In today's Biznews Flash Briefing: The South African Broadcasting Corporation is in serious trouble and faces a blackout. The financial position of the SABC has been worsening as it awaits a decision on its application for a R3.2bn financial support from the government. At SAA, another state-owned entity that has sucked up billions of taxpayers’ money, pilots are threatening to strike over what they believe is a poor choice of CEO. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has waded into the divorce between accounting firm Deloitte and financial services group Sygnia. Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims to have “just deleted” his Twitter account. He made his statement in a tweet, but the account still appeared to be active after the post. On the currency markets, at the end of the public holiday the Rand was trading at about R14.78 to the US dollar, about R18.57 to the British pound and about R16.60 to the Euro.

In today's business headlines: South African mining stocks were driven to an almost 11 year high; However mining production decreases in April; South African platinum producers are preparing for significant wage demands as workers eye windfall earnings; The Governor of the Reserve Bank Lesetja Kganyago says there may be room for interest rate cuts in the longer term; Naspers earnings is expected to rise by a third; and oil price surges after tanker explosions.

In today's business headlines: The Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has set a 21 June deadline to President Cyril Ramaphosa to answer to allegations that he violated the constitution; The Rand falls to the lowest level against the dollar since beginning of the year; Retail trade sales increased by 2.4% in April; The Presidential panel review on land reform was handed to President Ramaphosa today; South Africa’s FX rigging case against 20 banks has been dealt a setback; and Lego plans to go green stalls.

In today's Biznews Flash Briefing: South Africa's manufacturing sector has perked up, with more cars, electronics, metal products and furniture produced than expected. Cape Town property prices have been falling. The latest data from FNB shows that house prices have been plunging in the most expensive suburbs and at best have moved side-ways in the more affordable neighbourhoods. In global developments, South Africa’s Naspers has struck its biggest fintech deal yet. Naspers Ltd.’s PayU has agreed to buy Turkish digital payments company Iyzico for $165m. Deloitte and KPMG have been in the spotlight in South Africa in connection with their complicity and/or negligence in corporate accounting scandals and state capture. While it’s business-as-usual for these Big Four accounting firms in South Africa, in India the government wants to ban these firms for similar wrong-doing. Former tourism minister Derek Hanekom is the eighth ANC member to resign as an MP. Hanekom, an ally of president Cyril Ramaphosa, was not appointed to the new cabinet announced almost two weeks ago. On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Kumba Iron Ore and Impala Platinum led stocks upwards, each gaining around 3%. Losing value were listed property company Capital Counties and Harmony, both shedding around 3% The rand was trading at around R14.68 to the greenback, at about R18.68 to the British pound and R16.63 to the Euro on Tuesday evening.

Mathane Makgatho, the former Transnet Treasurer told the Zondo Commission that she eventually resigned in 2014 from the state-owned enterprise because she felt her life was at risk and with four young children, she could not play Superwoman. She told the commission that several other officials at the Transnet followed her because of the toxic environment created by her bosses Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh who saw the straight-talking Makgatho as an obstacle to their pact with the Guptas to loot Transnet. Despite trying time and time again to prevent Regiments, a Gupta-linked firm from becoming involved in securing a $2.5 billion loan from the China Development Bank for the purchase of new locomotives, which she believed Transnet was more than capable of doing itself; she could not convince Transnet’s managers. She was made to believe Taiwanese mafia were involved in the deal. The article was republished with permission from the Daily Maverick. - Linda van Tilburg

In today's Biznews Flash Briefing: Trading in Tongaat Hulett's securities on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange has been been suspended. Questions are again being asked about the integrity of accountants at Deloitte, which were auditors to Tongaat and Steinhoff - another South African multinational involved in financial irregularities. The Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors is reviewing the work Deloitte did for Tongaat. Deloitte is also reviewing its work done for the company and, unsurprisingly, has said there is still no evidence of wrongdoing. In global news, President Donald Trump has his eye on cracking down on French wine imports to the US. Amid global volatility gold is seen as a safe haven asset. Bullion could touch $1,400 an ounce this year as investors hedge risk, according to Rhona O’Connell, head of market analysis for EMEA and Asia regions at INTL FCStone. On the Johannesburg stock exchange, the big movers up were Vivo, Dischem and Woollies - all gaining between about 5 and 6.5%; while Harmony and Anglogold were the big losers, shedding just under 5% of their value. Late on Monday, the rand was trading around R14.82 to the greenback, R16.77 to the Euro and R18.80 to the British pound.

