Financial Mail articles from September 2006

Financial Mail archives from September 2006

Taking a look at the rand: where it's been and where it's heading.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Cees Bruggemans Taking a look at the rand: where it's been and where it's heading is chief economist at First National Bank. He writes a monthly column for FM Campus With the benefit of hindsight, we can...

International Marketing Council.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) International Marketing Council Size: The International Marketing Council's main office is in Johannesburg with 32 staff. It also has small offices in London, UK and outside Washington, DC in the US. The IMC is...

Cooking for ONE.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Mahlapane Ntokozo Cooking for ONE Tips and recipes to help you cook for yourself, saving you money and keeping you healthy Cooking dinner for yourself may sound like an uninspiring idea, especially after...

Painting the rainbow globally.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Painting the rainbow globally The IMC sells a positive image of SA to the world While tourism in SA has increased 100% since 1994, and Cape Town is the place to go for Brits on holiday, horrific crime stories and...

nsite of the week www.askmen.com.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) nsite of the week www.askmen.com This one's for the guys. Askmen is a nicely put-together, daily updated portal for men, where every man can find something he is interested in. Find tips for winning at poker, free...

EDITOR'S NOTE The Reader Survey is waiting.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Alita Byrd EDITOR'S NOTE The Reader Survey is waiting There are still FM Campus readers who haven't filled in our Reader Survey. That means your name isn't in the draw to win one of the fantastic prizes...

CAMPUS NEWS A new residence has been built and opened at Stellenbosch University, called Metanoia a Greek word meaning change of heart and mind. The new residence is the biggest owned by the university, with 496 male and female students. It is.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) CAMPUS NEWS A new residence has opened at Stellenbosch University, called Metanoia a Greek word meaning change of heart and mind. The new residence is the biggest owned by the university, with 496 male and female...

RANKINGS Best of the best places to work.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) RANKINGS Best of the best places to work Placing company takes cake as best company to work for It's one thing to find a job but finding a company that's a pleasure to work for is top prize. Google's office, based...

Q & A Ask the Guru.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Q & A Ask the Guru Q: What is plagiarism? A: Plagiarism is when you take ideas and passages that were written by someone else and pretend they are yours. If you write an essay, and use a paragraph on the topic that...

INFLATION Food chain reaction.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) INFLATION Food chain reaction High maize price drives SA inflation You may not realise it, but you use a lot of grain products. For example, you may have bread or cereal for breakfast, pap with your chicken for...

ZUMA & ECONOMY Risky business in SA.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) ZUMA & ECONOMY Risky business in SA The presidency race could put pressure on SA's economy Politicians have the power to create or destroy economies through developing economic policies and sometimes simply...

LAND CLAIMS Land claims brewing over.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) LAND CLAIMS Land claims brewing over Claimants to Wild Coast land sick and tired of delays About 80% of the earth's surface is covered in water. The other 20% of land (some uninhabitable) has to be shared by the...

TRAINING Going back to school.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TRAINING Going back to school A lack of training may be one reason service delivery is so bad Training is an ongoing thing. You won't gain all the knowledge you need for the rest of your career in the course you...

EDUCATION Filling in the gaps.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) EDUCATION Filling in the gaps Advtech capitalises on SA's static public school enrolments Your parents have probably sacrificed to make sure you get a good education. They probably help you financially as much as...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Is grain production more capital or labour intensive? How does this affect its price? 2)What are the driving forces behind the increase in maize prices in SA? 3)Should government subsidise maize...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Why is public school enrolment in the country static? 2)What are the challenges faced by government in providing adequate and quality education to the country's citizens? 3)Is the quality of...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)What are the pull factors that employees look for when job hunting? 2)What is the insider-outsider theory? How does it affect work productivity levels? 3)What incentives can employers use to retain...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Should all land be common property for the citizens of a country? 2)What are property rights and how can they help resolve issues around land? 3)What kinds of compensation can be awarded to those...

TALK ABOUT IT:.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) TALK ABOUT IT: 1)Do investors make decisions based on one event or look at the bigger picture? 2)What types of economic policies favour a country's business sector? Which don't? 3)How does the political tension...

CAREER: EVENT CO-ORDINATOR.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) A conference co-ordinator puts together big events for a living Anneliese Korsch has just finished organising an international conference for over 2000 participants from over 70 countries. She co-ordinated the...

POLITICS. Leader of the pack.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jacob Dlamini POLITICS Leader of the pack WHAT IT MEANS Zuma is using Mbeki's political tactics He is backed for his anti-Mbeki credentials, not his policies Jacob Zuma A phenomenon not easily explained...

ANNELIESE ANSWERS TEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) ANNELIESE ANSWERS TEN ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1 When do you get up in the morning? 6am. 2 What do you most like about your job? The challenges, the people and the pressure. 3 What do you hate the most about...

