South Africa's wealthiest, smartest business players have wasted no time in putting their teams to work on ways to contribute to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and limiting its damage to the economy. Discovery's Adrian Gore and colleagues, and their partners at Vodacom are the latest to step forward, in this case with a simple, powerful plan to create easy access to doctors for any South African who fears he or she might have contracted the deadly coronavirus. The move follows announcements by the families of billionaires Patrice Motsepe, Johann Rupert and Nicky Oppenheimer to contribute R1bn to efforts to assist businesses. Companies like Naspers have also committed funds to various prongs of the Covid-19 national strategy, offering R500m to the Solidarity Fund and about R1bn to pay for protective equipment for medical personnel and medical supplies. In this podcast with BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg, Gore sets out the details of how the plan to create fast, cost-effective access to doctors will work. - Jackie Cameron

Parallel to the panic induced by Covid-19 in recent months has been the rising fear felt by individuals and business owners regarding their contractual obligations, or rather their looming inability to follow through on these obligations. In a bid to find relief, attention has been drawn to the legal provision force majeure, which translates literally as “superior strength” and refers to extraordinary events and calamities which render the performance of contractual obligations objectively impossible. What has previously been merely glossed over by contracting parties, is now more relevant than ever to South Africans desperate to obtain some relief in these harrowing times. In this interview with Alec Hogg, Philip Geromont, executive at ENSafrica, provides a clearer understanding of this provision and its application to commercial rental contracts in South Africa. - Nadya Swart

In episode nine of Inside Covid-19 we take a look at some promising developments in the medicines used to fight the virus; hear from a specialist in the subject with 22 years of personal experience on how to survive being forced to work from home; and discover how Foodflow, an innovative Western Cape charity set up to address food insecurity, is doing so well it is now looking to expand to other parts of the country.

In today's news headlines: * Covid-19 update: 1353 confirmed cases; total number of tests 39 ,000 says the Minister of Health; * South Africa recorded its biggest trade surplus in 14 months in February as exports to Europe surged; * Shares in Africa’s most-valuable company, Naspers, have advanced 11% since 2020 began, the best quarterly performance in a year, says Reuters; * MTN will push on with a plan to reduce its majority stake in the wireless carrier’s Nigerian business, though turmoil caused by the coronavirus may require the sale to be done in smaller chunks than anticipated, that’s according to Bloomberg; * Sanlam today announced that the Sanlam Board has approved new appointments in three of its most senior positions in the diversified financial services group; * In other news making global headlines, South Africa will dispatch about 10,000 field workers to check up on people in their homes; and * South Africa’s competition watchdog said it was investigating over 300 complaints against retailers and suppliers for charging excessive prices for essential products during the coronavirus outbreak, reports Bloomberg.

Several of the large banks in South Africa have pitched in to help customers deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Standard Bank has announced a second wave of relief for people earning R7,500 or less providing them with a three-month instalment relief after a payment holiday had been offered for SMEs and full-time students last week. It comes into effect at the end of the month. Absa Bank has announced similar measures with short-term liquidity relief for credit products and Absa said the programme will not attract additional administration fees. Absa said support to corporate and business banking clients would entail solutions based on their unique requirements and operations. Firstrand has in addition to what it is doing for customers, offering instalment cashflow relief; announced a private-public venture to help the medical effort in the fight against the coronavirus. R100m has been allocated for Spire, an initiative established by the bank to scale up critical care capacity in South Africa. First Rand COO, Mary Vilakazi told Alec Hogg that Spire had already funded 100,000 test kits. – Linda van Tilburg

The impact of the 21-day shutdown has had a devastating impact on economies worldwide and for South Africa it has come as a double-whammy as years of corruption has left the country with serious financial troubles with Moody’s downgrading the country to junk status over the weekend. Although help has been promised; many businesses are not sure whether they can survive this sharp downturn. For the informal sector; the decrease in footfall as people are confined to their homes is going to have a serious impact. Informal sector expert GG Alcock, who coined the phrase ‘Kasinomics’ to describe this economy, says “Taverns and hair salons will be hammered” and the backroom rental economy estimated by Alcock to be worth about R20bn in income, “will feel the impact from the end of April.” It is also unlikely that this sector will get much help from the Government. But Alcock says the sector is resilient and he believes they will be able to “batten down the hatches.” – Linda van Tilburg

