Inhoudsopgave van 2022-12-07 - Star

SOUTH Africa’s banks have overtaken insurers, retailers and telecoms companies in positive social media sentiment to become the country’s most-liked industry, while TymeBank is viewed as the most affordable among them, a survey has found. DataEQ’s annual South African Banking Index tracked more than 4 million social media posts about African Bank, Absa, Capitec Bank, Discovery Bank, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank and TymeBank, between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022. “Having followed an upward post-pandemic trajectory, the banking industry’s net sentiment improved most significantly over the past year, shooting up from -7.5% in 2021 to 9.4% in 2022,” DataEQ head of client service Sarah Lamb said yesterday. The sharp improvement saw the banks climb to first place in the cross- industry Net Sentiment comparison, suggesting South Africans had a…

SCHRODER European Real Estate Investment Trust has €50 million (R910m) of fire-power to deploy on opportunities over six to 12 months to diversify, grow income and strengthen exposure to growth cities, regions and sectors in Europe. Schroder, which has a secondary listing on the JSE, continued its pre-Covid-19 quarterly dividend payout of 1.85 euro cents a share for the period to the financial year end to September 30, in line with target, while special dividends of €12.8m, reflecting 9.60 euro cents a share, were paid due to the “exceptional” asset management profits from the repositioning of Paris Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris B-B), Schroder’s fund manager, Jeff O’Dwyer, said yesterday. The net asset value total return of 7.3% was based on a profit of €13.9m, compared with a 3.2% return the previous…

One of the world’s favourite fairy tales, Jack and the Beanstalk, is bringing the magic of Christmas to Durban’s Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from tonight to January 15. Jack and the Beanstalk follows the tale of a young man, Jack, who lives with his mother Dame Flora Flatbroke, in a small cottage, in the country. Destitute, Jack trades the family cow for a handful of magic beans, which grow into a towering beanstalk reaching up into the clouds. Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds himself in the castle of an unfriendly giant. The giant senses Jack’s presence and of course cries, “Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.” Outwitting the giant, Jack can retrieve many…

An alleged armed robber who was part of a gang of three who held up an off-duty police sergeant and his wife in their house in Vuwani, Limpopo, succumbed to his injuries in hospital after he was shot by the officer when they were robbing his home. The police officer stationed at Mutale policing area was attacked on Sunday morning while he was asleep with his wife in Lukau Tshishive village. Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the officer was awoken by a loud bang on the door and three unknown males entered the bedroom, one of them carrying a firearm. “The suspects demanded money and cellphones from the victim and they ultimately ransacked the room and took clothes, footwear, ladies’ handbags, a wallet and bank cards. The suspect who…

Ingredients Puddings: 1½ cups milk 75g (80ml) soft butter 1 tbs white wine vinegar ¾ cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 extra-large eggs 1½ cups flour ½ tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda Sauce: 1 cup cream 3 tbs smooth apricot jam 70g (80ml) cup sugar ¼ cup butter Cream: ¾ cup double cream yoghurt 1¼ cups cream Seeds of 1 vanilla pod 1 cup almond flakes, lightly toasted 1 can halved apricots, drained Method Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm x 25cm ovenproof dish. Heat the milk and 2 tbs (30ml) butter in a small pan, until the butter melts. Stir in the vinegar. Cream the remaining butter, sugar and vanilla essence together in a bowl. Add the eggs, one at…

Miss South Africa will not only be representing her own country when she takes part in the Miss Universe competition, but she will also be paying homage to the rise of Africa as the continent continues to influence global pop culture. Reigning title-holder Ndavi Nokeri yesterday revealed both a farewell gown and her national costume that she will wear at the 71st Miss Universe pageant, which takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the US on January 14. The reveal took place at The Maslow Hotel Sandton and was embraced by Miss South Africa 2019 and Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi. Praise singer Masingita Shibambu entertained the guests, and Nokeri’s extended family were all in attendance, including her father Moses and her mother Betty, as well as her siblings. The…