Global competitiveness index. GCI 2006.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche SA has slipped five places to 45th in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2006 global competitiveness ranking. The slide confirms a downgrading of SA in the eyes of foreign investors. Though...

A regular month of crime.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Pieter Pretorius A regular month of crime We keep discussing crime levels in SA and debating whether the numbers have gone up or down. I've also said to people that it is not such a big issue and that we...

Time to confront home truths.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Time to confront home truths What can be done about the falling rand? At R7,64/US$ it has reached its lowest level in three years and is 29% lower than its 2006 peak. Suddenly, the arguments about why SA needs a...

All were schooled by the Nats.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Elizabeth Clogg All were schooled by the Nats It is encouraging that attention is being given to matters of education by publications such as the FM (Cover Story September 8). It should be noted,...

ASSET MANAGERS. Touched by angels.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephen Cranston ASSET MANAGERS Touched by angels What it means In the late 1990s a number of boutiques went belly-up Will history repeat itself? Geoff Blount The fact that these boutiques, unlike their...

DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS. Hitting the high notes.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Chris Gilmour DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS Hitting the high notes Christopher Sturdy As might have been expected in such a heady environment for global equity markets, trading in American depositary receipts...

Zuma and the law.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Philip van der Merwe Zuma and the law You say there are 3 State advocates who will try Zuma (FM Fox September 15). That can't be right. Notwithstanding government's determination to transform the...

EDUCATION. Lots of little jugs to fill.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Williams EDUCATION Lots of little jugs to fill WHAT IT MEANS Perceptions of value are key to growth Operational strength delivers cash flow Public school enrolment has been static, whereas the...

SECURITIES. Two steps backwards.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Chris Gilmour SECURITIES Two steps backwards WHAT IT MEANS Shareholders could be prejudiced It's a retrogressive step by the FSB Jan van Staden An orderly termination The new law does not allow the...

Don on jazz.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Patrick Turner Don on jazz I hope Don Albert will continue to be featured in the new-look FM. I have bought most of the jazz CDs he has reviewed, solely on the strength of his recommendations. I have...

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS. Take the long road.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Dana Wakefield TECHNICAL ANALYSIS Take the long road WHAT IT MEANS Put ups and downs into context Upward progress will now be erratic Moving averages have acted as safety nets for the Alsi's advance Why...

A small coup d'etat.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Barney Mthombothi BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI A small coup d'etat What happens when voters turn their backs on the ruling party? The chilling message from Cape Town is that the will of the people counts for...

ROYALTY FEES. Tuning them overseas.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Larry Claasen ROYALTY FEES Tuning them overseas Josh Groban The composers of the 1980s anti-apartheid hit Weeping will be smiling all the way to the bank. International recording star Josh Groban is to...

101. United Nations.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Prakash Naidoo When was the United Nations (UN) formed? The organisation officially came into existence on October 24 1945. What are its objectives? To maintain international peace and security and...

The hour approaches.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: NAZMEERA MOOLA The hour approaches The key question is what happens to the global economy and thus global liquidity and commodity prices in the coming months Current-account deficits don't matter...

CRB commodity index.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) China and India's industrial boom is set to boost commodity prices over the longer term but the sector is currently overvalued, says Scott Gray of Kleinwort Benson. The recent bull run has been based on increasing...

COSATU CONGRESS. Ugly capitalists cough up.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Prakash Naidoo COSATU CONGRESS Ugly capitalists cough up At the heart of SA's class struggle, says SA Communist Party's Blade Nzimande, is the question of whether the national democratic revolution...

CASE STUDY AIR TRAFFIC NAVIGATION SERVICES. How do they stack?
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Shareen Singh CASE STUDY AIR TRAFFIC NAVIGATION SERVICES How do they stack? Safety first Durban International's control tower Many of us tend to curse the airline when there is a delay on the runway,...

Broadcasters beware.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod DUNCAN McLEOD Broadcasters beware Anyone with a PC, a microphone and a broadband connection can become a broadcaster The Twits are turning the media world on its head. It all started in a...

ANC should go for split.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Boyd ANC should go for split Cosatu and the SACP are considering breaking away from the tripartite alliance, but it is the ANC that should review this structure and rid itself of its partners. Why?...

THE BRAIN DRAIN. A tide of skills on the move.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sherry Shannon THE BRAIN DRAIN A tide of skills on the move WHAT IT MEANS Brain drain slows economic growth IT and health sectors hardest hit The brain drain problem is not uniquely South African but is...

SURVEY METHOD. The scoring.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger SURVEY METHOD The scoring Management and employees of companies taking part in Best Company answer questions on 11 categories: leadership; management style; communication; job...