In this podcast, long-time buddies and radio show hosts David Shapiro and Alec Hogg discuss the state of the South African stock market and the value of the rand. Shares and the currency have taken a pounding amid coronavirus panic, but stockbroker Shapiro reckons the worst might be over. That is good news for South Africans digesting the news at the end of March that it now takes about R22 to buy one British pound, just under R20 for one euro and more than R17 for one greenback. In fact, instead of running from markets, more investors appear to be looking for opportunities to buy stocks, Shapiro tells BizNews founder Hogg. - Jackie Cameron

Before he took office in early 2018, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa outlined how foreign direct investment would be the cornerstone of his plan to get a stalled economy moving again. Four high profile investment-seeking envoys were dispatched to engage with potential investors around the world. The plan’s success was trumpeted in Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address and his high-profile annual investment conference. Initially, the plan seemed to be working. Investment flows in the authoritative report compiled by the United Nations showed FDI rebounding from depths plumbed during the business-hostile Zuma Administration. Not surprisingly, Covid-19 Crisis has wiped out those gains – as it has pretty much for almost half of global FDI. But more relevant for South Africa, as UNCTAD’s Richard Bolwijn explains with unburnished frankness in this podcast, the slide had already started long before the virus put SA into lockdown. Biznews.com’s Alec Hogg caught up with Bolwijn to discuss his team’s latest Investment Trends Monitor…

In today's news headlines: * Covid-19 cases are up to 1,326 and three deaths have been reported; * SA banks will help 80% of customers with debt repayment challenges - survey; * Naspers has joined donors digging deep to help the SA government prop up businesses as coronavirus containment measures hammer the economy; * Platinum miners are declaring force majeure, which means they will not stick to otherwise legally binding clauses because of unavoidable circumstances; * Diamond sales may go online as De Beers warns that coronavirus is hampering the ability to physically inspect gems; and * Emerging markets - not just SA - are volatile, as coronavirus worries unsettle the globe.

Welcome to episode eight of Inside Covid-19 where we get an on-the-ground report from Shanghai to assess the timeline for South Africa to get back to some normality, and hear from the United Nations that the virus has already wiped $500bn off foreign direct investment. Also in this episode, we get to feel how the lockdown is impacting informal entrepreneurs and join the press conference for an update on the country’s new Solidarity Fund. - Alec Hogg

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the government will be rolling out an extensive screening and tracing programme all over the country for Covid-19. He said there were now 1,326 cases of coronavirus in South Africa with 3 fatalities. In addition to the R1bn each donated by the Rupert, Oppenheimer and Motsepe families; Naspers has pledged R1.5bn in the fight against the coronavirus while the Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma has donated medical equipment to the country. - Linda van Tilburg

For clues on how the Covid-19 pandemic ends, look at China where society is normalising and business is getting back on track. As the World Health Organisation reports about 640,000 confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus and about 30,000 deaths around the world, the country where it all started is showing signs that that the speed at which the disease is spreading is slowing. South African actuary Alain Peddle, Deputy CEO of Ping An Health, a China-based health insurer owned by South Africa's Discovery group, spoke to BizNews editor-in-chief Alec Hogg from Shanghai about what it is like living through lockdown. He says that, in China, the light at the end of the dark Covid-19 tunnel can be seen. There are still social controls, for example regular temperature checks at building entry points. But the extreme part of the containment lasted from about 23 January to 10 February. So, in just over three weeks, China re-started its economy. - Jackie Cameron

