South Africans who are actively seeking offshore portfolio diversification have warmed to the niche-focused entrepreneurs who are building Orbvest into a billion dollar powerhouse. They are taking experiences learned in the specialised SA's medical property sector and applying them in the US market, with CEO Martin Freeman having relocated there. The latest development, their 22nd, was oversubscribed, with the excess being allocated to the 23rd project described in this interview by director of operations, Justin Clarke. He was interviewed on this week's episode of Personal Finance Live. - Alec Hogg

Former SARS spokesman Adrian Lackay has been driving the strategic communications strategy for his former boss, public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan. Lackay shares his insights from a front row seat, unpacking what has happened at his alma mater - "the legacy of Tom Moyane" - and the motive behind legal attacks on Gordhan. He was a guest in Rational Radio. 

Accountability Now's founder Paul Hoffman, who in 2006 left the bar after 26 years, is gunning for fellow advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane. He describes her as a "loose cannon" who is rolling around the deck of the ship of state and needs to be "thrown overboard". In this podcast Hoffman explains why he is using the recent Constitutional Court judgment to urge the Legal Practice Council to debar the controversial Public Protector. This will obviate the need for two thirds of Parliament to vote her out of office. He was a guest on Rational Radio. - Alec Hogg

Foreigners are ditching South African assets at the fastest pace on record as concern mounts that the government will lose its last investment-grade rating. Eskom’s over-worked chairman Jabu Mabuza has just had an extra role added to his job description - acting chief executive of troubled power utility Eskom. Solidarity union is pushing the National Prosecuting Authority to pursue fraud charges against Brian Molefe, the former CEO of Eskom who played a central role in state capture along with the Gupta and Zuma families. News that Johann Rupert, one of South Africa’s richest men, is contemplating emigrating has got South Africans buzzing on social media. Currencies: Dollar/Rand R14.18 Pound/Rand R17.33 Euro/Rand R15.79.

South Africa’s oil-from-coal and chemicals multinational Sasol disclosed over the weekend that some of its plants in Secunda and Sasolburg are under threat because of the need to comply with stricter sulphur dioxide emission standards. Trade talks between the US and China begin again in Shanghai this week, but with lower expectations for the kind of sweeping deal that appeared possible two months ago. Former Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has joined the Institute of Race Relations, a liberal think tank founded in 1929. Ms Zille and her new colleagues at the IRR will have plenty to get their teeth into after a government-appointed panel into expropriation of land without compensation yesterday recommended a raft of controversial proposals.

In today's business headlines: The Rand weakens as Moody’s says Eskom is “credit negative” Sasol has written down asset values by R18.1bn; Tesla shares plummet by 13% after worse-than-expected losses; Reuel Khoza is the new 'corporate' PIC Chair; The Legal Practice Council is probing the ombudsman while she launched another investigation against Gordhan and Kieswetter; Steinhoff's ex CEO, Markus Jooste disciplinary hearing by the SAICA will go ahead and; Johannesburg lights stay on despite being hacked.

Here's the Rational Radio interview with Fasie Malherbe, co-founder of Lobster Ink. He and three partners started the business in 2006 with seed capital of R22,000. After years of bugging Econet, they eventually sold the business to this major multinational for "a handsome multiple of its $26m annual revenues". Malherbe, a chef, shares his entrepreneurial journey and offers some advice for fellow SA business builders. - Alec Hogg

This is a riveting interview with whistleblower Cynthia Stimpel, a 60-something grandmother who refused to look the other way when corruption was being perpetrated at South African Airways. The former treasurer at SAA was dismissed for intervening in a corrupt deal that would have cost the airline R250m. She shares what happened - and her journey since being suspended in July 2016 and subsequently fired by the since SAA chairman and Jacob Zuma acolyte Dudu Myeni.

In today's business headlines:  South Africa’s consumer inflation remained unchanged in June at 4.5%; Investors say the Eskom rescue plan is better than no plan at all; A sharp drop in mining shares led losses on the JSE; Former PIC Chief Dan Matjila says the R4.3bn AYO investment was above board; Transnet plans a new liquefied gas hub in Richards Bay; and a $338m renewable energy strategy for Namibia.