The gold price is on its longest winning streak in almost a year and a half, rising for the eighth consecutive trading session on Friday. The global backlash against Big Tech intensified over the weekend when G20 Finance Ministers said they have agreed to new rules to tax companies like Facebook and Google. On the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Japan, South Africa’s National Treasury director general Dondo Mogajane admitted that the country needs to inject even more than the already promised R69bn into Eskom. Rand hedge stocks Sasol, which rose 3.5% and Naspers, up 2.5%, were among the JSE’s best performers on Friday, benefitting from the recent weakening in the currency.

Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has said it expects South Africa's interest rates to fall. It’s not just South Africa that is struggling to turbo-charge its economy. Amid concerns that a global recession looms, the European Central Bank has kept low-rates unchanged, reports Bloomberg. The FTSE/ JSE Gold Mining Index has been rising steadily in recent weeks as investors’ expectations for a quick deal between the US and China have evaporated. Spot gold was up to around $1,337 an ounce late on Thursday. Also set to benefit from a Trump-sparked trade war with China could be Chinese rare earths. A group of 17 elements that appear in low concentrations in the ground, rare earths are used in a wide-range of products stretching from lasers and military equipment to magnets found in consumer electronics, as Reuters reports. Asia is losing the battle to stop the biggest animal disease outbreak the planet has ever faced. Local agricultural analyst Wandile Sihlobo warns that South African consumers are likely to feel the effect of the African swine fever outbreak. On the JSE, big movers on Thursday included British American Tobacco, with its share price up about 3.5%, and paper and packaging company Sappi, which shed nearly 4%. Also on Thursday, the rand was trading at around just under R15 to the US dollar and about R19 to the British pound, while R17 could get you one Euro.

There are few people that enjoy their tweets as much as Tito Mboweni, well maybe President Donald Trump. But Trump’s social post can cause jitters in markets. This week’s Mboweni’s posts were meant to calm a storm. When the ANC Lekgotla concluded that the Reserve Bank should consider “quantitative easing”, giving another kick in the teeth to the rand which was already sliding because of the day’s dismal first quarter GDP figures, he was quick to take to Twitter to say that the Government sets the mandate for the South African Reserve Bank. “There is no quantitative easing thing here.” Speaking at the release of new commemorative coins Mboweni said he has been called by the international media and has been asked what people in South Africa have been smoking. He also released a much longer statement on Facebook slamming political interference of the Reserve Bank. - Linda van Tilburg

A three foot tall stainless steel bunny called "Rabbit", one of four cast in 1986 by Jeff Koons, last month became the highest price ever received by a living artist. The other three replicas are housed in art museums in Los Angeles, Chicago and Qatar. The piece, auctioned by Christies, was knocked down for $91m to art dealer Robert Mnuchin, father of the US's Treasury Secretary Steven. The piece was sold out of the estate of Conde Nast magazine publisher SA Newhouse and reinstates Koons as the world's best highest priced living artist. He held the distinction since 2013 when his Balloon Dog sold for $58m, but that was surpassed last year when a painting by David Hockney was sold for $90.3m. In this podcast Bloomberg's Katya Kazakina reports on the auction - which also saw a new record for an impressionist painter when a work by Claude Monet fetched $110m.   

