Financial Mail articles from March 2009

Financial Mail archives from March 2009

Ask the guru.
March 27, 2009... I applied for a bursary last year, but it was not awarded to me. What could I have done differently in my application? Bear in mind that just because you apply for a bursary doesn't mean you'll automatically be awarded one. The process is...

Editor's Note.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Shirley de Villiers If your parents or guardians are funding your studies, you're one of the lucky few. If you've secured a loan to cover your tertiary education, you can still consider yourself fortunate: with banks tightening...

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID.
March 27, 2009... HOW TO APPLY FOR AID National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) To apply for NSFAS aid, go through your university's financial aid office. Your financial situation will be assessed to calculate what money your family will contribute, if...

OPTIONS. Counting thecost.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Zukelwa Solomon, Jonathan du Preez OPTIONS. Counting the cost Don't let your university dreams be put on hold by a lack of finances finding study funding may just be a matter of knowing where to look Higher education in SA...

APPLYING. Bursary basics.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Garreth Bloor APPLYING. Bursary basics Being prepared is the best bet for those who need to access bursary funding to further their tertiary education. FM Campus asks the experts for other top tips on putting together an...

TOP INTERVIEW TIPS.
March 27, 2009... TOP INTERVIEW TIPS The fact that you've reached the interview process means that you have something the company wants. Now you need to show your interviewers how you not only meet their requirements, but that you can excel in your field of...

EXPECTATIONS. The recruitment race.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Robert Quarshie EXPECTATIONS. The recruitment race Knowing what bursary providers are looking for in the students they sponsor will give you a head start Though bursaries have traditionally been awarded based on academic...

THE FINE PRINT. Legally speaking.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Robert Quarshie THE FINE PRINT. Legally speaking Before you put pen to paper and sign up for your bursary, make sure you know what's expected of you After pouring money into your academic career and opening doors for your...

STARTING OUT. Lighting the way.
March 27, 2009... STARTING OUT. Lighting the way Kick-start your bursary hunt with these funding leads From financial institutions to government departments, universities to nongovernmental organisations, so many companies provide bursaries that putting...

Campus news.
March 27, 2009... Pretoria University and Massmart have launched a bursary scheme for previously disadvantaged black undergraduates studying towards a BCom. Five three-year bursaries will be awarded each year to cover registration, tuition, residence fees and...

This week on the web.
March 27, 2009... FM Campus online exclusive! Think gunslingers and tombstones have more to do with the Wild West than financial markets? Think again! With the skinny on abandonment, zombies and everything in between, the Longman Dictionary of Financial Terms...

Pointers. BARRIERS TO ENTRY.
March 27, 2009... Pointers BARRIERS TO ENTRY: Factors that make it difficult or costly for new firms to enter an industry or market.

Pointer: ASSET CLASS.
March 27, 2009... Pointer ASSET CLASS: A type of investment, such as stocks, bonds, real estate or cash.

Pointer. MARKET SHARE.
March 27, 2009... Pointer MARKET SHARE: A brand's share of the total sales of all products within the product category in which it competes.

Pointer: SUPPLY SHOCK.
March 27, 2009... Pointer SUPPLY SHOCK: An event that suddenly changes the price of a commodity or service.

Pointer. INTERVENTION.
March 27, 2009... Pointer INTERVENTION: Government interference to manipulate market forces for economic or political reasons.

VIRGIN. Wrong number.
March 27, 2009... VIRGIN Wrong number Virgin brand sees red in SA markets Not everything billionaire Richard Branson touches turns to gold. In fact his attempt to slay SA's banking beast, Virgin Money, has not taken off the ground and has undergone constant...

PROPERTY. Picking up the pieces.
March 27, 2009... PROPERTY Picking up the pieces Property is still the best investment you can make The global financial meltdown is not all doom and gloom it has provided some financial oppor-tunities where others have been lost. With property bubbles...

MOTOR INDUSTRY. One nation's loss is another's gain.
March 27, 2009... MOTOR INDUSTRY One nation's loss is another's gain SA's motor industry is resistant to global recession With the number of out-the-box cars on the roads, it's hard to believe the motor industry is in trouble and in desperate need of financial...

