Financial Mail articles from October 2006, page 4

Financial Mail archives from October 2006

Ask the Guru.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Q & A Ask the Guru Q: What are my chances of winning the Lotto? A: You are 20 times more likely to be struck by lightning or to die after being bitten by a dog than you are likely to win the Lotto [see the Financial...

Sanral paves the way ahead.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Robert Quarshie Sanral paves the way ahead Working to give road users a smoother ride The national route one (known as the N1) between Johannesburg and Pretoria is notoriously the busiest road on the...

CAMPUS NEWS.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) CAMPUS NEWS A spirit of entrepreneurship is encouraged among students, but Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University feels its students have taken it too far. Students living in university residences have been...

POINTERS. IMPORT LEVY.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS IMPORT LEVY: A special tax imposed by government on imports. It is usually passed on to consumers by the importers.

POINTERS. CONSOLIDATION.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS CONSOLIDATION: The combining of separate companies, areas, or product lines, to form a new entity.

POINTERS. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: Promoting corporate fairness, transparency and accountability.

POINTERS. OPPORTUNITY COST.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS OPPORTUNITY COST: The next-best alternative that has to be sacrificed whenever an economic decision is made.

POINTERS. BULL MARKET.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS BULL MARKET: A sharp, prolonged rise in the price of stocks, usually lasting at least several months.

POINTERS. TRIPLE-PLAY.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS TRIPLE-PLAY: A term used to describe a bundle of broadband, TV and telephony delivered on one network.

MITTAL STEEL. Putting its foot down.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) MITTAL STEEL Putting its foot down Government changes laws to bring down high steel prices It may not be as rare as gold, but steel might be an even more important commodity. And there's a huge demand for it in SA....

SABMILLER. Changing taste buds.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) SABMILLER Changing taste buds Global beer giant conquering the Chinese market Students aren't known for shirking when it comes to drinking their portion of beer. If we divide the amount of beer consumed in SA by the...

MBAs. Taking a hard look at MBAs.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) MBAs Taking a hard look at MBAs The FM analyses business school trends in SA Every year, the Financial Mail ranks SA's business schools that offer a master of business administration (MBA) degree. If you're thinking...

CRIME & GROWTH. Crime hurts everybody.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) CRIME & GROWTH Crime hurts everybody Companies scared to do business put brakes on the economy At least one in five of you reading this has had some sort of encounter with a criminal in SA. Campus is not a...

GOLD PRICE. Gold price surge to continue.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) GOLD PRICE Gold price surge to continue Top analyst reassures investors gold is on a bullish run With the platinum infatuation and jewellery becoming all about big stones and bling, you might think that gold is...

TELECOMS. More choices to come.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TELECOMS More choices to come Telkom and MultiChoice finally get some stiff competition Tired of watching the same old channels riddled with repeats? You'll be glad to know that there are more options on the cards....

TALK ABOUT IT: Mittal Steel.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)What barriers to entry are created by existing steel producers? 2)What are the characteristics of a monopolistic firm? What is its profit maximising pricing structure? 3)Why did the SA government...

TALK ABOUT IT: SABMiller.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)What are the dangers of consolidating companies from different nations? 2)What is the importance of market research and how can it keep companies profitable? 3)What is the marketing mix and how can...

TALK ABOUT IT: MBAs.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)How are perception and actual facts about an MBA programme related? 2)How is the ranking system used here effective and how is it lacking? 3)Why would you want to do an MBA degree? Would the...

TALK ABOUT IT: Crime.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)What direct effects does crime have on a country's business environment? 2)What measures and incentives can government use to ensure that business is not discouraged from investing in SA? 3)Are...

TALK ABOUT IT: Gold Price.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Why is the price of gold such a big deal when the gold standard ended long ago? 2)What is the relationship between the gold price and the currency of SA? 3)Why do analysts try to predict the price...

TALK ABOUT IT: Telecoms.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)How do economies of scale negatively affect newly-established companies? 2)What advantages and challenges do new entrants to the telecommunications industry have to face? 3)What incentives encourage...

Work it!. Careers: Quantity surveyor.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Robert Quarshie A quantity surveyor is part of the team working on the country's first rapid rail link system the Gautrain Working on a large building project requires a lot of time, says Simon...

SIMON ANSWERS TEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) SIMON ANSWERS TEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1 When do you get up in the morning? 6am. 2 What do you most like about your job? Being able to interact with different sorts of people in the office or on site. 3 What...

ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS. Testing citizenship.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Andrew McNulty ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS Testing citizenship Many companies fulfil investors' expectations in their financial reporting. But how many directors and managers recognise that they together...

