CEO of TymeBank Tauriq Keraan unpacks the growth opportunities that will be created as a result of the Chinese conglomerate’s investment into the challenger bank. TymeBank, controlled by Patrice Motsephe’s investment arm African Rainbow Capital, intends on using the latest funding of $180m (R2.9bn) to invest in growth opportunities in South Africa and internationally. Tencent, along with the CDC Group, has injected more than R1bn into TymeBank to become new shareholders. Keeran is excited to harness the expertise of Tencent, as one of the leading financial technology-driven companies in the world. TymeBank recently launched several exciting partnerships with some of South Africa’s most recognised brands, which Keeran expects to bear fruit in the upcoming financial year. 

Currency expert Andre Cilliers looks at the Rand and a number of other currencies performance relative to the US dollar in 2021.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Sean Peche takes a pick for the BizNews share shootout; 10X founder Steven Nathan weighs in on how markets may react to MTN's mandatory vaccine stance; Tyme Bank CEO Tauriq Keraan details Tencent's investment into the bank; also a good samaritan Melanie Nel starts a foundation to raise funds for an elderly ice-cream man.

Sasfin Securities’ David Shapiro sheds light on all the developments taking place across local and international markets, with a specific focus on the pressure faced by US equities at the latter end of last week. Despite international markets falling lower, the JSE has managed to climb to all-time highs, led by Rupert’s Richemont. Shapiro, who has been an advocate for technology-centric businesses for a while now, has picked index heavyweights Naspers and Prosus to outperform in 2022. Although the tech giants of the West continue to dominate, Chinese internet-based companies have had a year to forget; Chinese regulatory bodies spook investors. Much uncertainty lies ahead but the correction has gifted investors who believe in the Chinese growth story to get exposure to assets such as Naspers and Prosus at attractive valuations, given the decline. 

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, South Africa's favourite market commentator David Shapiro gives his stock picks for 2022; currency expert Andre Cilliers from TreasuryOne gives us all the insight and happenings with the local and international foreign exchange markets; Jeremy Maggs chats to Chris Vick, Chairperson of Covid Comms, an organisation created with the aim to deconstruct Covid-19 scientific language with the aim of distributing comprehensible information in South Africa’s 11 official languages. Jeremy is also joined by Heather Casey Head of Brand at Investec where the two discuss Investec’s new campaign, 'Anything is possible', and how the new campaign stands out against the conventional themes associated with financial services planning.

Opportune Investments founder Chris Logan sheds light on his investment stock picks for 2022. Given the uncertain macroeconomic environment we find ourselves in, coupled with high valuations, Logan decided to go with two low-risk South African businesses. The one is PSG-controlled Zeder, an agriculture investment holding company, which is currently under cautionary announcement relating to possible disposals. The thesis behind the Zeder investment is that its share price is markedly lower than the net asset value of the business and Logan is hoping management will be able to unlock this value through corporate action. His second pick is niche real estate business, Stor-age. It’s been one of the few successful South African property companies, having successfully diversified into the UK. He says while neither investment will be a multi-bagger, he expects a safe return from both. 

BizNews founder Alec Hogg caught up with journalist, researcher and author David Williams, discussing the state of State-owned enterprise PRASA after CEO Zolani Matthews was fired over very 'questionable' dual citizenship grounds."There are a couple of issues here. [He comes] in and, from what one hears, he's trying to put things in place. Now, he's been dismissed apparently for having not declared a dual citizenship, on security grounds. You have to ask, what is so top secret about passenger rail?"

The current coronavirus has disrupted the markets and created an environment where, in theory, active managers should thrive. However, rapid changes in the economic outlook and high volatility in the markets show that the performance of active managers gets much, much worse. Corion Capital CIO David Bacher unpacks the drivers of outperformance, indexed strategies and S&P sustainability. He notes that behind the uncertainty of the new Covid-19 variant, there’s been a lot of volatility in asset classes, best represented by the Volatility Index, which has shot up during November. 

Counterpoint’s Piet Viljoen unpacks what the disastrous unemployment data means for South African-focused investments, with nearly half of the labour force without a job. Viljoen says the ruling party needs to implement urgent reforms in order for the South African economy to thrive. He also gives his two best stock picks for 2022: Sasol and Rebosis. Sasol has had an incredible year supported by strong oil prices and Viljoen explains that the lack of investment in this space will keep pricing robust for the foreseeable future. He also chose the real estate company Rebosis, a highly leveraged property business that seems to slowly be getting back on its feet. 