OIL PRICE. Rumour-mongering.
March 27, 2009... OIL PRICE Rumour-mongering Economists pour cold water on speculation of another major oil price surge The difference between a rumour and speculation is that the latter is thought to be indulged in by experts and analysts after carefully...

RECESSION. Consistency key to economic recovery.
March 27, 2009... RECESSION Consistency key to economic recovery But governments are tackling the credit crisis individually In the past few months, the global financial crisis has hogged the headlines: we've been inundated with news of domestic bailout plans,...

TALK ABOUT IT. Virgin Mobile.
March 27, 2009... TALK ABOUT IT 1)How does the credit crunch affect the profit margins of financial institutions? 2)Which marketing tools did Virgin Mobile fail to apply in entering the SA mobile market? 3)What are the biggest barriers to entry in the network...

TALK ABOUT IT. Property.
March 27, 2009... TALK ABOUT IT 1)What are the asset classes available to investors and which ones offer the highest returns? 2)What are the advantages of owning commercial property as opposed to residential holdings? 3)Which economic factors affect the price...

TALK ABOUT IT. Motor Industry.
March 27, 2009... TALK ABOUT IT 1)How does the motor vehicle industry affect a country's GDP? 2)Should government bail out the motor vehicle manufacturers without aiding component manufacturers as well? 3)What internal measures can motor industry manufacturers...

TALK ABOUT IT. Oil price.
March 27, 2009... TALK ABOUT IT 1)Apart from supply and demand, what other factors affect how the global oil price is determined? 2)How does the price of oil affect SA's gross domestic product? 3)Why does speculator activity drive the oil price and what can be...

TALK ABOUT IT. Recession.
March 27, 2009... TALK ABOUT IT 1)What is competitive currency devaluation? How can it benefit countries' economies? 2)How will a decrease in consumer spending affect SA's economy? How can this be managed? 3)Is government intervention in domestic economies...

A fresh start required.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Matthew Hill and Thebe Mabanga REGIONAL ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTORS A fresh start required A lot can happen in 10 years unless you're dealing with government. After a decade of delay, restructuring of the electricity industry by...

Literary labour of love.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Matebello Motloung REAL PEOPLE DOING UNREAL THINGS Literary labour of love Phakama Mbonambi Magazine publisher THE UNREALITY CHECK Owns a magazine dedicated to literature. Has an honours degree in publishing. Combines his...

Did you hear.
March 27, 2009... Young Simon responded to a farmer's advert to sell a donkey for R100. He met the farmer, paid the money and arranged to collect his donkey the next day. The following day the farmer informed him that, regrettably, his donkey had died...

The house-price key.
March 27, 2009... Byline: NAZMEERA MOOLA The house-price key A comment about Australia I was reading last Monday explained why its banking system was not in crisis. It boiled down to one thing: house prices have not fallen substantially. This was such a...

Dual mandate for Bank not an option.
March 27, 2009... Dual mandate for Bank not an option Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni has again demonstrated his skills as a balancing-act specialist. In his address following this week's meeting of the Bank's monetary policy committee, which cut interest...

Taxi industry is in need of tough love.
March 27, 2009... Taxi industry is in need of tough love If bulldozers, protected by the army, were sent to sweep blockading minibuses from our highways, there would be no popular uprising in support of taxi drivers. They are not held in affection by the...

China's handmaiden.
March 27, 2009... Byline: BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI China's handmaiden The decision not to allow the Dalai Lama to enter the country which later backfired spectacularly cannot have come as a surprise to keen observers of SA's foreign policy. Government can be...

No need for incentives.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Vincent Faris No need for incentives Your article Vox unpopular" (Money & Investing March 6) refers. The article deals, among other things, with the topical subject of incentives paid to executives. There should be no doubt in...

A model for us all.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Charlene Smith A model for us all Thank you for your article on Sheena Duncan (Fox February 20). Few have done as much for social justice and political freedom in SA. Duncan is the most remarkable, brave, knowledgeable woman I...

I still can't vote.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Richard Groenewald I still can't vote Your comments last week (Editor's Note March 20) address a subject near to my heart. I was in SA 10 days ago when the constitutional court decided that South Africans living abroad should be...

