A BizNews reader thought it would be fascinating to research how one's nationality also impacts the admission process decision into an Ivy League school.By BizNews readerI read your article on gaining admission to Ivy League universities and I thought it was interesting. As a follow up, I think it w
Peter Meakin, veteran professional valuer, makes a comparison between Alice in Wonderland and President Ramaphosa's plans for economic transformation.President Cyril Ramaphosa has been very vocal about his plans for a better South Africa and repeatedly reminded South Africans of these plans, aimed a
Lesley Caw thinks this is where we are right now... Being controlled by fear...This is an excerpt from Michael Crichton's "State of Fear".BizNews welcomes letters and opinion pieces and encourages debate. In this piece, Lesley Caw reflects on the rules that have been imposed on South Africans in the
A BizNews community member asks: Is the unusually high number of excess deaths this year a consequence of Covid-19 lockdown?BizNews welcomes comment and feedback and publishes your letters in our Mailbox. In this Mailbox, Erik Wandrag draws our attention to the unusually high number of excess deaths
Jay Koome says PANDA, a thinktank of actuaries and economists, is dishing up drivel at a time when people are seeking to make better informed choices.BizNews welcomes comment and feedback and publishes your letters in our Mailbox. In this piece, Jay Koome takes aim at PANDA, which has delivered a se
Robyn recently read the article "PANDA rips Cape Covid-19 data to shreds; projections ‘catastrophically wrong’" and wanted to share a thought or two.The business community has been fascinated by the analysis of Covid-19 data and, in particular, the harm overly pessimistic forecasts can cause as they
Please save Edgars, says customer Nanette Miranda, who shares how Edgars has been an integral part of, and influenced, her family's lives.Edgars – the iconic clothing retailer and department store giant which has been a part of South Africans’ lives for decades – has been a topic of great concern an
Susan Michael Guthrie says if government quarantine is an example of what we can achieve under difficult circumstances, there's definitely hope for our future.Stronger Together! has never been more pertinent than in our fight against Covid-19. Springbok Rugby Captain Siya Kolisi, who cemented this s
In this mailbox David Williams argues that he is "stuck at a considerable cost in money and anxiety", because of the closure of the Deeds Office.Uncertainty, frustration, anxiety, money fears are but a few words describing the affect the nationwide lockdown is having on the wellbeing of all South Af
There has been a lot of debate on whether lockdown was the right route for SA given the extreme inequality. Among others, the government considered the most vulnerable given South Africa’s high prevalence of HIV and TB among the poorest of the poor. Although lockdown is hard for everyone, in a towns
With the very extensive, real time, Covid-19 data out there, Dave de Klerk has been playing around with different types of data analyses.So much data, so many inaccuracies. And the sensational headlines are not helping the cause. Just this weekend the Wall Street Journal reported that the data that
The Association for Monitoring and Advocacy of Government Pensions (AMAGP) argues that unions are holding state-owned companies like SAA and Eskom hostage with ridiculous wage and employment demands.By Adamus Stemmet*The more deeper the country sinks into its economic crisis the more demanding the u
A Biznews reader and once close friend of investment pioneer Allan Gray aptly describes the loss of a true icon when he writes: Although I haven’t seen him in 24 years, just the fact that he is no longer alive saddens me. Is that strange?By Arnie Witkin*I was very sad to hear of the passing of Allan
Professional property valuer Peter Meakin argues lessees of land don’t need to own land to build a successful business. In fact, he argues, the defining advantage to tenants is that long leases grant the same opportunities as ownership but with nil capital costs or mortgage obligations. Lessees can
David Drew sat down and did some number-crunching based on the most conservative NHI funding estimates available, using the broadest possible swathe of sources.Sometimes it takes an ordinary man in the street to tell the politicians a downright inconvenient truth. Meet David Drew, a humble, rational
Elise Burns-Hoffman has been an MTN customer for approximately 22 years, in spite of her entire family having moved to Vodacom.From Elise HoffmanDear RobRE: Treating Customers Fairly ought to be taken seriouslyI have been an MTN customer for approximately 22 years and, in spite of my entire family h
The Association for the Monitoring and Advocacy of Government Pensions, (AMAGP), has once again outdone itself with impeccable logic in a polite protest letter. This time the appeal is to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, asking how the new prescribed assets policy will impact on government pensioners
As civilised and gentlemanly as this letter is, its authorship and from whence it comes, when combined with its content, make it essential reading. What we have here is a government pensioner questioning in the most reasonable terms imaginable, why parliament is failing in and/or shirking, its const
Steadfastly refusing to recite the creed of the angry no-longer-advantaged South African, the Rev Melt van der Spuy, gives the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa credit where credit is due, but begs our president to do just one pivotal thing to enhance his credibility. That is to say something, anyth
CAPE TOWN — With the dominant discourse on South Africa’s financial distress revolving around the ANC’s policy uncertainty, it’s command economy and the legacy of State Capture, too little attention is paid to the price we’re paying for what began as Outcomes Based Education (OBE). OBE morphed into
CAPE TOWN — Rhodes University Professor Emeritus, Pierre Faure, picks up on a vastly under-ventilated suggestion addressing the crippling State and corporate corruption; offer conditional amnesty to speed up the daunting mop-up operation. It’s a critically important, pragmatic idea, given how South
JOHANNESBURG — KPMG’s announcement last week that it has cut 400 staff from its South African operations became the latest challenge faced by the Zuptoid-cursed auditing firm. KPMG will scale back its operation considerably in South Africa as its clients – including the likes of the Auditor General
There's more than one side to a story, and in this letter, an ex-colleague of Lamberti's defends the well-known business leader's reputation.JOHANNESBURG — Amid the noise around the Chowan-Imperial court judgment, CEO Mark Lamberti has come out with his reputation injured. Of course, Lamberti inheri
Is the new SAA CEO capable and does he have the muscle to bring about all of the changes necessary that are based on sound business and not political principles?JOHANNESBURG — Beleaguered airline SAA thinks it can turnaround its operations in three years. However, it does sound ambitious considering