Kevin Shames, CEO of Bright Light Solar, spoke to BizNews founder Alec Hogg about an exciting investment opportunity. 12J tax incentives make this appealing for investors. With fund raising opening on February 1st, you've got to act fast if you're interested, says Shames.

GMO's Jeremy Grantham warned that a stock market bubble was about to burst in 2008. Now, he is warning that the 'long, long bull market since 2009 has finally matured into a fully-fledged epic bubble'. A historian of markets, Grantham says extreme overvaluation, explosive price increases, frenzied issuance and 'hysterically speculative investor behaviour' are among the warning signs.

Experience overseas has proven universities can provide technological innovation that can be commercialised and have a positive impact on economies. One of the best examples of this is Oxford Sciences Innovation, a technology transfer company that was created to fund the university spinout companies.OSI is a major shareholder in Vaccitech, the Oxford University-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine developer. The innovation has also catapulted the Oxford scientist, Prof Sarah Gilbert, who developed the Vaccitech vaccine into fame. This ability to monetise discoveries has been lagging in South Africa, but a University Technology Fund was launched at the beginning of this year and the UTF has managed to secure R230 million to help commercialise technology and intellectual property originating from South African universities. The UTF has since its launch invested in five companies: BioCODE, Phagoflux and the Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company from Stellenbosch University, Cape Bio Pharms and Hydrogen Energy from the University of Cape Town and Hyrax Biosciences from the University of the Western Cape. One of the partners at the UTF, Wayne Stocks, told BizMews that the fund, a first in Africa, wants to awake the sleeping giant of intellectual property as an asset class in South Africa. - Linda van Tilburg

Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk provides an update on how he thinks business is likely to evolve. Expect the travel sector to experience a boom as the Covid-19 pandemic moves away, with pent-up demand for hospitality and leisure companies from people who are 'dying to get out there again'. He says online payment businesses are likely to benefit when travel 'gets back on'. Naspers/Prosus businesses, that were small, are growing profits faster than Tencent - which underpins the company. Trading dynamics on the Johannesburg stock market aren't helpful in reducing the Tencent valuation gap, he notes.

* Ivermectin has been approved for use in treating Covid-19 in South Africa on a limited basis. * South Africa has approved AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use and is reviewing applications by rival manufacturers, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, the medicines regulator said on Wednesday. * Administrators at national airline SAA received R1.3 billion rand ($85.36 million) from the Department of Public Enterprises last week, a spokeswoman for the administrators said on Wednesday. * Bitcoin’s price could exceed $50,000 over the longer term as the digital asset vies with gold for investment flows, according to cryptocurrency exchange Luno - which says it has at least 3m traders in its books in South Africa. * Steinhoff jumps.

Ivermectin has been approved for use in treating Covid-19 in South Africa on a limited basis. This follows an urgent court application by lobby group Afriforum to force the regulatory authority to allow the use of the drug most commonly used for treating parasites in animals in the country for human use. First, you will hear Professor Helen Rees, chair of the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) board, explain why the regulator cannot give full registration to the drug for human use in relation to Covid-19. Sahpra CEO Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela sets out more detail on how access to the drug will work and next steps as a university works on approval for a human trial on the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19. They were speaking to journalists at the Pretoria Press Club.

Joining Jackie Cameron of BizNews to talk about the explosive growth of crypto currency trading in Africa - and in particular South Africa - is Marius Reitz, Luno’s Africa General Manager. Bitcoin’s price could exceed $50,000 over the longer term as the digital asset vies with gold for investment flows, according to cryptocurrency exchange Luno and brokerage OSL. Bitcoin quadrupled last year, eventually reaching an all-time high of almost $42,000 in early January before sliding back. The rally split opinion, with some commentators pointing to increased interest from long-term investors and others citing speculative buying.

SA's short-term insurers have been in the news for trying to duck out of paying their dues. But there are some exceptions. In this interview, Anton Ossip, CEO of Discovery Insure - which covers about 270,000 cars in SA - explains how it has managed to give back generous rewards to Vitality Drive members and still please shareholders. He explains how an innovative, super-smart app helps drivers save money, how the rewards programme is being rolled out to fleets, and why the insurer has the BHAG of 'creating a nation of great drivers' and making SA roads safer.