In today's headlines: South Africans are reeling from the news that the economy shrunk in the first quarter of this year. Analysts have blamed Eskom power cuts for hammering manufacturing, mining and agricultural output. Eskom has more than $30bn in debt and is believed to be the biggest threat to the economy, according to Goldman Sachs, but it isn’t the only state-owned enterprise dragging down the South African economy. At least seven state companies are, as public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan put it in February, “either on their knees or touching carpet”. Former Rand Daily Mail editor Raymond Louw has died, shortly after his wife Jean. Louw was 91. President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the first to offer his condolences. Barloworld’s Khula Sizwe public offer closed on Tuesday after being oversubscribed. The funding target of R16m for the black economic empowerment scheme was reached, with more than 50,000 applications received The big movers on the JSE on Tuesday were Goldfields, which jumped more than 6%, and Massmart, which dropped more than 4%. Making global headlines: US President Donald Trump stirred up controversy in the UK, where he indicated that Britain’s National Health Service would be fair game in trade negotiations with the US after Brexit - but he later backtracked. Grabbing as many headlines in the UK as Trump was Neil Woodford, an asset manager described as Britain’s answer to Warren Buffett. The UK’s rock star fund manager has found himself at the centre of a crisis. Late on Tuesday, the rand was trading at around R14.85 to the US dollar, and R18.85 to the British pound, while R16.70 was buying one euro.

JOHANNESBURG — Vox Telecom has become a major telecommunications player in South Africa's market, offering highly competitive fixed line internet and voice services. Over the years, the company has dramatically expanded its offerings and footprint thanks to acquisitions that include its deal with fibre infrastructure provider FrogFoot. Throughout this journey, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Ventures has been a key shareholder in Vox and has helped to shape the telco's strategy. In this interview, the CEO of Vox, Jacques du Toit, together with Cassim Motala, explain the history of their journey together. - Gareth van Zyl   

In today's business headlines:   South Africa's economy shrinks by 3.2% in the first quarter; The rand falls by 2% but claws back some losses; Mantashe refuses to pick sides on green vs coal energy; Deloitte replaces auditors and a partner after Tongaat-Hulett scandal and; Britain is promised a phenomenal deal with the US but has to bend to Trump rules.

In today's business headlines: The IMF says South Africa needs to take “robust actions” to reduce its fiscal deficit and reverse the increase in public debt; The Absa purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has dropped again in May after a slight rise in April; South African vehicle sales fall again; The rand ended slightly firmer and the Bloomberg year-end forecast looks rosy; The Public Protector fires another salvo at Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan.

The chief executive of South African Airways, Vuyani Jarana has quit, citing a critical dearth of funding and the government’s lack of support for the airline’s turnaround plan. The 240,000-strong Public Servants Association wants to get its members money out of Eskom bonds. An anonymous Warren Buffett fan will pay just over $4.5m to have lunch with his hero. The multi-million pound franchise of previously undefeated boxing champion Anthony Joshua took a hiding in New York on Saturday night when the six foot six giant was knocked out in the seventh round by Andy Ruiz, a six foot two no-hoper with a roly-poly physique.

In today's business headlines: Investors react favourably to Ramaphosa's cabinet but the US-China trade war dampens sentiment; Shares tumble in Chemical and fertiliser company Omnia Holdings after it announced  a rights offer of R2bn to cut debt; Ayo Technology Solutions and the PIC are suing each other; Africa is working towards the world’s largest free-trade zone, but it may take years; Auntie Patricia de Lille steals the show at the inauguration of the new cabinet.

The relief among investors was clear to see as they assessed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s South African cabinet line-up. The slimmed down executive were given the thumbs-up and the retention of the crucial Finance Ministry post to Tito Mboweni, while allowing Pravin Gordhan as Public Enterprises Minister to continue the clean-up of the state owned enterprises calmed the markets. The Rand advanced immediately after the read out of the names and continued its upwards move gaining another 0.4% around midday after the announcement. Political analyst Melanie Verwoerd delves a little deeper into the Cabinet to assess what it means and whether Ramaphosa is accelerating the clean-up of state capture. - Linda van Tilburg

With the Brexit drama engulfing the UK and resulting in the scalp of yet another Prime Minister, it's tempting to overlook that country as a place to start a new business. However, the reality is that the UK's highly advanced first world market coupled with the fact that it remains geographically close to the Eurozone still continues to make it an attractive investment destination, despite Brexit. And in this interview, Sable International's Scott Brown explains how you can go about registering a new company in the UK. - Gareth van Zyl

In today's business headlines:  Ramaphosa has announced a slimmed-down Cabinet, reflecting a clean-up but there are some political trade-offs; The Rand gains following the announcement of the Cabinet; Naspers says it is not abandoning South Africa as it plans to list in Amsterdam; Royal Dutch Shell takes a second stake in South African hydrocarbon project; and  Trade unionists are included for the first time on the PIC board.