Another week. At home. Abroad. Sport.
March 27, 2009... Another Week AT HOME The SA Reserve Bank cuts its repo rate by 100 basis points to 9,5% to boost economic growth. It comes after the bank brought forward the meeting of its monetary policy committee, which will now meet monthly instead of...

Guessing game.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Duncan McLeod Guessing game News that Apple has placed a large order for 10-inch, full-colour touch-screens for delivery in the third quarter of this year has set tongues wagging. Some say Apple is developing a netbook. But it...

101.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Prakash Naidoo What is the north-south corridor programme? It's an ambitious transport initiative being launched by three African regional economic communities (SADC, the EAC, Comesa) and supported by Britain's department of...

How to get in during a slump.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Ian Fife WEALTH BUILDING FOR SMALL INVESTORS How to get in during a slump Knowing the nooks and crannies of a resilient property market will pay off WHAT IT MEANS Prices and lenders not helping investors. But you can turn them to...

How the investment opportunities came about.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Ian Fife How the investment opportunities came about A few weeks ago, a property fund manager had the CEO of Goldman Sachs, one of the UK's biggest investment banks, in his Johannesburg office. I told him I would love to be in...

Crisis profits.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Ian Fife PROPERTY Crisis profits The credit crunch has come and most investors have pulled out of property. But all over the world, money is waiting to be poured into this growing asset class. looks at how property can still make...

Unbrace yourself.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Ian Fife SA OUTLOOK FOR INVESTORS Unbrace yourself If you're braced in the property crash position, you can ease up. House prices will continue to fall, perhaps as much as 10% this year. Commercial property yields (the income...

Did you hear. Prizewinners.
March 27, 2009... YOU COULD WIN by sending news snippets, wit and gossip to Did You Hear? published entries win R200. Please include your name, address and telephone number or you will not be eligible for any prizes. Send entries to: fmdidu@fm.co.za * BDFM...

Employment.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Razina Munshi Employment The number of employed people rose by 0,3% in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Statistics SA's quarterly employment statistics released this week. The rise reflects an additional 23000...

Economic Indicators.
March 27, 2009... 16 points BER's latest manufacturing business conditions survey dropped from 31 to 16 points during the first quarter. Domestic and foreign demand contracted rapidly and sales activity is at record lows. 1,7 percent Retail sales surprised by...

Choc-full of promise.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Matebello Motloung ENTREPRENEUR Choc-full of promise For millions of women, chocolate is a guilty pleasure because it can make you fat. The result: a love-hate relationship. But it does not have to be so, says premium chocolate...

Army on its knees.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Thebe Mabanga DEFENCE Army on its knees The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is in terminal decline. This withering assessment of the country's armed forces is in a report by parliament's portfolio and joint standing committees...

Gugs goes shopping.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Sasha Planting PROPERTY Gugs goes shopping With 400000 people in Gugulethu, the buying power in the Western Cape township is formidable. Yet Gugs, one of Cape Town's oldest townships, has little to offer residents in the way of...

Eastward ho!
March 27, 2009... Byline: David Furlonger MOTOR INDUSTRY Eastward ho! Motor industry power is moving inexorably eastward. A survey among industry executives around the world shows Asian motor companies are most likely to increase market share over the...

Heavy sales lifting.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Shannon Sherry TRACTORS & HARVESTERS Heavy sales lifting The boom in heavy agri-machinery sales continued last month, with 180% more combine harvesters sold compared with February last year. And tractor sales were only marginally...

Motor sector aid.
March 27, 2009... Byline: David Furlonger QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Motor sector aid Is the SA motor industry worth saving, and why? puts the questions to Nimrod Zalk, the department of trade & industry's (DTI) chief director for industrial policy How serious...

Engineers in numbers.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Carol Paton Engineers in numbers 78952 was the number of engineers in SA's workforce in 2005. 19576 engineers are employed in the financial sector, where most SA engineers end up working. 1000 vacancies exist for...

Anglo gets a roasting.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Matthew Hill WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Anglo gets a roasting Tony Trahar was waiting for the question. Almost itching to answer it. What does he make of Anglo American the company he headed until two years ago deciding to pass its...