With the festive season fast approaching, research by numerous companies shows that people’s mental health during the festive season is negatively affected by financial concerns caused by a lack of planning. Chantal Robertson, head of cross-border advice at FNB, said: “There are a number of financial considerations travellers need to keep in mind from an offshore spend perspective, including individual allowances that South African residents need to comply with from an exchange control perspective.” Robertson provides a helpful checklist you need to tick off, to ensure that your trip abroad is hassle-free and within budget: Ensure that you take some travel insurance cover: Travel insurance covers medical emergencies during your trip, including the cost of medical treatment up to a certain limit, whether for a medical condition or an accident.…

One thing is certain, the president of South Africa lied to the public when he said all the money that was present during a robbery at his private farm was from the proceeds of the sales of wild animals. But in this instance, it is also true that Cyril Ramaphosa did not take money from the state for his business. The question then is for whom did the president amass foreign currency and from where? This is what we should be concerned with, as the public, because this is what will lead us to view the Phala Phala issue in a responsible manner. It is clear that Ramaphosa lied on behalf of the ANC and without any shame, and showed more concern for the ANC and loyalty to it than…

If ever anyone was looking for a symbol of dynamite coming in small packages, they would have to look no further than Ricardo ‘Tricky Ricky’ Duarttee. The new Blitzbok star hardly touches the waistline of his teammates, but he is built like a brick outhouse, and possesses a side-step that would make even Cheslin Kolbe squirm. And it’s this explosiveness that was on show in Dubai over the weekend, when Duarttee caught the attention of the Sevens world in his debut tournament. The 24-year-old’s journey to this point has been an arduous one, though. Although born and bred in the Western Cape, where he attended Stellenberg High, Duartee had to leave his home town to pursue a career at the University of Johannesburg and the Lions initially, before selling his…

Kevin Lerena came within a whisker of lifting the WBA’s watered-down version of the world heavyweight title, but his future as a top heavyweight contender, never mind a champion, disappeared into the London night air over the weekend. Had Lerena defeated Briton Daniel Dubois, the holder of the WBA’s regular version of the championship, it would have been an upset of monumental proportions. It would have ranked alongside the upset win of Hasim Rahman over reigning champion Lennox Lewis in South Africa back in April 2001. The Lewis-Rahman clash was promoted by Rodney Berman, who along with crack trainer Peter Smith, have done a wonderful job of guiding Lerena’s career to a point where he could land a prime slot on Frank Warren’s showstopper bill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in…

Japan failed to reach the World Cup quarter-finals once again, but stunning wins over Germany and Spain and more players moving to Europe suggest the Blue Samurai will return stronger. Japan were eliminated by Croatia in the last 16 on Monday, going out on penalties after a nerve-jangling 1-1 draw with the 2018 finalists. It was the fourth time Japan had exited at the first knockout stage and denied them a much-coveted quarter-final debut in their seventh straight World Cup appearance. But the four-time Asian champions showed that they can compete with the world’s best in Qatar, beating both Germany and Spain – two former champions – to point towards brighter times ahead. Coach Hajime Moriyasu said it was not possible to “turn into Superman overnight”, but he believes Japan…

Economy stands good chance of rising above the sub-2% forecast in 2022 SOUTH Africa’s economy now stands a good chance of rising above the sub-2% forecast in 2022 after gross domestic product (GDP) swung back to growth in the third quarter, buoyed by the agricultural sector. However, there is lingering concern that persistent load shedding, the cumulative impact of interest rate increases on household consumption, and the global slowdown could impede the growth outcome for the fourth quarter. Data from Statistics SA (StatsSA) yesterday showed that GDP surprised on the upside, rising by 1.6% in the three months to September. This meant the economy dodged a technical recession after shrinking by 0.7% in Q2. This GDP print was well above market forecasts of a 0.6% increase, partly because of a…

