Financial Mail articles from October 2006

Financial Mail archives from October 2006

LAND CLAIMS My land, your land.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) LAND CLAIMS My land, your land Land restitution is a tricky problem to navigate Land ownership is one of the most emotive issues in SA. As government seeks to redress the inequality of the past by putting more farms...

BUSINESS Making big waves.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) BUSINESS Making big waves A small company uses quality controls to generate large profits If you shop in Woolworths, and put a bottle of shampoo or a body butter in your basket, you are probably buying local. A...

Valuable values: why economists need moral philosophy.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stuart Theobald Valuable values: why economists need moral philosophy is acting news editor of the Financial Mail and an economics and philosophy graduate If you want to see an economist shudder, ask him...

Site of the week.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) nsite of the week www.careers24.com This jobs website where you can register and put your CV into cyberspace where it can be viewed by recruiters is part of the massive 24.com website system (owned by Naspers)...

SA Medical Research Council.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) SA Medical Research Council Size: The MRC is made up of 45 research units, groups, centres and programmes and has offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. The MRC's headquarters is situated in Cape...

Don't miss out.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Alita Byrd Don't miss out Why you should get into networking, how to do it and where to go There's an old saying that it's not what you know, but who you know. Who you know opens doors for you," says...

Q & A Ask the Guru.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Q & A Ask the Guru Q: If I get too involved in campus politics, will it have a negative effect on my career? -Mohale Thabo, University of Limpopo A: While there may be some extreme cases where it could be...

Letters.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) I just wanted to say that if it were not for FM Campus I would have never had any interest in the Financial Mail, but thanks to the fact that there is a student friendly accessory to the FM, I would definitely renew...

Winning letters.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Winning letters This week, as a special bonus in our last issue for 2006, each letter writer wins a CD from Gallo. Read previous letters to the editor at www.fmcampus.co.za and look for more letters in 2007.

Playing the role of disease cop.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Robert Quarshie Playing the role of disease cop The MRC provides research to help save lives There's a deadly new virus in town, said to be incurable. The new extensive or extreme drug resistant (XDR)...

POINTERS RESTITUTION:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS RESTITUTION: Money paid in compensation for loss or injury; or the act of restoring something to its original state.

POINTERS MEZZANINE DEBT:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS MEZZANINE DEBT: A borrowing that falls between straight debt and equity, such as subordinated debt or equity-linked bond issues. It generally has a higher risk and potential return than senior debt but a...

POINTERS COLLATERAL:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS COLLATERAL: Something of value that is pledged as security for a loan. It is subject to seizure if the loan is not repaid.

POINTERS CRITERIA:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS CRITERIA: Standards, measures, or expectations used in making an evaluation, verification or decision.

POINTERS CAPITAL MARKETS:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS CAPITAL MARKETS: The markets for securities, where companies and government can raise long-term funds.

HOUSING Creating low-cost homes.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) HOUSING Creating low-cost homes The Johannesburg Housing Co creates a sustainable business You probably don't own your own place yet, but once you graduate and start getting a steady paycheque, it may become a...

SMALL BUSINESS Entreprenuers are discouraged.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) SMALL BUSINESS Entreprenuers are discouraged More oomph required for funding smaller businesses Those of you ambitious enough to start your own business will find the words capital" and funding" becoming popular...

ANGLO AMERICAN New CE on the scene.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) ANGLO AMERICAN New CE on the scene Anglo hires American woman to the top job Reaching the position of chief executive is defined by many as the pinnacle of corporate success. While you shouldn't be expecting...

ECONOMICS Cut and paste policy-making.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) ECONOMICS Cut and paste policy-making Research findings reveal how SA can move up to the top One way to be successful is to pattern yourself on highly successful people. If you imitate the things that successful...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Is "willing seller, willing buyer" effective? If so, why is government intervention necessary? 2)How can government use expropriation to its advantage? 3)How has the process of land reform created...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)How will a not-for-profit group do things differently than a profit-making business? 2)Why is it a good idea to build mixed-income developments? 3)How can organisations use a combination of public...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Why are loans for start-up businesses generally difficult to secure? 2)What documents and requirements are needed when applying for a loan to start a business venture? 3)How can government help...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)What criteria do companies use to choose a chief executive? Why would they want to promote from within? 2)When is training more important in a job than experience and vice versa? 3)Why aren't there...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)What types of quality measures can a company apply to its production process? 2)What is a product life cycle and can the process be applied to the provision of services? 3)Does a sound marketing...

Work It.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Robert Quarshie An IT security officer keeps a global company's computer systems safe and running smoothly Life has taken Timothy Sibeko through some tough learning curves, but he feels he has finally...

