Sat, 19 May 2012 08:29:23 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/370-organised-markets-the-future-for-africa.html In a world characterized by volatile commodity prices – a few questions beg for answers. Are African markets currently properly organized to enable Africa to extract full reward from its abundant resources? What institutional capacity exists to organize the markets to allow for accessible and transparent price discovery for Africa’s commodities? How much say does Africa have in the pricing of its commodities? The answer to the last question, disappointingly, is very little. A look at the glob... Business Features Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:32:22 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/332-sex-in-the-workplace.html This kind of behaviour is what is defined by the United Nations Development Fund for Women as sexual harassment. Their definition of sexual harassment as “unwelcome or unwanted verbal, non-verbal, physical or visual conduct based on sex or of a sexual nature; the acceptance or rejection of which affects an individual’s employment” differs little from the South African Labour Relations Act’s definition, which states, “Sexual harassment is any unwanted attention of a sexual nature that ta... Business Features Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:54:11 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/257-a-dream-outsourced-to-india.html The main gripe with government’s, and particularly the national department of communications’, failure to steer the telecommunications sector is government’s seeming inability to appreciate the material consequences of its obstinacy and short-sightedness. I find it perplexing that while all government literature and communications purport to be in favour of job creation and the reduction of unemployment, enigmatically and consistently, over the past 10 years, the department of communication... Business Features Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:29:22 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/194-date-with-your-finances.html “Statistical information shows that on average, women live longer than men. It is vital that women plan financially for their present day needs and develop a plan that will accommodate their future years without being dependent,” says Hazel. "Despite the fact that most women earn less than their male counterparts, they generally need a larger pool of savings to sustain a lifestyle of their choice. As such, creating a plan by setting objectives and monitoring progression towards attaining fina... Business Features Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:56:03 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/193-the-pros-and-cons-of-investing-in-mineral-resources.html Recent activities such as the buyout offer from Vale for Metorex, and the meteoric rise in the Sacoil share price from 20c to over 200c in less than a year certainly attract the interest of investors. However, policy debates such as the nationalisation of mines and a negative report on the sector by Goldman Sachs add to the confusion among investors.What are resources?“Resources” is a collective name for different types of metals and minerals that are found in the ground. They include base me... Business Features Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:42:37 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/170-financial-planning-2011-outlook.html Financial planning is a complex discipline – what should people prioritise in their personal financial plan? Is it retirement, life insurance, investing in your child’s education, etc. or a combination of issues?It is important to prioritise.If you have to wait a year to start a retirement plan, or to fund for your children’s education, it’s not a train smash.However, if one does not have death, disability and critical illness cover in place and something goes wrong, it is a train smash.F... Business Features Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:21:41 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/169-are-financial-gurus-worth-their-salt.html What is required of a financial planner? A good financial planner guides the client in terms of how to manage their personal financial position. This requires an understanding of multi-disciplinary fields. The advisor is expected to have a grasp of legal matters (Wills Act, Matrimonial Property Act, Estate Duty, FICA, Pension Funds Act etc), tax matters (income tax, capital gains tax, corporate tax), investment matters (portfolio construction, investment theory, risk management, offshore investme... Business Features Tue, 05 Jul 2011 13:09:00 +0100 http://www.afropolitan.co.za/finance/business/145-afro-finance-top-20-performing-shares-companies-a-mixed-bag.html “It’s a tightly held share, which makes it very illiquid and difficult for investors to get hold of stock,” says Gradidge. The Top 20 index is dominated by consumer-related companies such as Shoprite, Clicks, Capitec, Truworths, Famous Brands (the owners of Steers, Mugg & Bean and others) and Mr Price. This isn’t surprising given the emergence and growth of the black middle class. As the economy grew and jobs were created and policies such as BBBEE (especially employment equity, owner... Business Features Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:15:14 +0100