In today's news headlines: * Elon Musk, South Africa born founder of Tesla, is among the world's wealthiest, after the Tesla stock price soared. * Apple is now worth $2trn. * MTN has a new boss. * As banks are set to report a plunge in profits, the South African Reserve Bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, has said the banking sector is in good shape and has too much liquidity.

Lesetja Kganyago, governor of the reserve bank set out the risks for the rand at a webinar for the Cape Town Press Club. The SA Reserve Bank Governor told the Cape Town Press Club that he thinks fixing the SA economy doesn’t require a careful rethink - government just needs to get on with implementing plans. He also set out his views on the risk to the rand.

In today's news headlines: * PPC, South Africa’s largest cement maker, plunged deeper into crisis after reporting accounting errors and delaying the release of full-year earnings for a second time. * Zimbabwe’s benchmark stock index has slid by 21% since the government allowed trading to resume just over two weeks ago, * Eskom will implement planned blackouts today (Wednesday) after breakdowns at a number of power stations. * The S&P 500, an index of the biggest companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange, hovered near record levels on Tuesday, BizNews partner Wall Street Journal reports. The “remarkable rebound” of stock prices comes after the coronavirus pandemic sent shockwaves through the economy and financial markets,

Sasol’s executive team has to work hard to bring down the company’s R180bn of debt, which is mostly in dollars. Stockbroker David Shapiro says debt of this size makes everything else in the business become secondary. This follows the release of Sasol's annual results this week. Sasol is a popular stock among day traders.

South African stocks have been 'cheap' for a while, says RECM founder Piet Viljoen. He discusses stock selection ideas with BizNews founder Alec Hogg.

University of the Witwatersrand vaccinology expert Professor Shabir Madhi tells BizNews about how US drug company Novavax got to run a critical trial of its coronavirus vaccine. He shares the details of why this is a promising vaccine and picks up on the latest developments on Covid-19 vaccine trials in South Africa.

Deepak Patel is the principal clinical specialist and head of research at Discovery Vitality. He joins BizNews to talk about what adults over 65 can do to stay healthy and reduce their health risks.

In today's news headlines: * Novavax says its Covid-19 vaccine could begin the final stage of testing by September. This would be the second Covid-19 vaccine trial underway in SA. * Tiger Brands, facing legal action in connection with listeriosis contamination of food that led to 200 deaths, is selling assets. * Foschini is buying stores from Edcon and is optimistic the deal will go through. * Sasol has released annual financial results and says it is planning a rights issue for later next year.

In today's news headlines: * South Africa's Covid-19 restrictions ease from midnight and President Cyril Ramaphosa says there are plans underway to breath life into the struggling economy. * The alcohol and tobacco bans have been lifted and interprovincial travel is allowed as South Africa reports 105,000 active Covid-19 cases - and the president says the country has moved past the peak. * Sibanye-Stillwater shareholders are bracing for a massive jump in earnings, thanks to the soaring gold price, depreciating rand and improved operational efficiency. * Woolworths has warned it has been hit badly by Covid-19 containment measures.

Thirsty South Africans and smokers alike rejoiced as President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would be moving to Level 2 lockdown. This will mean that a number of bans and restrictions will be lifted. "Let's breathe life into our struggling economy," he said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa must get back to work. Many Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted from midnight on 17 August, as the number of active Covid-19 infections in the country is at around 105,000. The president says the country is over the worst of the health crisis but a difficult road lies ahead to rebuild the economy. The booze and alcohol bans have been lifted, but a curfew remains and face-masks must be worn and social distancing rules remain in place.

South Africa is watching the events in the northern parts of Mozambique closely, where ISIS is threatening the development of the liquified natural gas that has been found off the coast at Cabo Delgado. The government of Mozambique - that is ill-equipped to deal with the insurgents - has asked the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for help. But there has been no official response from the South African government - although it has been discussed behind closed doors in parliamentary committees, reports Linda van Tilburg.

CEO of Restaurants Association of South Africa Wendy Alberts talks about the lockdown restrictions on the hospitality sector and the impact on operators and employees. She shares ideas of how to rebuild the severely damaged restaurant businesses, with broadcaster Tim Modise.

During the launch of the Tobacco Industry Interference Index Report for South Africa, academics and industry spokespeople shone a light on the dirty dealings of the tobacco industry, including its role in the black market. - by BizNews reporter Claire Badenhorst.