South Africa's favourite market commentator David Shapiro takes a closer look at the impact of the electric car revolution and lets us in on what he is thinking about investable opportunities right now - and why he is soon going to sneak away to read the full Naspers annual report. - Alec Hogg

When Nick Sloane, a seasoned salvage operator published his plan of guiding icebergs from Antarctica to Cape Town to solve the city’s acute water problem; many people thought it was a far-fetched idea.  It didn’t help that the first story was released in Sunday newspapers close to April fool’s day.  Cape town’s authorities did not want to bite either.  But since then; he has managed to get the scientific community behind him. It has helped him to refine his models and Sloane now has the support of a number of scientists as well as the backing of the Water Research Commission. If anybody can achieve this, it is probably Sloane.  When Western European salvagers battled to get the Costa Concordia that ran aground off the Italian coast because the captain was apparently making googly eyes at his Moldovan girlfriend instead of watching out for rocks; a team led by Sloane managed to refloat the cruise ship.  In an interview with Biznews, Sloane said his ‘Iceberg to Cape Town’ idea is gaining traction. – Linda van Tilburg

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has signalled that tax rates may have to climb to bailout Eskom. The IMF slashes its growth forecast for South Africa. The Rand reached its best level to the pound in 11 months. The Public Protector faces a request for her to be struck of the advocates role by the Legal Practice Council. South Africa still presents an attractive investment opportunity despite the tough economic environment.

When you're in form, the results of even routine actions tend to surprise on the upside. And right now, Forensics for Justice's founder Paul O'Sullivan is in hot form. His boxing with embattled Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is rapidly turning into a "no contest" and this week an investigation into a corrupted contract at Transnet led to the arrest of the Kenyan Finance Minister - plus a warrant of arrest being issued for the former SA country manager of Italian multinational CMC di Ravenna. The tide against corruption is turning, As O'Sullivan always said it would. He shares new light in this Personal Finance Live interview. - Alec Hogg

I enjoy interviewing Orbis's UK investment head Dan Brocklebank. He always makes me think differently. Something Dan may well have picked up from his mentor, the late Dr Simon Marais, who worked with him in London before moving to Sydney to establish Allan Gray in Australia. For instance, three years ago Brocklebank swam against the City of London tide by suggesting Brexit (a) might well happen and (b) might also be good for the UK. We didn't get into that discussion in this interview during the latest episode of Personal Finance Live, because the focus was on why Brocklebank isn't fretting about new UK PM Boris Johnson who was confirmed only minutes after he put down the phone. Also, there's a whole lot more to think about right now, that's more relevant to investors - like the fact that investors were effectively prepared to pay the German Bundesbank to acquire its zero coupon bonds last week. - Alec Hogg

Google the UK's new prime minister and you'll quickly discover his full name is Alexander Boris De Pfeffer Johnson, is 55 years old and was born in New York City.  On Personal Finance Live, Biznews.com's London columnist Simon Lincoln Reader suggested that his adopted country's new leader might prove to be a surprise package. A former journalist who has a habit of putting his foot in it, Johnson has promised to get Brexit done by the October 31 deadline; unite the UK; and defeat Jeremy Corbyn. Simon applies his considerable mind to those questions.

Boris Johnson appears poised to become Britain's new Prime Minister. The Wall Street Journal's Jason Douglas has more on what could be ahead.

In today's business headlines: Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane must pay about R900,000 out of her own pocket for  the Reserve Bank’s legal costs. Eskom is getting additional support of R59bn over two years The Publice Investment Corporation lost $333m after a “poor investment” in Erin Energy Corp. Denel staff face the possibility of not being paid in July. The arrival of troops on the Cape flats is starting to make a difference.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has requested an urgent judicial review into a report by the country’s Public Protector which he termed “fundamentally and irretrievably flawed.” Britain’s decision to seize an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar earlier this month is snowballing, dragging the country deeper into an escalating crisis between Iran and the West. Voting by 160,000 Conservative Party members closes tonight with former Foreign Secretary and London Mayor Boris Johnson the sizzling hot favourite to succeed Theresa May, who stepped down on June 7. Naspers disclosed in its 2019 annual report that in the financial year to end March it paid and collected R6.9bn in taxes for the South African Treasury - 41% of the total taxes it paid globally.