2. MICROSOFT. A whole hand on the brand.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger 2 MICROSOFT A whole hand on the brand WHAT IT MEANS New CEO Serima still getting in touch IT skills shortage not improving in SA Pfungwa Serima The business is not driven by me. It's the...

CASE STUDY HARMONY. Dreamers who dare.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nicky Smith CASE STUDY HARMONY Dreamers who dare Bernard Swanepoel Harmony Gold seems hardly able to pick itself up off the floor before it finds itself back down there again having the stuffing kicked...

3. PRETORIA PORTLAND CEMENT. Hugging seems to have helped.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nicky Smith 3 PRETORIA PORTLAND CEMENT Hugging seems to have helped WHAT IT MEANS Company needs unifying theme Provide staff with forums to engage Salim Abdul Kader Of this year's 4000 suggestions, 70%...

4. PREMIER GROUP. Durban's growing fledgling.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Chris Gilmour 4 PREMIER GROUP Durban's growing fledgling WHAT IT MEANS Employee orientation on the business is vital Education of staff and their dependants key Belinda Young We spend a significant...

CASE STUDY SA MINT. Footloose, not fancy-free.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Themba Hlengani CASE STUDY SA MINT Footloose, not fancy-free On my first visit to the SA Mint in Centurion a few years ago, I was instructed to take off my shoes, empty my pockets of coins and pass...

Is that all? WHAT IT MEANS.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: David Furlonger Is that all? WHAT IT MEANS Understanding workers' needs is the first step Plain common sense goes a long way Just as good work should be acknowledged, so should the bad kind...

5. HOLLARD. Work in progress.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche 5 HOLLARD Work in progress WHAT IT MEANS Ranked fifth, Hollard's highest ranking so far Corporate culture develops constantly Paolo Cavalieri and Hollard's creative block Hollard shows the...

Did you hear?
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Limpopo's Capricorn district municipality (including the less-than-wealthy capital of Polokwane) has tendered for a specialised utility vehicle, expected to cost up to R1m, with extras of at least R200000, to ferry...

Current account balance.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche Until this year, most South Africans had never heard of the current account of the balance of payments. Now it is the key factor determining SA's immediate economic future. The deficit in...

Did you hear? Prize winners.
September 29, 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...

Retail Sales. Ata constant 2000 prices.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sven Lunsche Growth in retail sales eased only slightly to 9,1% y/y in real terms in June following growth of above 10% in the previous four months. In nominal terms sales rose by 15,8%, their highest...

SA EAGLE. PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stephen Cranston Take for yield BUY PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE SA EAGLE Ord price 14600c Market cap R1,78bn Div yield 5,6% 12-month high R201 PE ratio 8,6 Sector PE 13,7 Low 11600c Six months to...

CIVIL SERVICE. Back to school to rule.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Peter Honey CIVIL SERVICE Back to school to rule WHAT IT MEANS State hamstrung by lack of skills Training revamp vital for service delivery Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi Government aims to train 200000...

EOH. IT: COMPUTER SERVICES.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stafford Thomas On a growth roll BUY IT: COMPUTER SERVICES EOH Ord price 670c Market cap R473m Div yield 2,1% 12-month high 690c PE ratio 12,3 Sector PE 20,9 Low 440c Year to Jul 31 Turnover Rbn...

MINING. Mixed reactions.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Brendan Ryan MINING Mixed reactions Recent weakness in the gold price is causing a bout of nerves for many investors; conventional wisdom has it that gold should be motoring along now after the quiet...

STEEL INDUSTRY. Sweating to keep up.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Nicky Smith STEEL INDUSTRY Sweating to keep up WHAT IT MEANS Expect more steel supply shortages Mittal should develop a better relationship with government Rick Reato Wants to change perceptions Mittal...

ADVERTISING. Gloating and gloss.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jeremy Maggs ADVERTISING Gloating and gloss WHAT IT MEANS Loeries mean SA commercial success SA needs injection of black creative talent Gerry Human Obsessed with being in touch with the local market...

TAIWAN AND CHINA. Unification by stealth.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Peter Honey TAIWAN AND CHINA Unification by stealth WHAT IT MEANS Taiwan's fortunes are ever more closely tied to those of China Country seeks new economic identity Taipei 101 Symbol of achievement...

INFLATION. Food chain effect.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stafford Thomas INFLATION Food chain effect WHAT IT MEANS High maize costs are the main contributor to rising food prices Food price rises should slow down towards year-end High hopes that petrol price...

ECONOMY. Zuma, rumour and risky business.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Claire Bisseker ECONOMY Zuma, rumour and risky business WHAT IT MEANS Zuma bid threatens policy continuity Uncertainty spooks foreign investors The presidential succession race turns up the heat on the...

Another Week.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Another Week CHEN LIANGYU the Communist Party secretary in Shanghai is fired for alleged corruption, the most senior Chinese official to be dismissed for graft. He is pictured here delivering a speech in 2005. ...

