Star -julkaisun 2022-04-28 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

PRIVATE wealth held in South Africa has declined 12 percent since 2011 to date, although the African continent’s most sophisticated economy is still home to the two wealthiest cities – Johannesburg and Cape Town – and a luxury market that generates $2 billion (R31.5bn) in revenue each year. The South African private wealth performance “has been poor” over the 10-year period under review, noted The Africa Wealth Report published on Tuesday by Henley & Partners and South African wealth intelligence firm, New World Wealth. Despite this, Amanda Smit, a managing partner at Henley & Partners, noted South Africa still ranked number 28 in the world when it came to private wealth, ranking ahead of major economies such as Argentina, Malaysia, Thailand and Turkey. In Africa, South Africa is still…

BUSINESS activity in South Africa decelerated slightly in February amid interest rate hikes and heightened inflation expectations, the composite leading business cycle indicator showed on Tuesday. Economists flagged that it indicated growth was slowing in South Africa. The SA Reserve Bank (SARB) said yesterday that the composite leading business cycle indicator fell slightly by 0.1 percent to 127.2 index points from 127.3 points in January. The SARB said decreases in six of the 10 available component time series outweighed increases in the remaining four. The largest detractors were a decrease in the number of residential building plans approved and a deceleration in the six-month smoothed growth rate of job advertisement space. The largest positive contributors were an increase in the US dollar- denominated export commodity price index…

NON-PROFIT organisation Just Share and Aeon Investment management said that on Tuesday, following extensive engagement with Standard Bank, they agreed on the wording of a shareholder-proposed resolution that has been tabled for voting, ahead of the bank’s May annual general meeting (AGM). According to Just Share, the non-binding, advisory resolution requests that Standard Bank, over a three-year time frame, provides shareholders with increasingly detailed information about its financed emissions from oil and gas. “Financed emissions are the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that banks and investors finance through their loans and investments. Climate science demonstrates that keeping the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C is essential to limit the worst impacts of global heating,” Just Share said. This follows the pressure that companies around the world have been put under to…

FRESH from butting heads with Scopa (Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts) chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa over alleged ANC interference in Eskom affairs, Busisiwe Mavuso is now under fire from the ANC in the eThekwini region. The regional structure of the governing party has slammed Mavuso for allegedly calling its newly re-elected chairperson, Zandile Gumede, a “thief”. In a podcast with Ashraf Garda of Salaamedia, Mavuso, who is also the chief executive of Business Unity South Africa and an Eskom board member, said: “If you still going to appoint a Zandile Gumede who is a thief in eThekwini … what do you think it is going to happen within government?” She was commenting on the need to have capable and honest people leading the government in order to have a capable…

FEMININE hygiene products remain essential items that every young girl needs in order to be comfortable wherever she is. Over the past seven years, the Dis-Chem Foundation has been making sure this need is delivered to those in need of assistance. The Million Comforts Campaign is an ongoing foundation initiative aiming to provide sanitary products every year to teenage girls in need. The main purpose of this campaign is to empower schoolgirls, raise awareness about women’s health, and give these girls the opportunity to continue their education without the restraint of hygiene risks, discomfort, embarrassment, or the loss of dignity. In 2021, Dis-Chem and the Million Comforts Campaign proudly reached an ambitious target of 11 million sanitary towels for donation through an exciting corporate drive as well as in-store…

The Memory Librarian AUTHOR: Janelle Monáe PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager PRICE: R393 on Loot.co.za The desire to take a music project beyond the confines of an album has driven the career direction of so many creatively ambitious musicians. From classic studio films, such as The Who’s Tommy (1975) or Prince’s Purple Rain (1984), to extended music video projects, such as Beyoncé’s Lemonade in 2016, the music-to-film pipeline, when done successfully, can establish an artist’s auteur status. American singer, rapper and actress Janelle Monáe, who made her film debut in 2016 with the award-winning Moonlight and critically acclaimed Hidden Figures, is no stranger to this concept. Her Grammy-nominated third album, the joyously vibrant collection of pop bangers Dirty Computer, was accompanied by an “emotion picture”. The Hugo Award-winning short film brought to…