Moeletsi Mbeki is not scared to speak out against the policies of the party that his father Govan Mbeki built with Nelson Mandela and that his brother Thabo represented as President of the country. He has called the ANC and EFF policies of land expropriation without compensation an attack on the white population and  Julius Malema, “a famous black racist”. As the Deputy Chair of the South African Institute for International Affairs, Mbeki has conducted research on the effect of white nationalism in the apartheid era and black nationalism since 1994 and concluded that both have failed South Africa. In an interview with Biznews on the deployment of troops in the Cape Flats to deal with gang violence, he slammed the ANC’s economic policies saying it has led to de-industrialisation in the Western Cape and black empowerment is deterring investment. - Linda van  Tilburg

In today's business headlines:  The benchmark  repurchase rate has been lowered by 25 basis points to 6.5% per annum. The Rand rallies by 10 cents to the dollar on the back of the news. Richemont online retails sales soar. Estate agents hopeful after rate cut. Platinum producers eye gold miners wage deal. Eskom is looking for a new CEO and junkyard palladium is in high demand. 

Late on Friday, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin traded above $10,000 for the first time in over a year, riding a wave of optimism about the future of digital currencies.  Over the weekend, Ethiopia’s reformist government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, foiled a coup attempt that killed several senior government officials, including its military chief.  Late on Friday afternoon, South Africa’s global internet group Naspers Ltd announced that it will be delaying the Amsterdam listing of Prosus NV, the newly created company which will own the group’s international internet assets.  Still with SA's global internet group, the six year old, 2.7m user cryptocurrency platform Luno, which Naspers supports, is planning to increase its workforce by more than half to expand its South African headquarters. 

In today's business headlines: Inflation is up slightly in May rising to 4.5% mainly driven by a 3.3% rise in fuel prices. South Africa simply has to rescue Eskom, even though it can’t afford to. That is the opinion of Bloomberg analysts. Steinhoff International Holdings is seeking another extension to restructure after a R20 billion rand loss for the year ending September 2018. In a blow to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s efforts to clean up the government a number of Zuma allies have been nominated for top posts for Parliamentary portfolio committees. MultiChoice now has more user on the African continent, than inside South Africa after its Rest of Africa business grew by 12%.

There were many businessmen, politicians and even journalists who disengaged emotionally and some even geographically from South Africa during the Zuma years as it seemed impossible to stop corruption threatening to engulf South Africa. One of them was former National Party cabinet minister and negotiator for South Africa's new Constitution, Roelf Meyer. Following the successful diffusion of conflict in South Africa, Meyer has spent his intermittent years advising other strife torn areas in the world on conflict resolution. He is currently advising Myanmar. When Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as President, he however decided to re-engage and has offered to spearhead a channel between the business community and the Presidency to accelerate growth in the country. He is a firm believer that Ramaphosa can turn the country around. - Linda van Tilburg

In today's Biznews Flash Briefing: The Old Mutual share price jumped on news that its board has decided to fire its CEO Peter Moyo. The Naspers share price moved up about 2% on Tuesday. The Public Investment Corporation is encouraging its fund managers at the Government Employees Pension Fund to reduce its Naspers shareholding of about 16%. There has been an exciting breakthrough in the fight against corruption and state capture. Trillian Capital Partners has been ordered to pay back Eskom almost R600m by the High Court in Pretoria. President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce more measures to support cash-strapped power utility Eskom, his office said on Tuesday. Late on Tuesday, R18.22 would buy you one British pound, R14.52 would get you one US dollar and R16.26 could be exchanged for one Euro.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is eager to create an investor friendly climate in the country but it seems that customs clearance and exchange rules imposed by the South African Revenue Service is having the opposite effect. Recently a health science start-up company told me how their overseas investor eventually decided to undertake tests for one of their products that they planned to roll out in South Africa to a European destination as customs at Oliver Tambo were holding up their goods for months, waiting for clearance from SARS which cost the firm valuable time and money. South Africa lost out on an investment opportunity because of red tape and an overly strict application of exchange controls. President Ramaphosa has said recently that red tape was keeping tourists away from the country, but as I illustrated in this case, it is not only tourists, but also investors the country so sorely need who are put off by red tape and exchange regulations from SARS. A member of our business community has highlighted how SARS is not reducing red tape, but has in fact increased it for individuals buying goods from overseas internet websites. John Pearson was told that he has to register as an importer at SARS if he buys more than three online products a year from online businesses overseas. Pearson contacted Biznews as he thought many South African may be experiencing the same issue. - Linda van Tilburg