* President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged wealthy countries not to hoard surplus Covid-19 vaccine supplies, adding his voice to calls for global production to be shared more equally. * Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has called on government to urgently ease Covid-19 restrictions in the provice to avoid an economic disaster. * Retailer Pepkor Holdings said on Tuesday that sales in its first quarter rose by 7.7% as it continued to acquire market share. * Struggling retail holding investment company Steinhoff is looking to dispose of one of its best performing assets in discount retailer Pepco. * US stocks crept higher after major indexes hit records a day earlier and investors readied for a slew of blue-chip earnings. * Naspers and Prosus lost about 5% by the end of the trading session, following Tencent down as traders in Hong Kong took profits following Monday’s surge.

The BizNews Share portfolio, launched in December 2014, has delivered spectacular returns for South African investors. Every month, BizNews founder Alec Hogg updates the latest developments at the companies whose stocks are held in the portfolio. Although the strategy has been to buy and hold, the portfolio has seen some adjustments over the five and a half years since its creation. Today roughly two thirds of the assets are invested in US exponential growth stocks and the balance in carefully selected JSE-listings.

* There were 112,280 more deaths from natural causes than expected in SA from May to January, say scientists. * The 1.8m-strong Congress of South African Trade Unions, a key ally of the ANC, has attacked the party for delays in securing Covid-19 vaccines as 56 other countries roll out mass vaccination. * South Africa’s only female banking boss, Basani Maluleke, has quit as chief executive officer of African Bank Holdings. * Nasdaq-listed Moderna climbed at the start of the week on news its Covid-19 vaccine appears to be protective against emerging variants of the coronavirus in laboratory tests; it is developing its vaccine against the SA varient. * The Woolworths share price was among the best performers after it reported a solid six weeks at the end of the reporting period.

The JSE has plans to fire up SA equities after a period in which companies have been delisting from the JSE in their droves and investors have been looking for stock market opportunities elsewhere in the world. Can the stock exchange reverse the trend? In this interview, Sam Mokorosi - Head of Origination and Deals - sets out JSE plans for issuers as well as investors. Independent financial advisors are being encouraged to point their clients towards the stock exchange. The JSE is aggressively trying to attract more companies from elsewhere in Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and South-East Asia. It is also hoping to roll out a private equity platform, using blockchain-enabled technology, in six months, with opportunities for retail investors. In addition, it is working on data analysis innovations and new products to help issuers and investors. - Jackie Cameron

Retail investors have driven the prices of stocks like Tesla and Sasol and they are immersing themselves ever-deeper in trading. Before you ride the momentum, take a listen to what risk expert Cory Hoffstein - Chief Investment Officer of Newfound Research - has to say. He was speaking to BizNews partner Bloomberg about the changing market dynamic for quants amid the influx of retail investors

At the weekend finance minister Tito Mboweni shared an SA Reserve Bank chart highlighting that the country’s Covid-19 restrictions are far more onerous than the average nation’s. In this interview, Martin van Staden, a legal expert who serves on the Free Market Foundation's executive committee and Rule of Law Board of Advisors, unpicks the legal details, including the strange definitions of what constitutes a beach - and why the government has overstepped the mark on our liberty.

* South Africa’s delayed Covid-19 vaccination programme means a third wave of the virus in 3 to 4 months; * The Wall Street Journal highlights that the real death toll from Covid-19 in South Africa could be double the official figure of about 40,000; * SA's richest man, Johann Rupert, says he is not a queue-jumper; his physician organised for him to get a Covid-19 vaccine in December in Switzerland because he has a co-morbidity, he told Bloomberg; * Capitec is helping its customers by sharing out R160m in Covid-19 relief; * Apple, Tesla, Microsoft among the companies to update the market on earnings in what will be a busy reporting week for US-listed stocks.

Last year, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority suspended Ecsponent Financial Services for breaches of financial sector laws following complaints about how the company had marketed the preference shares of JSE-listed Ecsponent limited to potential investors. Independent financial advisor Magnus Heystek, of Brenthurst Wealth Management, was among those who signalled that returns seemed to good to be true. Many pensioners were sucked into the investments, only to find themselves in dire straits when Ecsponent defaulted on payouts to preference shareholders. Ecsponent is still listed on the Johannesburg stock exchange, but it has changed its name to Afristrat. Ecsponent or Afristat is part of a global network of companies, including a company called MyBucks. This week the Bank of Zambia ordered a Zimbabwean entrepreneur George Manyere to exit MyBucks Zambia after violating banking rules. BizNews editor at large Jackie Cameron spoke Mr Manyere, a key figure in the Ecsponent organisation for his take on what’s going behind-the-scenes - and what this all means for individuals who invested in Ecsponent preference shares.