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, ace money manager Piet Viljoen offers a couple of undervalued stocks worth adding to your bundle of stock twigs for 2022; David Williams revisits PRASA after the chaos deepened today with the firing of the recently appointed CEO Kgosie Matthews on extremely flimsy grounds; David Bacher looks back at the performance of investment markets in the month of November; and Gary Stroebel of BizNews's Namibian partner NOVO Fm talks to Alec Hogg about the stories making headlines in the past week.

The hard-hitting Magnus Heystek compares the BizNews share portfolio’s performance to some of South Africa’s largest asset managers that have greatly underperformed offshore-focused funds over the past decade. Alec Hogg’s BizNews portfolio is focused on exponential companies that can grow at more than 20% per annum; the portfolio includes the likes of Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix. The point Magnus is trying to convey is that many South African savers lack diversification and offshore exposure in their portfolios, which have made them poorer as a result. The South African economy has been beaten to its knees. The unemployment data released earlier this week shows that … with no signs of a recovery. Magnus also announces his first bitcoin purchase, the investment strategist having a change of heart following an investment conference he attended. 

Mining guru Peter Major looks at the performance of the commodity sector during 2021, where prices seesawed over the course of the year. Despite the first six months seeing record prices across the board, commodity prices have fallen off a cliff in the second half. The last few weeks have been flooded with mergers and acquisitions activity, which historically has indicated the top of the commodity cycle and has concerned analysts. Impala Platinum has made a second attempt to takeover mid-tier precious metals producer Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlats), with competitor Northam having recently acquired a third of the business for R17bn. Impala’s part-cash, part-share deal of R150 per share values RBPlats at R43bn. Glencore has been under pressure from activist shareholders to disinvest from its thermal coal operations, however, Major believes these cheap, attractive assets will continue to deliver good shareholder returns.

The hard-hitting Magnus Heystek reviews the reasons for the outperformance of the BizNews share portfolio against some of South Africa's largest asset managers, as global equities leave local returns in the dust over the seven year period.

Powerful arguments both for and against mandatory vaccinations featured in this episode of the BizNews Power Hour. In one corner is Discovery CEO Adrian Gore who argues that with SA now into the Fourth Wave of the pandemic, saving lives should be the national priority and as vaccines do this, jabs are a priority. On the other side are Sakeliga's Piet le Roux and Russell Lamberti who argue that forcing vaccines is disproportionate and unsuitable - and would put SA onto a slippery slope towards centralised control and authoritarianism. Also in this episode of BPH, Magnus Heystek references the BizNews Share portfolio's outperformance to prove his long stressed point promoting offshore investment - and Peter Major is so worried about commodity shares that he cannot find one to recommend for 2022.

A forthright discussion on mandatory vaccines with the Sakeliga duo of CEO Piet le Roux and chief economist Russell Lamberti explaining why forcing jabs is wrong. Their argument is premised on the basis that a mandate is disproportionate to the risk and unjustified on the grounds that very few people get mortally ill from Covid-19 - and that SA already has extremely high natural immunity to the virus. They also argue that the ANC government's track record suggests the project will become a honey pot for the corrupt, while also putting the country onto a slippery slope towards greater state control and authoritarianism.

Discovery's co-founder and CEO Adrian Gore explains why his group - which relies heavily on incentivising its clients to behave in a certain manner - is at the opposiute end of the spectrum on vaccine mandates. For Gore, it's all about time - with SA now into a Fourth Wave of the pandemic and the efficacy of vaccines proven beyond doubt, the biggest challenge now is to save lives. In this discussion with BizNews.com's Alec Hogg he quantifies how a surge in vaccinations could save more than 30 000 lives.

Stanlib’s chief economist Kevin Lings unpacks the latest unemployment data, which reveals a decimated South African economy. In the third quarter of 2021, 660,000 jobs were lost in the formal sector. This takes the total to 2.1 million jobs lost since the start of the pandemic. The unemployment rate rose to 34.9% from 34.4% in the second quarter. The broader definition – arguably a more accurate indicator as it includes discouraged workers – came in at a staggering 46.6%. Lings outlines the importance of the growth of small- to medium-sized businesses, which are the backbone of an economy. He lambasts policy for making business difficult in an environment where we should be promoting policies that uplift the economy. Lings says there aren’t too many positives to take out of the data; it paints a bleak macroeconomic picture in South Africa.  