In this episode of Rational Radio guests in order of appearance are: * SA's favourite market commentator David Shapiro; * Kasinomics author GG Alcock on how the informal sector is being hit by SA's 21 day lockdown; * PingAn Health deputy CEO Alain Peddle (from Shanghai) providing visibility from China on how long the Covid-19 Crisis is likely to last; * Mary Vilakazi, COO of FirstRand sharing details of how the group's R100m donation to fight Covid-19 will be applied - the first R20m already has been; * Philip Geromont of ENS unpacks the obligations of businesses to continue paying rent during the 21 day lockdown (hint: bad news for landlords); and * Brendan Mullen of impact investor Secha Capital explains how SMEs are being hit by the lockdown - and an easy way to unlock the credit freeze

The Solidarity fund that was put into place to provide funding during the coronavirus outbreak provided information today on how they are going to spend the money donated. Chairperson Gloria Serobe and her team have indicated that the first money that has been paid out has been used to acquire Personal Protective Equipment and 5 million masks have been ordered from China. The money provided by the Rupert and Oppenheimer families is not going to be channelled through the Solidarity Fund. Also on this podcast are Martin Kingston, Adrian Enthoven and Nicola Galombik. – Linda van Tilburg

In episode seven of Inside Covid-19 we feature an exclusive interview with the professor who is leading Oxford University’s team working around the clock to developing a vaccine. Prof Adrian Hill says one is now in sight and will probably be ready for release before the end of the year. But the Ebola and malaria specialist frets that without changed behaviour, Covid-19 could wreak fearful damage in Africa. On a brighter note, numbers man Deon Gouws of Credo reckons infection numbers and mortality percentages are being exaggerated; and we close off with the #Staytheffhome campaign gaining ground in in the US.

The coronavirus is spreading around the world at an alarming pace, but there is still no drug to treat it or a vaccine to protect against Covid-19. Several research institutions around the world have joined the race to find life-saving vaccines and the Jenner Institute at Oxford University are enrolling the first volunteers in the United Kingdom to test their vaccine on humans. Biznews managed to track down the Director of the Institute, Prof Adrian Hill who said he was optimistic that their inoculation could work and said it could be ready later this year. Prof Hill also had a word of caution for those who think it may not affect them. He wanted people to take it seriously because months ago people in Europe were saying ’“This is a problem for someone else… the real nightmare is if it takes off in Africa.” – Linda van Tilburg

The war against the coronavirus is in its early days, but still, many are asking, “What does the post-coronavirus world look like?” In this episode, which features content from the Bloomberg P&L podcast, we take a look at some of the potential impacts the pandemic may have. There’s no doubt that our economy will be changed and reshaped by the coronavirus, with many businesses destroyed and many livelihoods lost. But what else does the post-corona world have in store for us?

In today's news headlines: * The decision by Moody’s could not have come at a worse time, is the warning from Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. South Africa, like many other countries, is seized with containing the outbreak of the coronavirus; * SA braces for the fallout from a Moody's credit ratings downgrade - which was expected, but comes at the worst possible time, government warns; * Africa is 2-3 weeks away from coronavirus peak, says UN, as the continent reports more than 3,000 across countries; * Covid-19 will hurt for at least 1 year, warn experts; and * Sasol is producing alcohol sanitisers, prioritising SA market.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says the province is bracing for a surge in Covid-19 infections and has taken a cue from elsewhere by planning temporary hospitals to deal with the pandemic. Infections in the province are rising exponentially, but even so the first two deaths today came as a shock as they were 28 and 48 year old women*, people supposedly not within the highest risk demographic. On Friday there were seven hospitalised cases of Covid-19 in Cape Town and based on projections, many more are expected. In this podcast Winde shares how the Western Cape Government has prepared for the expected onslaught, emphasising how critical it is to strictly adhere to the 21 day lockdown. - Alec Hogg * Post the interview with Alan Winde the 28 year old woman was diagnosed as not having died because of the Covid-19 virus.