In today's headlines: The rand fell on speculation that graft-tainted David Mabuza could be re-appointed as deputy president. The Sibanye share price gained about 9% on the news that Lonmin and Sibanye shareholders have approved the takeover of struggling Lonmin. Reunert fell more than 5% as investors absorbed the details of the unaudited statements for the six months to the end of March, released on Monday. Also down on Tuesday was Telkom, which lost some of its gains earlier in the week, and Old Mutual - which unsettled investors after it announced that it had suspended its CEO Peter Moyo in connection with business conflicts of interest. MacKenzie Bezos, the ex-wife of Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, has promised to give half her fortune to charity. She joins billionaires such as investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the Giving Pledge.

In today's headlines: Telkom was a big mover on the JSE as its share price jumped nearly 14% to an all-time high of just over R98 per share after it released its Group Provisional Annual Results for the year ended 31 March 2019. Other JSE stocks that gained in value on Monday included Pioneer Foods, which rose about 4%, and Sappi, which gained about 2.5%. Losers of the day included pharmaceuticals company Aspen, which shed about 4.5%. The big political story on Monday set out likely candidates for deputy president. With President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration over, the focus is on who he will appoint to his new cabinet. In global news, Chinese technology stock Tencent suffered a blow as one of its big investments, China Literature, continued to fall in value. Global stocks gained Monday after voters in European Union parliamentary elections showed broad but more fragmented support for pro-EU parties, while populist factions gained less ground than expected. Also benefiting from an improvement in the Euro was the rand, which closed at R14.44 to the greenback on Monday afternoon.

Martin Wierzbicki, an MSc graduate from the University of Pretoria, is making waves in the world of wood science. He was recently named among three winners of the global 2018-2019 Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation Award for his research on genome-based biotechnology for designer wood. Wierzbicki’s work has focused on how the genetic makeup of trees can be changed to improve how wood reacts to industrial processing in order to maximise the extraction of biopolymers such as cellulose, lignin and xylan (a complex sugar found in plant cells). His work in this field is regarded as being among the most advanced yet and his research is expected to go a long way in maximising the output of the forestry industry while making it more environmentally sustainable. In this interview, Wierzbicki and his supervisor at UP, Zander Myburgh, tell us more. - Gareth van Zyl

Electrical engineering student Nadine Maselle was a matric student at Salt River High last year and, while there, she realised that her old school's computer lab could do with a much-needed improvement. So, when she became a fellow of the Facebook Community Leadership programme, she had an opportunity to give back after receiving a grant for $50,000. In this interview, Maselle tells us more about how that money has been used to beef up something called the 'Dream Lab'. - Gareth van Zyl

At the end of April this year, the Competition Tribunal approved, subject to conditions, a merger involving Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH) and Vumatel, bumping up CIVH's shareholding in the fibre-broadband provider. The deal means that Johann Rupert-linked CIVH now has sole control of Vumatel in what is a major local technology play. Interestingly, Rand Merchant Bank had a pivotal role to play in this transaction. The bank's Business Development Director, Jessica Spira, explains more in this interview. - Gareth van Zyl

Former UK foreign secretary and London mayor Boris Johnson has emerged as the strong frontrunner to succeed British Prime Minister Theresa May, who steps down on June 7. The South African Treasury last night released details of the long anticipated Carbon Tax proposals which have now been signed into law by the president. Late on Friday evening, ratings agency S&P, one of the US’s Big Three, left South Africa’s sovereign debt ratings unchanged at below investment grade. South African stocks closed last week slightly firmer, offsetting a sharp decline in gold shares with the major indices ending a quarter percent better on Friday.