THE Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, will hear an application today by the ACDP and other organisations to interdict the government from further administering Covid-19 vaccines to 12 to 17 year olds. Meanwhile, Section27, which has joined the proceedings, is questioning the motives behind the application. The ACDP and organisations such as Free the Children – Save the Nation and the Covid Care Alliance will ask the court for an interim order halting child vaccinations as they feel it is not in the best interests of children, pending the outcome of an internal appeal before the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority to completely stop the programme. But Section27, which has been admitted as a friend of the court, said it would stand by the government in this argument. It is expected…

Opel has a long history in South Africa and it’s good to see the brand back with a bang over the last year or so with the introduction of the new Corsa followed by the Zafira bus and now the third generation Mokka. It’s also the first Opel locally to feature the new design language. Its “Visor” front end is like a full-face helmet with a protective visor covering the front of the car that combines the grille, LED headlights and the new logo with the Opel lightning bolt. The overall look combined with funky colours certainly catches the eye, making it a striking addition to the compact SUV segment that makes up one out of four passenger cars sold. It’s available in two variations; the Elegance and the range-topping…

Hosts Golden Arrows snatched a late 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in a Premiership match at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu yesterday. It was a credit to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) that the match took place, after a ruling by SA Football Association arbitrator Nazeer Cassim that the match had to be rescheduled. The match was scheduled for December, but Chiefs were unable to field a team after a Covid-19 outbreak at the club. However, the PSL have challenged the arbitrator’s ruling. The matter will come before the Gauteng High Court on May 10. If Chiefs win the case, yesterday’s result and score will stand. If the PSL win, Chiefs will be guilty of defaulting and Arrows will be awarded a 3-0 win. The outcome meant Chiefs were unable…

The Lions’ United Rugby Championship season might be coming to a close, but the lessons gleaned and the experiences encountered this past year in the newfangled tournament will form an important building block for the Joburgers going forward, according to Julian Redelinghuys. Sporting his now famous bucket hat and looking smart in the coaching red, the former Springbok prop and current Lions scrum coach discussed with a smile, chuckle and some deep introspection what new wisdom the coaching and player group have encountered in the first URC season. “It has been a great learning curve,” Redelinghuys said with a trademark chortle, while teasingly looking at a watch-less wrist. “We have seen so many different pictures. If you think back to the last couple of years, we only played against the…

AFRICAN governments maintained spending on infrastructure, increasing the number of projects by a fifth compared with 2020, in spite of Covid and rising debt levels, according to a study by professional services firm Deloitte. The Deloitte African Construction Trends 2021 Outlook report covered 462 projects with a value of $521 billion (R8.21 trillion), with projects in southern Africa accounting for $147.7bn of that, while West Africa led the spend and in terms of the number of projects for the first time, with $172.8bn of projects. South Africa recorded 37, or 34.9 percent, of the projects in Southern Africa, the highest number in the region. Mozambique had 16 projects followed by Zambia with 14 projects and Angola, 10 projects. South Africa’s projects were valued at $54.7bn and included…

South African comedian and TV presenter Donovan Goliath has been announced as the new host of the The Real Housewives of Durban two-part reunion special. However, fans are not impressed by Showmax’s choice. TV personality Phat Joe hosted the reunion in season one of the Durban reality show, while actor and television host Moshe Ndiki oversaw the reunion of the Johannesburg franchise. Now the Comics Choice nominee will sit down with the Durban housewives to discuss the most popular – and not so popular moments – on the show in the reunion, set to air in early May. The news of Goliath hosting, despite his impressive CV, seems to have rubbed fans the wrong way. On Twitter, fans are asking if Goliath is a fan of the show or whether…