According to the CEO of Affinity Health, Murray Hewlett, the food we eat has an impact on our digestive system. Hewlett said the body contains approximately 40 trillion bacteria, most of which are in “your” gut. “They are collectively known as ‘gut microbiome’ and are extremely important for overall health. The more bacteria species you have, the more health benefits they may be able to provide, so here is Affinity Health’s list of 15 research-backed foods that help your gut maintain the right balance of these micro-organisms vital for physical and mental health, immunity, and more,” said Hewlett. 1. Almonds These have probiotic properties, which means they benefit your gut bacteria; they are high in fibre, fatty acids, and polyphenols. 2. Brussels sprouts They contain the types of fibre good…

The Western Cape High Court has reversed a previous court decision regarding the payment of terminated staff following the 2019 sale of sail-boat hardware and accessories manufacturer Harken South Africa to Zenith International. Harken was owned by businessman Ankie Roux until his death in 2019. At the time of Roux’s death, Harken had had four employees: Hannes Knoetzen, Michael Batt, Lars Kessel and Michelle Barrish. In terms of his will, Roux appointed a Mr Venter, Harken’s accounting officer, as his executor. He bequeathed to each of his three daughters 30% of his membership in the plaintiff, and left the remaining 10% to Knoetzen. The company was bought out after Roux’s death by Zenith, a company set up by Knoetzen and Batt, who negotiated the right to use the Harken name.…

In the wake of the hailstorms that battered parts of Gauteng on Monday, insurers Auto & General is urging residents to be vigilant when it comes to protecting themselves and their assets during hailstorm season. The company has offered advice on what to keep in mind during a hailstorm. In general: Make sure your vehicle, homeowners and home contents insurance adequately covers you against damage to property caused by hail. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, as well as websites or apps for alerts. If you have shelter, stay put until the storm has subsided. If there is no shelter, motorists are urged to pull-over onto the side of the road if it is safe to do so. It is safer not to drive through a storm when…

Achraf Hakimi struck the decisive penalty to send Spain crashing out and Morocco into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, winning 3-0 in a shoot-out last night after a 0-0 draw. Spain coach Luis Enrique had claimed his players prepared by taking 1 000 penalties as homework, but Pablo Sarabia, Soler and Sergio Busquets all missed from the spot and Madrid-born Hakimi dinked his home to the delight of Morocco’s raucous support. Walid Regragui’s side are now in uncharted territory, with their previous best a last-16 exit in 1986. Spain had been hoping they could repeat their 2010 World Cup triumph after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they were also beaten on penalties by Italy. The teams were closely matched through a nail-biting clash, with Spain…

Croatia captain Luka Modric said his team “can’t do it without a drama” after they reached the World Cup quarter-finals following a penalty shootout win against Japan on Monday. Mario Pasalic struck the winning spot-kick after Dominik Livakovic saved three penalties. Earlier, Ivan Perisic had pulled Croatia level in the 55th minute of normal time following Daizen Maeda’s opener for Japan just before the break. But no side could find a winner either in 90 minutes or in extra time as it finished 1-1. “It seems that we can’t do it without a drama,” said Modric, whose team were beaten finalists in 2018. “We are more than happy to reach the quarter-finals. It was a very difficult game against a very tough team.” The match in Qatar continues a pattern…

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk is wary of the threat Lionel Messi will pose when the Dutch go up against Argentina in Friday’s World Cup quarter-finals, even though he came out on the winning side the last time they met in club football. Van Dijk called Messi the best player he had played against after his side Liverpool came back from a three-goal first-leg deficit to beat Barcelona on their way to winning the 2019 Champions League, and has repeated the tribute in Qatar after the Dutch booked their last-eight spot. “It is an honour to play against him,” said Van Dijk before deflecting any one-on-one comparisons ahead of the meeting at the Lusail Stadium. “It is not me against him, or the Netherlands against him, but the Netherlands against…

Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff has become the first casualty of their first-round World Cup exit in Qatar after agreeing to leave his post two years before his contract ends, the German football federation (DFB) said yesterday. Former Germany international Bierhoff, who had been in his post as team director for the last 18 years, was widely criticised following their second consecutive shock group-stage exit at a World Cup. “Oliver Bierhoff has won a lot of merits for the DFB,” said DFB president Bernd Neuendorf in a statement. “Even if the last few tournaments lagged behind the sporting goals that had been set, he will be associated with big moments.” Bierhoff played a part in helping Germany win the last of their four World Cup titles in 2014, and Neuendorf…

A week on from Sean Everitt, life is moving swiftly on in the Shark Tank, and prop Ox Nche says it has to when you have Harlequins in town for the Sharks’ debut in the Champions Cup, the most elite rugby competition on the planet. “Sometimes hard things have to be done in order for us to keep getting better,” the Springbok loosehead said when asked how the team was adjusting. “The mood is great and we are working harder. We want to prove we belong in the Champions Cup, and we want to put the Sharks brand on a pedestal.” Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell is doing what Rassie Erasmus did at the Springboks in 2018 when he stepped into the head coach role, and Nche was asked…

THE Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has delivered news that no motorist or consumer wanted to hear: a petrol price hike in December. This comes in spite of the decline in the average Brent crude oil price from $90.79 per barrel to $88.77 a barrel during the period under review, amid fears of lower demand from China due the lockdowns there. The DMRE yesterday confirmed that motorists will pay more at the pumps as both grades of petrol would go up by 59 cents a litre, higher than the previously expected 20-cent hike. However, the good news is that diesel is coming down by a significant margin of between R1.52 and R1.59 a litre, while illuminating paraffin would decline by 57 cents per litre. The DMRE said the…

THE Gauteng Department of Health has said that it will be appointing an independent investigator to probe allegations made by disgruntled staff at Kalafong Provincial Tertiary hospital in Atteridgeville. This follows protests by general workers and nurses last week, who complained about the “disrespectful” conduct of CEO Dr Sello Matjila, who they accused of maladministration and corruption. Workers accused Matjila of unfairly excluding a large number of workers from getting performance bonuses, which was at the centre of their grievances. They claimed that the criteria used for selecting those qualifying for bonuses was never transparent and had not been explained to them. The department said Matjila would not be reporting to the facility during the investigation. Dr Lebohang Mpshe has been appointed as the acting CEO while the department…

Ingredients 30ml butter or full-fat margarine 15ml olive oil 725g beef stroganoff strips 1 onion, chopped 250g white mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped Handful of thyme, with the leaves picked off the stem 2ml paprika 25ml cake flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper 15ml tomato paste 15ml Dijon mustard ½ beef stock cube, dissolved in 200ml hot water 250g tub sour cream Flat leaf parsley, to garnish Method In a pan, heat together half the butter and half the oil. Toss and turn over high heat, to brown the strips all over before removing from the pan. Repeat with the other half of the meat, using the remaining butter and oil. Set aside all the browned meat. Add the onion and mushrooms to the same pan, and…

AS THE country observes the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Tears Foundation says the campaign has not shown any significant impact in reducing the problem of teenage pregnancies in South Africa, mainly due to statutory rape. CEO and founder of the Tears Foundation, Mara Glennie, said after the campaign, young girls do not get a chance to learn about pregnancy as a result of rape. “16 Days of Activism comes around every year, and we could ask, is this awareness-raising campaign really useful, and what impacts does it have in our communities? “Once the 16 days are over, we all forget about the problem until next year, when the next campaign begins, leaving thousands of girls as young as primary school age without the opportunity to learn…

On-site construction of the world’s biggest telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, has begun in South Africa and Australia, following the finalisation of 18 months of global procurement and construction activities. A statement on the project’s web page said: “The project is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre of collecting area, the facility will address the biggest questions in astrophysics.” The statement said South Africa’s Karoo region and Western Australia’s Murchison Shire were chosen as co-hosting locations for many scientific and technical reasons, from the atmospherics above the sites, through to the radio quietness from being some of the most remote locations on Earth. SKA Observatory director-general Philip Diamond said last year that construction was expected to last eight…