6 places to network.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Alita Byrd 6places to network n 1 Professional and civic organisations. When you become an active member, you'll meet all sorts of useful contacts. n 2 University clubs and societies. Varsity is one...

Q & A. TIMOTHY ANSWERS TEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TIMOTHY ANSWERS TEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1 When do you get up in the morning? 4.30am. 2 What do you like the most about your job? Reading and always learning new things. 3 What do you hate the most about...

POINTERS BLUE CHIP:.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) POINTERS BLUE CHIP: Prestigious companies with a solid record of stable earnings and growth.

Tin prices and stocks.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) World tin consumption has topped 1000t/day and is expected to increase by more than 10% this year as more countries ban the use of lead in solder, the International Tin Research Institute (ITRI) reported last week....

ENTREPRENEUR Coming up roses.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Yvonne Fontyn ENTREPRENEUR Coming up roses WHAT IT MEANS Le-Sel is SA's largest cosmetics & household products manufacturer It focuses on a few select customers Andrew Frodsham Started from scratch How...

FOOD PRICES Red meat sizzles.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Themba Hlengani FOOD PRICES Red meat sizzles SA consumers have been hit by a double whammy: rising interest rates and soaring food prices. Overall food price increases from July 2005 to July this year...

USED VEHICLES Safe way to sell privately.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod USED VEHICLES Safe way to sell privately Several top businessmen, including former SA Revenue Service chief information officer Ken Jarvis, have started a new venture with the Automobile...

ENTREPRENEUR A valuable Penny.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Shoks Mzolo ENTREPRENEUR A valuable Penny Penny Streeter (39) incurred huge debts when her first recruitment business, Elite Personnel, went bust in 1992. But this setback did not kill her determination....

Whispers around town.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Whispers around town Bruce Swain, who suddenly resigned as CE of Remax after building it into SA's No2 estate agency, is preparing to launch SA's first major black-owned agency. He apparently wants to make it one of...

Catholic schools stayed open.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nathan Johnstone Catholic schools stayed open Audrey Rakomane (Letters October 6) is not entirely correct when she says that schools for black children deemed to be good schools during the apartheid era...

AVI Troubled waters.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Andrew McNulty AVI Troubled waters Simon Crutchley More control and policing needed Like others in the fishing sector, Irvin & Johnson (I& J) hasn't been having much luck in recent years. This is...

LIFE INSURANCE Smaller offices thrive.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephen Cranston LIFE INSURANCE Smaller offices thrive Life insurance is at a much more mature point in its life cycle than the unit trust industry. While there were net inflows of R22,3bn into unit...

ADVERTISING Today, tomorrow, but not together Absa and its advertising agency,.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jeremy Maggs ADVERTISING Today, tomorrow, but not together Absa and its advertising agency, J Walter Thompson (JWT), are to part company after less than two years. Absa is SA's eighth-biggest advertiser...

Give us back taxes the state can't use.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Give us back taxes the state can't use Preceding his budget speeches, finance minister Trevor Manuel has adopted the pleasant habit of quoting philosophers who hail the virtues of a more egalitarian economic...

President must clear the way.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) President must clear the way SA will never become a Zimbabwe. But we share land issues with that blighted neighbour. The real problem is not the gross racial inequality in agricultural land distribution. It is the...

Changing the guard.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Barney Mthombothi BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI Changing the guard Bush and his sidekicks won't be around to extricate us from the mess. That will fall on the shoulders of the new cadre of leadership President...

Yours, mine, progress.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nazmeera Moola NAZMEERA MOOLA Yours, mine, progress If mining or farmers' rights are unclear, or owned by others, investment in property is likely to be low or nonexistent In 1980, Margaret Thatcher gave...

Load of codswallop.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Graham Atkinson Load of codswallop The former director-general of water affairs, Mike Muller (On My Mind October 13), states that Dave King was asked to help Umgeni Water sort out the mess it had got...

Moola hits the spot.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Malcolm Birkin When you next conduct your annual survey of the MBAs, may I suggest that Nazmeera Moola be added to the team? Her column (Economic Viewpoint October 20) was far more relevant to exactly...

Moola hits the spot.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Doug Blackmur Moola hits the spot Every morning, before anything else happens, Nazmeera Moola's article Unfit to compete (Economic Viewpoint October 20) should be read in each boardroom, trade union...

Losing steam SELL COMPUTER SERVICES BYTES TECHNOLOGY.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stafford Thomas Losing steam SELL COMPUTER SERVICES BYTES TECHNOLOGY Ord price R12,50 Market cap R2,07bn Div yield 3,6% 12-month high R14,40 PE ratio 11,7 Sector PE 20,7 Low 935c Six months to Turnover...