Bring back columnists.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Dain Hamilton Bring back columnists The new format is great, but what happened to Jamie Carr? Please bring his column back as I thoroughly enjoy his sense of humour. In addition, a few years ago when the...

Spending check.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: NAZMEERA MOOLA Spending check For the SA Reserve Bank to hike interest rates, given the current inflationary concerns, would be perfectly sensible According to the SA Reserve Bank and the financial...

A sage of our times.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Barney Mthombothi BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI A sage of our time The spirit of fearlessness that defeated apartheid hangs by a thread. Only people like Tutu stand between us and a void of silence The uncontrived...

Zenned out in Africa.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Heather Formby REAL PEOPLE DOING UNREAL THINGS Zenned out in Africa Silvio Rech & Lesley Carstens Architects THE UNREALITY CHECK They have designed more than 10 lodges and hotels and won at least 20...

CONSTRUCTION. Ready for the race.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nicky Smith CONSTRUCTION Ready for the race The number of construction companies eligible to tender for government work has mushroomed sixfold. In the year to September 2006, registrations of...

Tempted to prove her wrong.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Tony Collins Tempted to prove her wrong I am amazed that Thomas Sinn's new restaurant received such a scathing attack from Jane Broughton in her review (FM Life October 6), knowing the man's reputation...

The door's open.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod DUNCAN McLEOD The door's open Microsoft is more profitable than ever, yet it's also more vulnerable than at any time in its history It's been more than five years since Microsoft released...

Copper and copper stocks.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Copper output at some African mines is set to surge as former powerhouses the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia are on a path to regain their former glory. Zambia is again one of the world's top 10...

FOREIGN MBAs. Lessons from far lands.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger FOREIGN MBAs Lessons from far lands WHAT IT MEANS Degrees are accessible through the Internet Specialist courses are attractive Edinburgh The Scottish city's business school is still...

CASE STUDY. Cultural differences.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger CASE STUDY Cultural differences Officials at North West University's Mafikeng-based business school are not necessarily opposed to a proposed MBA merger with Potchefstroom Business School...

DIVERSITY. A long walk to the chalk.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger DIVERSITY A long walk to the chalk WHAT IT MEANS Academia is not a popular career choice Practical business experience is scarce Transformation in SA's business school and MBA world is...

CASE STUDY. Potch's campus dilemma.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger CASE STUDY Potch's campus dilemma On the spot Students must attend weekly lectures Tommy du Plessis, head of North West University's Potchefstroom Business School, has a lot on his mind....

BUSINESS SCHOOL DIRECTORS.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) BUSINESS SCHOOL DIRECTORS Mthuli Ncube Institution: Wits Business School Born: Zimbabwe Qualifications: PhD in finance (Cambridge); MPhil in economics (Cambridge); BSc in economics (Zimbabwe) Ncube became the...

Did you hear?
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) A reader was amused by the spelling mistake in an e-mailed invitation to a pubic relations conference in Sandton next month. But, on seeing who had sent it, she became convinced it was really a marketing stunt....

Gross forex reserves.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche SA's gross gold and foreign exchange reserves rose by US$200m in September to $24,65bn, despite the decline in the rand. The foreign exchange component of the reserves rose by $300m, but the...

Bring out the big guns to fight crime.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Bring out the big guns to fight crime A long walk to freedom and an even longer walk to safety, security and peace of mind. There are no quick fixes: that's the essence of the message from Business Leadership SA...

A flawed intervention.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) A flawed intervention The fundamental problem with any industrial policy is that the state favours certain business sectors over others it interferes with what should be determined by market forces. As the...

ANC. Sticks and stones.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Prakash Naidoo ANC Sticks and stones WHAT IT MEANS Alliance infighting overshadows policy discussions ANC paralysis likely to spread to government Thabo Mbeki Seriously provoked The ANC's NEC meeting...

ECONOMY. 2001 all over again?
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Claire Bisseker ECONOMY 2001 all over again? WHAT IT MEANS Political uncertainty leads to greater economic volatility SA economy in better health than in 2001 Investor sentiment in SA swings from one...

CRIME & ECONOMIC GROWTH. Dazed by direct hits.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Peter Honey CRIME & ECONOMIC GROWTH Dazed by direct hits WHAT IT MEANS Crime is harming economic growth Crime-fighting must be more focused Local crime is on par with America's but SA's economic costs...

Weaker all the time.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche Weaker all the time The SA tea industry is staring into the bottom of a cup. From more than 15000 workers only three years ago, the industry now employs a mere 3000-4000 in the peak picking...

MITTAL STEEL. Bring in the competition.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nicky Smith MITTAL STEEL Bring in the competition WHAT IT MEANS Government is courting foreign producers Agreement on pricing is a long way off Mittal's Vanderbijlpark mill Could face more competition...

TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN. Getting on with it.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Shoks Mzolo TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN Getting on with it WHAT IT MEANS Government is opening doors to TAC It has no problems raising money We never accept money from the drug firms because that would...

AGRICULTURE. Time for a nicer cuppa.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Heather Formby AGRICULTURE Time for a nicer cuppa WHAT IT MEANS Tea sales have lost out to coffee Most teas sold are blends, not original Merrill Fernando At his Sri Lankan tea plantation A Sri Lankan...

ENTREPRENEUR. Deja vu.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Themba Hlengani ENTREPRENEUR Deja vu I left BJM as a salesperson and came back as CEO, says Andile Mazwai, the 35-year-old CEO of Barnard Jacobs Mellet (BJM) Securities. Mazwai joined BJM as a trainee...

BMF ON BEE. No progress report.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Thandeka Gqubule BMF ON BEE No progress report Growing anger at the slow pace of black economic empowerment (BEE) and the way BEE policies have been structured is about to surface in force. The Black...

MERGERS. Firmed up.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Prakash Naidoo MERGERS Firmed up Two top SA law firms have merged to form the biggest in the country. Sonnenberg Hoffmann Galombik (SHG) and Edward Nathan signalled their intention to merge in June and...

MEDICAL SCHEMES. Still too pricey.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Shoks Mzolo MEDICAL SCHEMES Still too pricey After registering losses for three consecutive years, the medical insurance industry is staunching the blood loss. The number of people with medical aid grew...

A cool Planet. Planet Bar. Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Hilary Prendini Toffoli THE PLACE TO BE OR NOT TO BE A cool Planet Planet Bar Where Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town Patrons Celebrities Price Big spenders only You can spot the foreign film directors a...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Madeleine Albright QUOTE OF THE WEEK The message from Iraq is that if you don't have nuclear weapons you get invaded; if you do have nuclear weapons you don't get invaded. MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, former US...

Drastic action needed.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Name withheld Drastic action needed The majority of South Africans have lost faith in the minister for Pack your bags and leave SA, Charles Nqakula, the national police commissioner, Jackie Selebi, and...

ART. Extreme artistry.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sean O'Toole ART Extreme artistry WHAT THEY COST Not long ago it was possible to pick up a Pieter Hugo portrait for less than R4000. Expect to pay five times that amount at his Johannesburg show Pet...

BOOK OF THE WEEK. Alpha male of the Aga.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) BOOK OF THE WEEK Alpha male of the Aga WHITE SLAVE By Marco Pierre White 306 pages Orion R184 Accounts of the dinner from hell make far better copy than the PR puffery that often passes for serious restaurant...

CINEMA. A stiletto to the heart.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) CINEMA A stiletto to the heart The Devil Wears Prada Directed by David Frankel Rating: *** *****Flawless ****Slightly flawed ***Worth seeing **Don't see it *Demand your money back Meryl Streep A portrait of a...

Fishy business.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: JUSTICE MALALA FOOD FOR THOUGHT Fishy business *** Yo Sushi Park Centre Corner 7th & 3rd Avenues Parktown North Tel: (011) 442 0246 ***** Fabulous **** Great *** Good ** Only good for Malatsi and company...

HEALTH. Good news, sweetie.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jenny McMahon HEALTH Good news, sweetie It's been called the white poison. It has even been said that if it were launched on the market now, it would be banned. Sugar. For most people concerned about...

AVOIDING COLDS. C off the sniffles.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) AVOIDING COLDS C off the sniffles It's that time of year again when unpredictable spring weather can leave you exposed to colds. But simply by increasing your intake of vitamin C, you can keep colds at bay or reduce...

COOKING METHODS. A steamy affair.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) COOKING METHODS A steamy affair You've had a long day and you really don't feel like cooking. So you decide you'll just pop some vegetables in the microwave for a hassle-free, healthy meal. Not so fast... In a...

Hot type.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Richard Steyn A follow-up to his critical study of Intellectuals, Paul Johnson's Creators (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, R279) considers the achievements of a selection of outstanding creative spirits down the...

PROPERTY. Season for pampering.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Linda Stafford PROPERTY Season for pampering FOR DETAILS Four Seasons Go to www.fourseasons.com Anahita Go to www.anahitamauritius.com Lazing at Langkawi This Malaysian resort hints at what's in store...

Goosebumps on the info highway.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sue Grant-Marshall AT LUNCH WITH THE FM Goosebumps on the info highway HOW HE CHILLS Watches science fiction, horror, documentary and drama movies Spends family holidays at Umhlanga Loves soccer and...