In episode six of Inside Covid-19, South Africa records its first deaths, two women in the Western Cape whose Premier Alan Winde tells us what happened and how prepared the province is for the coming onslaught. We’ll also hear about concerns from Discovery’s chief clinician that too many South Africans are not taking the lockdown seriously, but as our Biznews colleague in London shares, that’s not the case in the UK after prime minister Boris Johnson was confirmed as having the disease. Also in this episode, a Ted Talk guru on how to deal with lockdown-inspired anxiety, and the trade-off between lives and restarting economic activity.

Professor Alan Whiteside is an applied academic who is a specialist in development economics. In particular, he has made his mark in contributing to global understanding on the spread and containment of HIV-Aids. He has dozens of books, book chapters and journal articles under his belt. Prof Whiteside is probably one of the best-placed public health policy experts to speak to for an understanding of the Covid-19 pandemic that is sweeping the globe and shutting down economies as it spreads. In this podcast with Alec Hogg, BizNews founder and editor-in-chief, Whiteside explains how various countries manipulate the statistics for political advantage. He also sets out why a lockdown now can help contain this deadly disease when you look at the graphs and statistics. - Jackie Cameron

The coronavirus epidemic is exposing the greedy and highlighting the good in many societies. In countries where the virus is raging, people are stepping forward to volunteer. In the United Kingdom, where the outbreak shows no sign of abating; a call for 250,000 volunteers to help the country’s National Health Service led to more than 600,000 signing up. In South Africa, two billionaire families, the Ruperts and the Oppenheimers were the first to put their hands up to donate R1bn each, putting to shame other well-known British billionaires like Richard Branson, who was asking for government help for his ailing airline. And now a South African pharmaceutical company has announced that they would be donating 500,000 chloroquine phosphate tablets to the Department of Health. Contrast that to US chloroquine drugmaker, Rising Pharmaceuticals who have doubled the price of the malarial drug. Chloroquine has been used successfully in some trials to reduce the time patients spend in hospitals. The chief executive of Austell pharmaceuticals, Suhail Gani spoke to Alec Hogg on how the South African Health Product Regulatory Authority managed to approve the drug within 5 days. - Linda van Tilburg

In today's news headlines: * As the confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa head towards 1,000, the country has gone into a lockdown for 21 days; * As the nation-wide lockdown took effect from midnight on Thursday, the government reminds employers they can enforce leave over this period; * As has happened in other countries, the shutdown is likely to put businesses under severe strain. Mr Price has warned of no sales for the next three weeks; * Spar and Pick n Pay are on a list of price gougers, with the Competition Commission asking the CEOs of the biggest retailers to avoid exploiting consumers - or face harsh treatment from the government; * British billionaire Richard Branson is at the centre of a storm for trying to take from government amid the coronavirus crisis. Compare this to South African billionaire Johann Rupert, whose family has pledged R1bn to help small businesses survive the unprecedented shutdown; and * European markets perked up on expectations that governments will work hard to reignite economic activity after the coronavirus has been brought under control.

In a bumper Episode Five of this podcast series, we draw on Biznews's partner, the Wall Street Journal, for a report on a potential Covid-19 catastrophe in relatively defenceless Africa; Discovery SA’s chief Hylton Kallner explains how the reaction to this pandemic is sure to transform society; some good news for South Africans as a local company donates enough Chloroquine Phosphate to help 40 000 potential patients, a drug that has been effective in Asia to reduce hospital time for Covid-19 patients. Scientist Prof Alan Whiteside provides perspective on the latest developments, including the UK’s bet on antibody tests, and from Bloomberg on a day when US confirmed infections surge by 46% to almost 70 000, we hear of a New York City healthcare system that is on the verge of collapse.

Financial markets all over the world have been battered by the economic fallout of the coronavirus with double digit falls recorded on a daily basis. When stocks fell lower and lower; there were a few bulls ready to pick over the bones of depleted stocks, but it was only for the very bold. For those with cash; this could be an opportunity especially as some stocks appear to have reached a turning point. Sam Houlie, the Chief Investment Officer at newly merged RECM Counterpoint told Biznews founder Alec Hogg that equities have never been as attractive. Houlie also reveals some of the companies that he favours and has an interesting perspective on Sasol. - Linda van Tilburg