Web wars redux.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod DUNCAN McLEOD Web wars redux IE 7 doesn't trounce Firefox and it's unlikely that those who have already made the switch to the open-source browser will go back to IE Last Wednesday,...

LAND CLAIMS A long trek home.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) LAND CLAIMS A long trek home Lulama Xingwana knew she'd need a thick skin to be minister of land affairs. So she arrived ready to do battle. Cowboy who shoots from hip; closet communist who hates white people....

PROCEDURAL REFORMS Drastic times WHAT IT MEANS.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephan Hofstatter PROCEDURAL REFORMS Drastic times WHAT IT MEANS Significant resources are being dedicated to land reform Some radical measures could be introduced to speed it up Glen Thomas Seeking...

DID YOU HEAR?
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Not all Gauteng MECs have grandiose tastes, it seems. While finance MEC Paul Mashatile helped friends and cronies gulp down R96000 of public money in a Romanesque feast at a Jo'burg restaurant, his colleague and...

You could win.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) You could win a prize or cash by sending news snippets, wit and gossip to Did You Hear? The best reader's contribution each week wins a fashionable Rotary watch, valued at R2450. Berco Express will deliver it to...

AFFORDABLE HOUSING A victim of its own success.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Pauline Larsen AFFORDABLE HOUSING A victim of its own success WHAT IT MEANS JHC's success has led to higher prices Price rises have made JHC's task trickier Taffy Adler at Newtown's Brickfield project...

ANGLO AMERICAN New CE breaks mould Cynthia Carroll.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Williams ANGLO AMERICAN New CE breaks mould Cynthia Carroll Anglo American has never had a CE who was not South African, or not promoted from within the company. The appointment of an American,...

ADVERTISING When the gag's a joke.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jeremy Maggs ADVERTISING When the gag's a joke WHAT IT MEANS A few complaints can ground an ad Ad industry must drive changes at ASA Double standards Sasol's rugby ad was grounded, but the Good Hope...

DE BEERS Full speed ahead WHAT IT MEANS.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Brendan Ryan DE BEERS Full speed ahead WHAT IT MEANS Not enough new diamond mines are coming on stream Gem prices are set to rise sharply next year Gareth Penny Is he reading the market right? De Beers...

SINO-AFRICAN RELATIONS Now is our chance.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sherry Shannon SINO-AFRICAN RELATIONS Now is our chance Trade with China is often viewed with distrust, but its rise as an economic superpower and its hunger for raw materials to feed its industries can...

ECONOMICS State's short cut to success.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Prakash Naidoo ECONOMICS State's short cut to success Leon Louw Policy savvy Is it possible that the world's most successful economies could be working from a short list of policies that makes them...

SUCCESSION PLANNING Letting go is hard to grasp.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger SUCCESSION PLANNING Letting go is hard to grasp WHAT IT MEANS It's difficult for founders to give way Succession planning is crucial well ahead of time Bill Lynch A photo taken before his...

AUTO AFRICA Tripartite alliance.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger AUTO AFRICA Tripartite alliance Visitors to the Auto Africa motor show, which opens to the public in Johannesburg this weekend, may think they are seeing double or even treble. The same...

ENERGY INDUSTRY Borrow from your neighbour.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Brendan Ryan ENERGY INDUSTRY Borrow from your neighbour WHAT IT MEANS Power stations have a four-year lead time Eskom will rely on other utilities to meet the SA power crunch Eskom's Matimba power...

PROPERTY INVESTMENTS SA property coups.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Ian Fife PROPERTY INVESTMENTS SA property coups WHAT IT MEANS Financial institutions have missed out on the property boom Transnet has twice come out on top Carlton Centre Corner House Melrose Arch Canal...

SMALL BUSINESS 2 Pinstripes bar the way.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sibonelo Radebe SMALL BUSINESS 2 Pinstripes bar the way WHAT IT MEANS SMEs struggle for banking funding Financial charter SME requirements are not that onerous Banks remain reluctant players in the...

SA's development finance companies.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) SA's development finance companies IDC CEO Geoff Qhena The IDC, established in 1940, has added BEE to its agenda only in the past five years. Its main focus is funding industrial projects. With R39bn in shareholder...

Replay of Currie Cup final.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Gavin Fernie Replay of Currie Cup final David Williams is an excellent financial journalist, but please keep him away from writing about rugby. His attempt to justify his article of the previous week,...

BANKS Sunday banking a hit.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Heather Formby BANKS Sunday banking a hit Absa's opening of some branches on a Sunday is working so well that it has introduced the idea at 19 branches, mostly in big shopping centres. The bank started...

HIV/AIDS Lethal policy.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod HIV/AIDS Lethal policy British billionaire Richard Branson has slammed President Thabo Mbeki and health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang for presiding over a government [that] is...