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane calls for investigation into the matter Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s legal team have a case to suggest judicial capture. Mkhwebane’s lawyers have written to the registrar of the Constitutional Court to inquire if there is any truth in a claim that the court would refuse her application to back-pedal on an earlier judgment against her. A text message saying Mkhwebane would lose the rescission application was allegedly sent to the opposing counsel in the Western Cape. The text message is said to confirm that the case to have her suspended, and the court’s response to it, was choreographed from somewhere, proving judicial capture. The text message was allegedly sent by self-styled legal commentator Ismail Abramjee to counsel for the speaker of Parliament Andrew Breitenbach. This was…

MALARIA is a disease that has ravaged large parts of the continent and this year’s World Malaria Day is themed on building resilience in fighting it. Goodbye Malaria and Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) are partnering to accelerate the drive to achieve the theme’s goal. The approach sees there being more focus on investing in the resilience of health-care systems to help the Southern African region achieve malaria elimination. A successful example of this approach is Goodbye Malaria and Acsa’s partnership, that began in 2018. The initiative sees Goodbye Malaria and Acsa provide funding and retail space at no cost as they continue to employ youth who sell hand-crafted, locally made merchandise at kiosks at OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and George Airport. The funds raised are…

The UN Population Fund recently released the 2022 State of World Population report. It highlights that almost half of all pregnancies between 2015 and 2019 were unintended. That’s roughly 121 million unintended pregnancies each year. Unintended pregnancy is defined as pregnancy among women who were not planning to have any (more) children. This includes pregnancies that occurred earlier than desired. The report also says over 60% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion. And 45% of all abortions performed globally are unsafe. About 7 million women a year are hospitalised as a result. Up to 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe, modern contraception methods. And about a quarter of all women are not able to say no to sex. A closer look at regional estimates…

Despite its impracticalities, South Africans have really fallen in love with the Suzuki Jimny, largely thanks to its plucky looks and supreme off-road capabilities. This love affair seems to be growing each month, with Suzuki having registered 440 new Jimnys in March and 394 in February. That’s quite a significant number for a niche 4x4. And you can expect the Suzuki Jimny to win even more friends, following the release of the GL spec grade and Rhino Edition package, which are now available at a dealer near you. Until now buyers have had to choose between the entry-level GA and flagship GLX specifications, but now the GL is here to offer something a bit more balanced in the middle. The GL is priced at R336 900, which is a R18…

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hailed the spectacular football his side played in a 4-3 Champions League semi-final first-leg win over visitors Real Madrid on Tuesday, even if he was not satisfied with the score-line. The exhilarating encounter – in which City held a two-goal advantage on three occasions – was only the second Champions League semi-final to see both sides score three or more goals, after Dynamo Kyiv against Bayern Munich in 1999. The standard of football on show was breathtaking, with City, especially, sweeping forward at every opportunity, much to their Spanish manager’s delight. “For our fans all around the world and for Manchester City, we are so proud,” Guardiola told BT Sport. “What we have done with the ball and without the ball, creating chances and chances,…

Orlando Pirates’ bid to finish second in the Premiership this season was dealt a blow as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Chippa United at Orlando Stadium last night. Pirates came close to taking the lead as early as the fourth minute. Terrence Dzvukamanja struck for goal following some action in the penalty area, but Lloyd Kazapua saved the initial effort, before Dzvukamanja struck again from the rebound, only to be denied by a goal-line clearance from Sandile Mthethwa. Mthethwa, who was granted an opportunity to start the game due to the unavailability of Roscoe Pietersen, made a good impression with some sturdy defending for the Chilli Boys. Bandile Shandu found himself through on goal after 24 minutes following a Pirates breakaway, but Kazapua read the situation well…