It’s been less than a week since he and the Proteas squad arrived in Australia and already interim coach Malibongwe Maketa has made life difficult for the players. “The guys are not liking me at the moment in the sense that we’ve had some really hard (training) sessions,” the softly spoken Maketa said from Brisbane yesterday. There may be some grumpy players, although it’s safe to assume that captain Dean Elgar isn’t one of them. Elgar last week described Maketa as a coach with “a real old school mentality”. “He understands what the game demands. It’s going to be really tough as an interim coach for him to make a massive impact, but we’ll be there to help each other,” said the Proteas Test skipper. Maketa shared those sentiments, explaining…

An irrepressible, irresistible Brazil lit up the night sky on Monday with one of the performances of the World Cup to shred South Korea 4-1 and set up a quarter-final clash with Croatia. The Brazilians brought a beach soccer swagger to the iconic Stadium 974 with a display that simply overwhelmed the Koreans, and likely struck fear into potential opponents. “We’re dreaming of the title, of course,” Brazilian talisman Neymar said. “Today was the fourth game, there are three left. We’re very focused on getting that title. “But we have to go step by step. When I got injured, I spent a very difficult night. I was thinking of a million different things.” After Japan’s penalty shootout loss to Croatia earlier, and Australia’s loss to Argentina, South Korea’s defeat means…

After starting the World Cup in the shadows, Jordan Henderson has emerged as England’s unsung hero ahead of their heavyweight quarter-final clash with France on Saturday. While England captain Harry Kane and teenage sensation Jude Bellingham are expected to deliver the headline moments against France, Henderson will provide the foundation for his more high-profile teammates to flourish at the Al Bayt Stadium. Henderson has been a divisive figure among England fans, who have often preferred to see more glamorous options in the midfield engine room. But critics of the Liverpool captain’s international form have been forced to eat their words over the last two weeks. Although Henderson was among the substitutes for England’s opening two games in Qatar, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has turned to the midfielder in a…

Son Heung-min apologised after his South Korea side exited the World Cup following a sobering 4-1 defeat to favourites Brazil in the last 16 in Qatar. The captain and talisman was powerless as Brazil scored four times in the first half on Monday, before Paik Seung-ho netted a 76th-minute consolation for the outclassed Koreans. South Korea have still never won a World Cup knockout tie outside of their home country. “I can only apologise to our fans for not living up to their expectations,” said the 30-year-old Tottenham forward, who played in a mask in Qatar following facial surgery last month. “We did our best, but I think we played a very difficult game,” he told TV reporters. “Still, there is no doubt that all the players battled proudly, devoted…

While the Bulls have a full-time psychologist in their organisation – and there are other support structures in South African rugby – the Sbu Nkosi situation is a “wake-up call for everybody in sport again”. That was the bigger picture Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone spoke about yesterday following the disappearance of Nkosi, who was found at his stepfather’s house in Mpumalanga on Monday after being missing for three weeks. The last contact with the Bulls wing was on Friday, November 11, and he failed to report for training on Monday, November 14. After several visits to his living quarters in Pretoria, multiple texts and calls to Nkosi and his family, the Bulls were unable to locate him until the story broke in the media on Friday. Despite not getting the…

It was a strenuous journey for the Stormers to reach Clermont, as they travelled from Cape Town to Istanbul and Lyon before finally arriving in the central French city yesterday afternoon. So, having gone through all of that, the United Rugby Championship (URC) title winners would want to make it worth their while and show the whole of Europe just what they are made of in Saturday’s Champions Cup opener against Clermont Auvergne (5.15pm kick-off). And the fact that the temperature is likely to drop to below zero for the early evening game won’t deter the Cape side from playing their usual attacking style that was on full show in the first half of last week’s URC win over the Dragons. “We’re here safe, just got here half-an-hour ago. It’s…