What is the truth?
March 27, 2009... Byline: Carol Paton POLITICS What is the truth? A political solution to a political trial: that's what is being discussed in meetings between the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and Jacob Zuma's advisers and legal representatives....

Temporary blip.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Matthew Hill OIL PRICE Temporary blip Don't be fooled. The sharp rise in the oil price (as well as in other commodity prices) last week should not be read as anything more than a temporary jolt. After having recoiled to levels...

After the storm.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Claire Bisseker GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS After the storm Tighter banking regulation and tougher credit policies loom WHAT IT MEANS The consumption era will not be repeated soon. Reform and regulation to be accelerated. The...

Branson gets wrong number.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Duncan McLeod VIRGIN Branson gets wrong number Too much was expected of the Branson and Virgin brands in SA The single biggest difference the regulator can make is to drop the interconnect fee by R1 ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK It was...

Huge contention.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Rob Rose JSE REGULATION Huge contention WHAT IT MEANS Huge may sue the JSE for defamation. Rules needed for trades in derivatives. The Huge Group, seething at being told it broke the JSE rules by not disclosing a conflict of...

MXit seeks to co-operate.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Duncan McLeod CELLPHONES MXit seeks to co-operate MXit Lifestyle, the company that develops the popular MXit instant messaging software for cellphones, wants to work more closely with SA's cellphone operators, with which it has...

Quote of the week. TITO MBOWENI RESERVE BANK GOVERNOR.
March 27, 2009... QUOTE OF THE WEEK Against the background of a slowing global and domestic economy and an improved medium-term outlook for inflation, the Monetary Policy Committee has decided to reduce the repurchase rate by 100 basis points to 9,5%/annum...

New overheads for motorists.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Prakash Naidoo TOLL ROADS New overheads for motorists In a move that could signal the end of toll booths in SA, government is poised to introduce the first of a new scheme open-road tolling (ORT). The once ubiquitous toll...

GIMME. Mouse or mushroom?
March 27, 2009... Byline: Duncan McLeod GIMME Mouse or mushroom? The humble computer mouse has changed little in the past quarter of a century. Sure, pointing devices have gone wireless and they've adopted infrared light and laser optics, but the basic...

Rugby. Happy St Patrick's week.
March 27, 2009... Byline: David Williams RUGBY Happy St Patrick's week The rugby gods had to choose on Saturday between two famous flyhalves, Ronan O'Gara and Stephen Jones. Their names are enough to tell which one plays for Ireland and which for Wales....

An A to Z of opportunity.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Sean O'Toole ART An A to Z of opportunity The second instalment of the Joburg Art Fair takes place between April 3 and 5. Sean O'Toole offers 25 reasons to visit Inspirational business writing, a species of text most often read...

Lonely heart.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Peter Wilhelm CINEMA Lonely heart A bleak film, despite its title, in which Hathaway gives her finest performance Rachel Getting Married Directed by Jonathan Demme Lead roles: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Anisa George, Debra...

Good reason to go brown.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Quentin Wray FLY-FISHING Good reason to go brown In fly-fishing circles there is talk of a growing trend brownlining which is driving a bit of a wedge between the sport's purists and the rest. It sounds gross and, in some ways,...

JAZZ CD REVIEW. Cape crusader.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Don Albert JAZZ CD REVIEW Cape crusader When I was in Cape Town last November and December, I ate terrific pizza at Posticino, which, I believe, is second only to Trabella at the top of Corlett Drive in Johannesburg. I was told...

GIVEAWAY. Kyle Shepherd's fineART CD.
March 27, 2009... GIVEAWAY The FM is giving away five copies of Kyle Shepherd's fineART CD. E-mail: fmcompetition@fm.co.za before April 3 2009 to enter the draw. Please put CD giveaway in the e-mail subject line, name the CD you want to win and provide a...

MOver and Shaiker.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Justice Malala FOOD FOR THOUGHT MOver and Shaiker JUSTICE MALALA ***1/2 Parea Tavern 11 Corlett Drive, Illovo. Tel: (011) 788-8777 ***** Obama! **** Excellent *** Good ** Banana Republic * Mo Shaik Mo Shaik, despite being in...

