aspen, two of the JSE's fallen angels, and points us towards JSE stocks he believes offer value for investors. - Alec Hogg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.