In today's news headlines: * South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago dismissed suggestions the central bank’s inflation-targeting mandate be broadened and that it undertake quantitative easing to support an economy facing its deepest contraction in almost nine decades. * Wealthy individuals in five African nations including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya see political instability as a significant threat to the preservation of their assets, a study finds. * PPC, South Africa’s biggest cement maker, is considering a rights issue of about R1.25bn ($71.7m) to refinance both its domestic and international operations, according to people familiar with the matter. * South African coal company Exxaro Resources reported a 40% jump in core earnings due to higher coal exports and a favourable exchange rate offsetting one-off items.

Broadcaster Tim Modise puts your questions to the people leading the country’s great hope in the fight against corruption: Special Investigating Unit head Advocate Andy Mothibi; Sipho Ngwema, the spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority; and Advocate Selby Makgotho of the Special Tribunal. In these excerpts, the focus is on procedural red-tape and how this often makes the legal process ‘excruciatingly slow’. - Nadya Swart

In episode 72 of Inside Covid-19, a focus on the reimagination of South African business and universities after the pandemic - Discovery’s founders Adrian Gore and Barry Swartzberg share their thoughts and we also hear Prof Francis Petersen, vice chancellor of Free State University; we investigate the racial gap in clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine; and hear how non-compliance from Europe’s youth is causing a resurgence in the number of infections – and mortalities. The graph above is from Doug Parker, showing the slowing in South Africa's daily infections.

Global health expert Professor Alan Whiteside discusses a poignant letter published in The Lancet medical journal which discusses why lockdowns don't work in an African context. This and further insight on the SA lockdown is shared by Whiteside in this podcast.

Russia announced that it has released the worlds first Covid-19 vaccine. Across the world, analysts and medical experts are questioning how the Russians managed to bring the vaccine to fruition so quickly. In this interview, BizNews founder Alec Hogg chats to Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, who gives her thoughts on the vaccine from the former Soviet state, and discusses which Covid-19 vaccine trials are in the pipeline locally - Jarryd Neves

In today's news headlines: * The City of Cape Town’s attempt to secure South African municipalities the legal right to select their electricity suppliers has been set back by a court ruling that it must first exhaust negotiations with the government on the matter, says Bloomberg. * South African business confidence recovered from a 35-year low in July as global economic activity improved, but the measure remained below average over worries about the slow re-opening of the economy and soaring local infections, reports Reuters. * Absa said on Wednesday its half-year earnings could be almost wiped out as a steep rise in bad loans dented its performance. * Gold miner Harmony Gold on Wednesday said it sees production recovering to pre-coronavirus lockdown levels around the end of August and that it expects a soaring gold price to double its margin.

In episode 71 of Inside Covid-19, after Tuesday's excitement around Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, doubts grow because of the apparent haste with which it was created – we’ve got context on that story, and vaccines generally. Plus fresh evidence that lockdowns just don’t work in an African context and some ugly consequences from the UK’s mismanagement of the pandemic.

Chief Executive and Principal Officer Linda Mateza, describes how Eskom's Pension and Provident Fund shared R100m amongst 33,000 pensioners to help ease their financial hardships. In South Africa, many households are dependent on a pension, with many recipients sustaining their children, grandchildren and other relatives on a modest monthly income. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the economic turmoil that comes along with it, Mateza says the idea around the bonus was to alleviate some of the stresses felt by many during this time.

The Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2020 indicates that there are 7.1 million unemployed people in South Africa. This was before the country imposed lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19. There is little doubt that this figure will increase dramatically. Industries across the country have already started retrenchment processes, affecting the livelihoods of millions more, leading to a higher reliance on state grants. But it doesn't have to be this way. The newly established Kisby Fund believes in creating cash flow. This, in turn, will help small businesses to create jobs and contribute to the taxpayer base. BizNews founder Alec Hogg talks to founders Mark Barnes, Sean Emery and Warren Wheatley about the virtuous cycle of small businesses and job creation and how the Kisby Fund has been conceptualised to fire up small and medium size businesses in need of competitively priced financial back-up. - Ronda Naidu

South Africa currently has over 566,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and there have been over 10,000 deaths. The rate of infections (and fatalities) continues to climb but it's no secret that those with underlying medical conditions are at a greater risk. Comorbidities, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, lung cancer, and kidney diseases are the most common conditions in patients who have died of the virus. So, what can we do aside from staying inside, social distancing, wearing masks, and washing our hands? Terry Harris, head dietician at Discovery Vitality, joins Alec Hogg to discuss the healthy foods we should eat and the choices that will give us the best chance against the virus.

Joe Biden has named Senator Kamala Harris of California as his running mate, picking his former Democratic primary opponent to be the first Black woman and the first woman of Asian descent nominated for vice president by a major party.