Why do an MBA?
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Why do an MBA? Former FM journalist Marina Bidoli, now group communications manager at Sasol, graduated with an MBA in 2005. She writes that in her personal experience, the worth of the MBA lies in being able to tap...

GLOBAL STANDARDS. Accreditation is a 'must'.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger GLOBAL STANDARDS Accreditation is a 'must' WHAT IT MEANS SA MBAs meet global quality standards SA schools will lead other African MBA providers UCT GSB students world-class SA business...

RANKING THE MBAs. Get real.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger RANKING THE MBAs Get real WHAT IT MEANS Choose your MBA to suit your ambitions Many graduates don't get the financial benefit they expected Gibs, UCT GSB, Wits Classes of perfection We...

DATACENTRIX. COMPUTER SERVICES.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stafford Thomas Back on track BUY COMPUTER SERVICES DATACENTRIX Ord price 350c Market cap R718m Div yield 6% 12-month high 375c PE ratio 9,8 Sector PE 20,2 Low 228c Six months to Turnover Rbn Operat-ing...

Whispers around town.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Whispers around town Seen dining in Rosebank last Friday were Johncom chairman Mashudu Ramano, Caxton CE Terry Moolman, Caxton cofounder Noel Coburn and investment banker Inus Prinsloo. Whispers wonders what they...

Diamond: Datacentrix. Dog: Excellerate.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jamie Carr Diamonds & Dogs Diamond Datacentrix After a brief period of consolidation in the first half of 2005, Datacentrix is back on the steady growth path that is starting to separate it from the...

DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIALS. A few intriguing parcels.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Andrew McNulty DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIALS A few intriguing parcels WHAT IT MEANS Rand hedging and diversity are hooks But returns in foreign markets can be thin Tony Phillips Barloworld trading close to...

EXCELLERATE. BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stafford Thomas Still barking SELL BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES EXCELLERATE Ord price 70c Market cap R129m Div yield 12-month high 85c PE ratio 17,1 Sector PE 12,2 Low 55c Year to Jun 30 Turnover Rm...

FINANCIAL PRODUCTS. Is fraud under control?
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephen Cranston FINANCIAL PRODUCTS Is fraud under control? There are contradictory messages about trends in financial fraud, judging by reports from the Life Offices' Association (LOA) and the Ombud...

PPC. Imports into the mix.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nicky Smith PPC Imports into the mix John Gomersall Importing several million bags of cement may erode margins for PPC and carries risks, but it's not expected to dent earnings. SA's largest cement...

LIFE INDUSTRY. A rethink of RAs.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephen Cranston LIFE INDUSTRY A rethink of RAs The life industry, intermediaries and the national treasury are trying to find a way to make retirement annuities more cost-effective. It is by no...

SABMILLER. The tread that thunders.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Chris Gilmour SABMILLER The tread that thunders WHAT IT MEANS SABMiller has the best footprint for growth In China the emphasis is now on brands Andre Parker (right) and SAB SA MD Tony van Kralingen...

ASSET CLASSES (3): SINGLE STOCK FUTURES. Flutter now, pay later.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stuart Theobald ASSET CLASSES (3): SINGLE STOCK FUTURES Flutter now, pay later WHAT IT MEANS Single stock futures have grown strongly You can get 10 times the market exposure for your capital SSFs have...

SUGAR. Now an oil price play.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Chris Gilmour SUGAR Now an oil price play Peter Staude The world is changing Sugar over the past two years has been subject to tight supply versus demand, says John Thompson, food analyst at Nedcor...

TAX. Falling into the net.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Williams TAX Falling into the net Pravin Gordhan Late rush again? You think that because you're running a small business, you qualify for the tax amnesty that has been offered by the SA Revenue...

SOCCER. Something to celebrate.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Mark Gleeson SOCCER Something to celebrate Now that's more like it! SA's national side provided a timely lift to the entire football industry with a 1-0 victory over Zambia in Lusaka last Sunday. ...

SUPER GROUP. TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Themba Hlengani Good cash flow BUY TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS SUPER GROUP Ord price R11 Market cap R4,7bn Div yield 2,7% 12-month high R13 PE ratio 11,46 Sector PE 10,09 Low 980c Year to Mar/Jun* Turnover Rbn...

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS. Mixed feelings.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TECHNICAL ANALYSIS Mixed feelings WHAT IT MEANS Sellers outstrip buyers if earlier highs loom Sector uneasiness can outweigh other factors The chart's neutral market stance suggests that it is sectoral risk causing...

Forcing us to the wall.
October 13, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Phillip Ronbeck Forcing us to the wall According to the National Credit Regulator, 38% of all microfinance advances are for study fees and funerals On the face of it, the National Credit Act is a good...