Next week’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix already feels like Formula One’s version of the Super Bowl with a huge buzz and celebrities clamouring for the hottest tickets in town, according to McLaren boss Zak Brown. The American said his team were the biggest buyers of hospitality for next Sunday’s race around the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but demand far outstripped supply. “It’s going to be awesome. I’ve been here six years, and I’ve never seen demand or buzz for a Grand Prix like I’ve seen for Miami,” said Brown, whose background is in sponsorship and marketing. “We can easily double our hospitality, and we’re already the largest hospitality buyer in Miami… it rivals the Super Bowl as far as ‘are you going to the Miami…

SOUTH African consumers can expect to feel a pinch at the till with higher food prices, economists say, after Indonesia banned the exports of palm oil, a commodity widely used in food production. Last week Indonesia banned the exports of palm oil, a move which will have profound price implications for the global vegetable oils market. Indonesia explained its decision was to ensure the protection of domestic consumers from rising prices. FNB Agribusiness senior agricultural economist Paul Makube said on Tuesday in an interview that South Africa was currently a net importer of vegetable oils and did not have the capacity or environment to produce palm oil. Palm oil was widely used in manu- facturing in both food and non-food and its ingredients could be blended with others to achieve…

DIVERSIFIED miner South32 has reported copper production for the first time at its Sierra Gorda mine, while its production guidance remained unchanged following a strong March quarter. The group released its quarterly report for March 2022 on Tuesday, saying the company attained several remarkable milestones. Chief executive Graham Kerr said South32 made progress in reshaping its portfolio for a low carbon future. “We reported copper production for the first time, having completed our acquisition of a 45 percent interest in the Sierra Gorda copper mine. We moved a step closer to doubling our share of green aluminium production, delivering first metal from our Brazil aluminium smelter following the end of the period. “We also reported the prefeasibility results for our Taylor deposit, underlining its potential to add further growth…

Is there anything Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum can’t do? The two actors have charisma to burn, finely-tuned comic chops and the kind of smouldering physical star power that manages to look effortless and superhuman at the same time. But even gifts as prodigious as Bullock’s and Tatum’s can’t keep The Lost City afloat. That’s not for lack of trying, or for a tantalisingly goofy premise. Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a romance novelist and frustrated academic who has become borderline agoraphobic after the death of her husband. Tatum plays Alan, the Fabio-loso male model on the covers of her books. The two are classically mismatched: Loretta’s a book-smart nerd, more interested in hieroglyphics than hooking up on Hinge; Alan is a sweet- natured lunkhead, whose main role is to show…

POWER utility City Power, law enforcement and community formations have arrested at least 20 people for cable theft in the past week. City Power said it planned to have cable theft reduced by at least 20% this year, and said it was already seeing the result after it announced that from April 19 to 23, at least 20 people were arrested for cable theft across Johannesburg. On April 19, nine heavily-armed men between the ages of 20 and 25 were apprehended by residents in Eldorado Park, who saw them digging up copper cables in the Bushkoppies area. The men allegedly shot at the residents. They were handed over to Eldorado Park SAPS. The next evening, two people were seen cutting copper cables along Vickers Road, City Deep. They were found…

Most South Africans aren’t worried about malaria even though the disease is endemic in the country. Four of the country’s nine provinces carry malaria risk while 10% of the population is at risk of contracting malaria. The lack of concern can be attributed to the fact that the country has a relatively low burden of the disease. In 2020, South Africa had 8 126 cases and 38 deaths. This is low when compared to the estimated 10 007 802 cases and 23 766 deaths in Mozambique during the same period. The low number of cases means that South Africa is a candidate for malaria elimination. To reach this goal the country would need to record no new infections for three years. This goal has recently been achieved by China and…

AS season two of The Real Housewives of Durban wraps up, viewers can look forward to watching a two-part reunion set for May 6 to 13 hosted by the renowned comedian Donovan Goliath. The second season of this much-loved franchise was launched in January on Showmax and had garnered a lot of views in the past few months since its premiere. The Real Housewives of Durban follows the opulent lives of Annie, Jojo, LaConco, Londie, Mabusi, MaKhumalo, Nonku and Sorisha. Goliath shared his excitement as he gears himself up for this big reunion. “I have always been intrigued by this concept and this show. “I was excited to host the reunion because I really wanted to meet the wives and get to know more about this world from them,”…