Our popular, highly interactive Finance Friday webinar is back. This week, we were joined by global index-tracking expert Lisa Segall, of GinsGlobal Index Funds, and award-winning independent investment expert Magnus Heystek, of Brenthurst Wealth Management. It was a vibrant conversation on how to make the most of your hard-earned savings - at home and offshore.

As South African billionaire Johann Rupert makes world headlines for getting a vaccine shot in December in Switzerland, we explore how global collaboration to mass vaccinate the world is being jeopardised - at the expense of the developing world. We speak to Theo Murphy, European Council on Foreign Relations, for an overview of the geopolitical dynamics and how these impact on countries like South Africa. This debate is not just about access to vaccines but access to the most potent vaccines, as we hear from our partners at Bloomberg. Also in this episode: another breakthrough in treating Covid-19, vaccine pricing and more from the pandemic news making headlines. - Jackie Cameron

* South Africa will pay $5.25 per dose for 1.5 million shots of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine from the Serum Institute of India - higher than the $3 a dose that South Africa and other countries on the continent are due to pay for the same vaccine under an African Union arrangement. * ANC stalwart Jackson Mthembu has died of Covid-19 complications. * Interest rates may go up soon, the MPC has indicated; * Goldfields has a new boss. * SA govt has signalled concern about growing Islamist insurgency in Mozambique.

* The Financial Sector Conduct Authority has completed its investigation into MTI, and says investors should approach liquidators for help recovering funds. * A fresh wealth tax proposal says SA could find R160bn quickly. * Private equity firms want to spend R30bn in southern Africa. * Richemont saw robust demand in Asia, it said in a trading update. * PSG is trying to narrow the NAV to share price in a buyback.

Apple, in the BizNews share portfolio, has been trading around $130 a share. Taiwan’s export orders, a bellwether of global technology demand, surged 38.3% from a year earlier to $60.55 billion in December, the highest on record, reported Reuters on Wednesday. Taiwanese companies such as Foxconn and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing are key suppliers to Apple, which in September launched its next-generation iPhone 12. Dan Ives, of Wedbush Securities, shares his view on why the Apple share price could stay on an upward trajectory. - Editor

How will Joe Biden govern the US, a superpower and engine room for the global economy? How will his presidency impact on international relations, trade and financial markets? Joining Jackie Cameron of BizNews to discuss the crisis of American power, how Trumpism leaves an indelible mark and, importantly, what the changing international currents of power mean for Africa is Theo Murphy, Africa Director, at the European Council on Foreign Relations - an award-winning, pan-European think-tank which this week released the findings of an 11-country survey that shows most Europeans believe the US is in decline.

No improvement is expected in electricity provision before the end of 2022 and perhaps longer, says leading independent energy expert Chris Yelland. The only way problems can be addressed is through self-generation and from independent producers - which can be delivered quickly, provided the legal and regulatory frameworks allow for this. Overhaul of Eskom will take at least three years to gather momentum and probably 10 years to complete, he says - in this in-depth interview with BizNews editor at large Jackie Cameron.

* New Covid variant spreads 50% faster, but isn't more deadly, say govt advisors. * Pick n Pay defends incoming CEO Pieter Boone, after revelations that he was investigated for insider trading surface in the SA media; * The Land Bank may need another R7bn from taxpayers to survive; * Glencore has agreed to accept $1 in the short term for a mine that generates jobs in Zambia; * TFG, the fashion retailer that snapped up Jet stores from troubled Edcon has reported an increase in turnover.

President of fast-growing ActionSA, Herman Mashaba, has highlighted that there are about 40,000 medical posts frozen and more than 500 unemployed doctors who want to help fight Covid-19 - but can’t get jobs. Meanwhile, taxpayers have footed the bill for Cuban medical personnel. He shares the details of the #HireOurMedicalHeroes campaign and why new hospital staff need full-time jobs - and not the ‘evil’ of contracts while they are exposed to the virus. He also dissects slow vaccine delivery and the government's empty coffers. and points out that corruption is the reason for the state healthcare sector failures.