IVORY SALES Tooth fairy on hold.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche IVORY SALES Tooth fairy on hold Tucked away in a large vault in Skukuza in the Kruger National Park lies almost 50t of ivory worth a small fortune to SA conservation. But for now its value...

ACCOUNTABILITY RATING Billiton on top.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Andrew McNulty ACCOUNTABILITY RATING Billiton on top BHP Billiton has been judged the best performer among the 52 largest JSE-listed companies for its accountability to stakeholders. BHP Billiton SA...

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Solutions, not scapegoats.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephen Cranston QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Solutions, not scapegoats Peter Moyo has just completed his first year as top SA executive at Alexander Forbes. He talks to about a tough baptism You have had to...

THE PLACE TO BE OR NOT TO BE Roll gently in Zoo Lake Bowling Club.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Chris Gilmour THE PLACE TO BE OR NOT TO BE Roll gently in Zoo Lake Bowling Club Where Zoo Lake Prices Time-warped Identity Schizophrenic The Zoo Lake Bowling Club, just off Jan Smuts Avenue, is an...

GIMME Get the click right.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod GIMME Get the click right We've all seen it before. Someone's on stage, delivering a critical presentation in PowerPoint, when, trying to call up the next slide, he hits the wrong button...

CINEMA Message in a message?
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche CINEMA Message in a message? An Inconvenient Truth Based on a lecture presentation by Al Gore Rating: Flawless Slightly flawed Mediocre Don't see it Demand your money back Al Gore Weatherman...

101 - LB - Leveraged Buyout.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stuart Theobald What is an LBO? A leveraged buyout. It uses a significant amount of debt to buy a company: usually about 70% of the purchase price. Why do it? The most important reason is that LBOs...

6 QUESTIONS FOR ...
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Ian Fife Donovan Neale-May, SA-born, US-based developer of The Reeds at Balgowan, on the property FM: Why SA? Neale-May: I was born in Port Elizabeth. My holiday home is in Simon's Town. FM: Why the...

ART Family affair WHAT TO READ.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) ART Family affair WHAT TO READ A new monograph on painter Harold Voigt, The Poetry of Sight, is available from Galley Press in three editions: Sponsor's (R4850), Collector's (R2850) and Standard (R513) Tel: (011)...

BOOK OF THE WEEK Absurd but true MY MOTHER'S LOVERS.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sue Grant-Marshall BOOK OF THE WEEK Absurd but true MY MOTHER'S LOVERS By Christopher Hope 442 pages Penguin (Atlantic Books) R140 Award-winning author Christopher Hope returns to SA, land of his birth,...

MADELEINE PEYROUX: Half the Perfect World (Rounder, Universal).
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Randall Abrahams MADELEINE PEYROUX: Half the Perfect World (Rounder, Universal). An Amazon.com import When it comes to Madeleine Peyroux, sentiment seems deeply divided. A US critic described her music...

CHRIS ISAAK: Best of Chris Isaak (Reprise, Gallo).
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Randall Abrahams CHRIS ISAAK: Best of Chris Isaak (Reprise, Gallo) My interest in Chris Isaak was initially piqued in the late 1980s when the first single, Dancin, made it on to the radio. A sexy Bo...

MILES DAVIS: Cool & Collected (SonyBMG).
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Randall Abrahams MILES DAVIS: Cool & Collected (SonyBMG) Another compilation you cannot be without is the new Miles Davis album. As a huge fan, I can heartily recommend this disc, along with The...

SHAWN COLVIN: These Four Walls.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Randall Abrahams SHAWN COLVIN: These Four Walls (Nonesuch, Gallo) Shawn Colvin has long been at the pinnacle of adult confessional music, having won Grammies for her efforts with the album A Few Small...

GIVEAWAY.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) GIVEAWAY The FM and Gallo are giving away 10 Best of Chris Isaak CDs. E-mail fmcompetition@fm.co. za before November 10 to enter the draw. Please put CD giveaway in the e-mail subject line and provide a physical...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Journalistic truths.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Justice Malala JUSTICE MALALA FOOD FOR THOUGHT Journalistic truths Sides Ten Bompas Hotel 10 Bompas Road Dunkeld West Johannesburg Tel: (011) 325-2442 Mr Apple would approve Fantastic Good Don't bother A...

hottype.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Richard Steyn Aimed at anyone from students to CEOs who wishes to understand better how the global economy works, Economics Making Sense of the Modern Economy (Profile Books, R219) is written in the...

ARCHITECTURE Rude awakening in the midlands.
October 27, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Ian Fife ARCHITECTURE Rude awakening in the midlands WHAT THEY COST Plots are selling at between R1,5m and R2m The house will cost between R3m and R4m The Reeds Combining modernism and an ecofriendly...