Cape Town and all that jazz.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Hilary Prendini Toffoli AT LUNCH WITH THE FM Cape Town and all that jazz with espAfrika CEO Rashid Lombard at Marimba in the Cape Town International Convention Centre HOW HE CHILLS Watches DVDs at home on his large flat screen,...

A grim year.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Larry Claasen AMALGAMATED APPLIANCE A grim year Last year began tragically for Amalgamated Appliance (Amap). Its former CEO, Sheldon Cohen the son of its former executive chairman Jack Cohen was murdered in an attempted robbery...

Future looks bright.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Matthew Hill ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI Future looks bright AngloGold is eyeing diversification, but first it wants the top gold spot WHAT IT MEANS Anglo has finally exited gold. Paulson's investment bodes well. That they went out...

Still going strong.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Larry Claasen BUILDING MATERIALS Still going strong If the slowing economy is hurting consumer spend, construction materials retailers Cashbuild and Hardware Warehouse have not noticed. Both ignored the murky economic outlook...

Cuts and slashes.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Andrew McNulty DIVIDENDS Cuts and slashes In the US, General Electric has cut its dividend for the first time in more than 60 years. Dow Chemical cut its dividend for the first time in almost 100 years. On the JSE, Anglo American...

We've been here before.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Andrew McNulty COMPANY EARNINGS We've been here before The full force of deteriorating conditions has yet to be shown in financial reports WHAT IT MEANS The earnings growth rate is slowing. Previous cycles give some perspective....

Crisis watch.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Larry Claasen Crisis watch What are consumers doing to cope with the financial crisis? Theft is one strategy. The crisis is forcing consumers to cut corners and some of them think nothing of passing the cost of small items on...

Diamonds & Dogs. Diamond Cashbuild.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Jamie Carr DIAMONDS & DOGS 's picks of the week Diamond Cashbuild Now it all becomes clear. The world is collapsing around his ears, recession stalks the land and the outlook is full of gloom, but does that keep the SA consumer...

Open for business.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Rob Rose INVESTEC Open for business Is Investec seriously considering tackling Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank and First National Bank in retail banking? This was the impression stemming from Investec's trading update for the 11...

THE UGLY DUCKLING. JSE LTD.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Larry Claasen THE UGLY DUCKLING JSE LTD 1. Cash positive 2. Revenue up 3. Share ignored 4. Dividend paid 5. Profitable One of the unsung investments on the JSE might just be the JSE. Despite the crisis in the equity market, it is...

Blues eclipse greens.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Rob Rose NEDBANK Blues eclipse greens Mike Brown, heir to Tom Boardman's chair at Nedbank, admits dodging the FM's calls. Speaking on Wednesday after his appointment had been announced, the 42-year-old accountant explained...

ADVTECH. SPECIALISED CONSUMER SERVICES.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Sasha Planting ADVTECH SPECIALISED CONSUMER SERVICES Price: 400c Yr Dec T/O (Rbn) EBT (Rm) EPS (c) DPS (c) Mkt cap: R1,6bn 2008 1,197 222 40 20 PE: 9,9 2007 0,96 172 32 16 Sector: 9,5 t s +29% +29% +26% +25% People are not...

METAIR. AUTOMOBILE PARTS.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Sasha Planting METAIR AUTOMOBILE PARTS Price: 473c Yr Dec T/O (Rbn) EBT (Rm) EPS (c) DPS (c) Mkt cap: R721m 2008 4,1 74,7 74 0 PE: 6,39 2007 2,9 287 124 40 Sector: 6,39 t s +40% -74% -40% -100% Falling vehicle production means...

SECUREDATA. COMPUTER SERVICES.
March 27, 2009... Byline: Larry Claasen SECUREDATA COMPUTER SERVICES Price: 25c 6m Dec T/O (Rm) EBT (Rm) EPS (c) DPS (c) Mkt cap: R60,53m 2008 232 1,4 0,7 PE: 10,87 2007 112,2 19,2 8,7 Sector: 8,45 t s +106,8% -92,4% -91% It might secure data but it has...