Studies show that girls between 12 and 18 who live in poverty are deprived of about 20% of their high school education because they cannot afford feminine hygiene products and are too embarrassed to go to school during menstruation. The Dis-Chem Foundation, committed to improving the lives of all South Africans, is a beneficiary of Dis-Chem Group’s Benefits Programme. This means Dis-Chem and Baby City Benefit Card members support the foundation every time they shop and swipe their cards at both retailers because a percentage of the purchase value is donated to the Dis-Chem Foundation to help supplement the funds. The Million Comforts Campaign is an ongoing foundation initiative to provide sanitary products every year to teenage girls in need. Running since 2015, it is devoted to the empowerment of…

The selection of people who serve on boards of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) must have a lot of holes, given the drama that was created by Eskom board member Busisiwe Mavuso when she acted up for the cameras during Scopa’s visit to Eskom recently. She blurted out, in a very temperamental and unprofessional manner, that Scopa cannot blame the board for the “mess” which the ANC had created at Eskom. It is understandable that sometimes we may lose our heads and tempers, but what is galling is her follow-up response to this outburst, which led to the Scopa head ordering her to leave. She is right we should not tolerate pliable board members. But what is objectionable is her crass, unprofessional and uncouth manner of diverting Scopa’s inquiries to the ANC’s…

The Volkswagen Amarok is dead, long live the Amarok. Perhaps a bit dramatic but as everyone knows the current iteration is set to be replaced at the end of the year by a completely new Amarok built in the Ford plant in Silverton, Pretoria. So what better way to give it a send-off than with the last Amarok Challenge in its current guise. As happens every year there’s a media challenge and this year we were the first group to participate before 560 teams from South Africa, Botswana and Namibia descended on Bloemfontein from April 23 to June 27 to compete for the Amarok Challenge trophy. As a result multiple South African rally champion and legendary racer Sarel van der Merwe, who’s the man behind the Challenge, made it clear…

The writing has been on the wall for quite some time, but now it’s official – the Datsun brand is set to ride into the sunset. According to The Economic Times of India, production at the budget brand’s last assembly plant in Chennai, India, has come to an end. We are waiting on Nissan South Africa who are currently preparing a statement on the Datsun brand locally. Falling stock levels for the Datsun Go have been very much evident in the most recent Naamsa sales reports, which show that Nissan sold just seven Go models in March, 14 in February and 27 in January. It has been nine years since Nissan announced it would revive Datsun as a global brand for emerging markets. Its first product, the Datsun Go was…

Orlando Pirates and Cape Town City chairman John Comitis have incurred the wrath of the Premier Soccer League (PSL), and both parties will face the full might of the law. The charge against Pirates is far more serious since they were found guilty of bringing the PSL, football, the South African Football Association (Safa), the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Fifa and the sponsors into disrepute. Apart from bringing the PSL into disrepute, the PSL will find it hard to swallow that a club headed by their chairman, Irvin Khoza, were found guilty of this transgression. Khoza is also a vice-president of Safa. In a statement, PSL prosecutor Zola Majavu, said: “The Premier Soccer League Disciplinary Committee has returned a guilty verdict. This is a result of Pirates have been…

Swallows FC captain Lebohang Mokoena is adamant that his team will have to approach their final four games of the Premiership season as though they are cup finals. The Dube Birds most recently recorded a hard fought come-from-behind 3-2 win over Baroka FC on Sunday. “We had to throw everything at them. At one stage we had four strikers in the box, and it paid off for us. With the supporters being back after so many years, it was important to give them this victory,” Mokoena said. “Them supporting us also motivated us as we knew that we had nothing to lose. Knowing where Baroka are on the log, we knew that it would be possible for us to get three points.” Swallows’ next game against AmaZulu on Tuesday will…