Banking analyst Kokkie Kooyman talks about his chosen stock pick in the financial services sector for 2022, naming Capitec. Capitec has been one of the best South Africa business stories since the start of the millennium and is now the country’s third-largest bank by market capitalisation. Under the stewardship of Gerrie Fourie, Capitec has continued to gain market share, becoming the low-cost banker to millions of South Africans. Despite analysts’ concerns surrounding its valuation, Kooyman says this is vindicated owing to its strong growth and innovation that keeps it ahead of its competitors. 

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Discovery CEO Adrian Gore lays out the case for making Covid-19 vaccines mandatory, arguing that forcing South Africans to be jabbed will save up to 40 000 lives during the Omicron-driven Fourth Wave; Stanlib chief economist Kevin Lings unpacks SA's shocking unemployment data where a further 660 000 jobs disappeared in Q3 (and youth unemployment hit 77%); Kokkie Kooyman shares his banking stock pick for 2022; and Anthony Sedgwick explains why ABAX (and other money managers) sold a chunk of RBH shares to Impala Platinum.

Abax Investment’s co-founder Anthony Sedgwick sheds light on Impala Platinum’s bid to take over mid-tier miner Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlats) in a deal that values the precious metals producer at R43bn. Abax, along with several other large asset managers, has sold just under 25% of the business to Impala for R150 per share, in a part-cash, part-share deal. Competitor Northam Platinum recently acquired a 33% stake from RBPlats’ largest shareholder, Royal Bafokeng Holdings, which was valued at R17bn for a consideration of R180.50 per share. Interestingly, Abax is a shareholder in both Impala and Northam and Sedgwick gives us an idea of what this new consolidated mining asset could mean for both parties. 

South Africa’s favourite market commentator David Shapiro sheds light on the chaos in markets following the outbreak of a new Covid-19 variant, Omicron. Discovered by South African scientists, this variant is supposedly more transmissible despite those infected only having mild symptoms. The mania sent equity markets into freefall and was especially damaging to leisure and hospitality companies. Shapiro says the new variant is of little concern and the markets are likely to blow this over. However, Shapiro does raise the alarm bells for investment returns in 2022. After three consecutive years of near 30% returns, he says global indices will do well to beat inflation, with valuations currently elevated. 

Elsabé Klinck, a former legal advisor to the SA Medical Association, picks up on a thorny issue for freedom-loving South Africans – the proposed (by business groupings) introduction of mandatory Covid-19 vaccination. The one-time senior lecturer in the Department of Constitutional Law at Free State University (and co-author of Employment Equity Law and International Human Rights Standards) spoke to veteran medical journalist Chris Bateman.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour the author, thought leader and political analyst Jakkie Cilliers of the ISS updates the prescient forecasts in his 2017 book Fate of the Nation - and looks ahead to the 2024 National Elections; the SA Medical Association's former legal advisor Elsabé Klinck shares the law on proposed mandatory vaccines; David Shapiro on the impact of Omicron; and researcher/author David Williams shares conclusions from his work on PRASA - and what might be behind the shock ejection of its recently appointed CEO.

Scenario planner Dr Jakkie Cilliers, who heads the Institute for Security Studies, a leading African thinktank, revisits his superb 2017 treatise and finds the projections are holding up well. In this interview with BizNews.com's Alec Hogg he discusses the age of coalition politics ushered in by SA's recent Local Elections; the emergence of Action SA; how the DA and IFP are likely to become "regional parties" and what lies ahead in the National Elections of 2024 and 2029. Powerful insights from a thoughtful commentator.

Former deputy editor of the Financial Mail, David Williams, wrote a fascinating report for the Brenthurst Foundation in which he unpacked the mess at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). In the report – 'Why there are so many trucks on the road and so few trains on the tracks' – Williams discussed some of the necessary steps that must be taken to restore a once safe and efficient rail system. Williams spoke to BizNews founder Alec Hogg about the critical situation at PRASA and what he reckons the government should do to revive the problematic public entity.