WAGES.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) WAGES Work those buns off The average Jo'burger has to work half an hour to pay for a McDonald's Big Mac hamburger. Merchant bank UBS has used the same currency information that underlies The Economist's well-known...

DIGITAL TV. On your box, get set ...
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Duncan McLeod DIGITAL TV On your box, get set... South Africans will have to buy digital set-top boxes within the next 10 years to continue receiving terrestrial television broadcasts. In 2015,...

CELLPHONES. Cheap until you chirp.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Larry Claasen CELLPHONES Cheap until you chirp The tussle between mobile handset producers Nokia and Motorola is heating up. Though Nokia still rules with a staggering 64,5% of the market, second-placed...

GIMME. Not so great.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Larry Claasen GIMME Not so great Don't give up your camera-phone. Sahara's new 8-megapixel digital camera is one of those gadgets that is just too clever for its own good. Yes, having 8 megapixels does...

ENTREPRENEUR. It turns, it falls, it buds again.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Thandeka Gqubule ENTREPRENEUR It turns, it falls, it buds again LEAF WIRELESS CEO: Brandon Leigh Business: Wireless technology Turnover: R350m (2006) Brandon Leigh is a curious mix of passion and...

When the cows come home.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Heather Formby REAL PEOPLE DOING UNREAL THINGS When the cows come home Gay van Hasselt Cheese maker THE UNREALITY CHECK She started making cheese in a cooler-box after attending a two-day course. ...

Whispers around town.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Whispers around town Bored? Buy a waterfront. Richard Livingstone, who with his brother, Ian, runs European property giant London & Regional, has a special reason for buying the V& A Waterfront. Livingstone...

ENERGY. A stirring in the haze.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Shareen Singh ENERGY A stirring in the haze Government has been talking the talk on reducing pollution for more than a decade, yet has little to show for it. Black smoke from high-carbon coal fires...

TRADE & INVESTMENT. New way into the world.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Amarnath Singh TRADE & INVESTMENT New way into the world WHAT IT MEANS Asia mostly wants Africa's commodities Higher trade has not led to higher growth Manmohan Singh Trade bearer Africa is becoming a...

5 QUESTIONS FOR ... Dumisani Kumalo.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Prakash Naidoo QUESTIONS FOR... Dumisani Kumalo, SA's ambassador to the UN, speaks about the significance of SA becoming one of the 10 nonpermanent members of the Security Council next year FM: Why...

FUEL PRICES. A slippery customer.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Stafford Thomas FUEL PRICES A slippery customer Cuts of about 65c/l in petrol and 28c/l in diesel prices on October 4 will bring respite from the pounding that SA's oil-dependent economy has taken...

Zuma, rumour and risky business (Quotations).
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Goolam Ballim Government policy has not sought to break the back of labour through a pragmatic blend of social welfare, developmental and business-friendly policy. Kristin Lindow We have taken note of Zuma's...

ART. Seriously funny.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Sean O'Toole ART Seriously funny WHAT TO READ A useful historical compendium on local cartoonists is Companion to South African Cartoonists by Murray and Elzabe Schoonraad (Ad Donker, 1989). Sotheby's...

Randall Abrahams' Picks.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Randall Abrahams' Picks >> Randall Abrahams, the toughest M-Net Idols judge, begins a monthly column on CDs and, occasionally, DVDs this week. He ran the the commercial radio stations at the SABC (Good Hope FM,...

BOOK OF THE WEEK. Bridge bridges the gap.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Richard Steyn BOOK OF THE WEEK Bridge bridges the gap VULNERABLE IN HEARTS By Sandy Balfour 278 pages Atlantic Books R113 Using a similar formula to the one that worked so well in Pretty Girl in Crimson...

Gone bananas.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Justice Malala JUSTICE MALALA FOOD FOR THOUGHT Gone bananas ****Gramadoelas at the Market Theatre Bree Street Newtown Johannesburg Tel: (011) 838-6960 *****Outstanding! ****Very good ***Good **Fit for...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Jacob Zuma QUOTE OF THE WEEK Same-sex marriage is a disgrace to the nation and to God. When I was growing up, a homosexual could not stand in front of me. I would knock him out. JACOB ZUMA The Sowetan...

HOTEL. The Flintstones on fast-forward.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Linda Stafford HOTEL The Flintstones on fast-forward WHAT IT COSTS Rates From R585/person, sharing (midweek), to R635/person, sharing (weekends), including breakfast Tel (014) 577-9000....

Hot type.
September 29, 2006... (From Financial Mail) Byline: Richard Steyn, Sue Grant-Marshall In this sweeping and provocative account of Western history, Roger Osborne's Civilization: A New History of the Western World (Random House, R270), the author argues...