Imported products are cheap, but far from cheerful
Buying imported products because they are cheaper than locally produced products makes economic sense, right? Kevin Lovell, CEO of the SA Poultry Association, explains why it doesn’t.
Getting the most out of YouTube
There’s more to this hugely popular website than videos of cute cats.
Criminals are holding SA to ransom
Once again left in the dark, courtesy of cable thieves, I used my laptop’s remaining battery power to read up on the impact of crime on South Africa’s economy.
There’s little space to swing the fiscal cat…
SA’s low growth expectations, crumbling infrastructure and increasing social burden means that minister Nhlanhla Nene must take some brave decisions, says Agbiz economist Lindie Stroebel.
Bureaucrats hampering progress
The five-point plan to address South Africa’s energy crisis was announced in December, yet the MPs responsible for implementing it are still waiting for a proper briefing.
We’re in the same team – Cyril Xaba
Cyril Xaba, KZN MEC for the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, facilitated an historic meeting in January between his department and KZN commercial commodity organisations. Here he presented...
A disaster by any measure
For those in affected farming areas, the devastation caused by the current drought in South Africa’s summer production region has been a reality for months.
Protecting your PC from PUPs
Don’t be deterred by the caution accompanying ‘Custom Install’, says Greg Miles.
A man who believes in open dialogue
When Senzeni Zokwana was appointed minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in May last year, the media focused on just two things: he was a former president of the National...
Organic vs GM crops in Africa
GM crops are no instant solution for feeding Africa, but neither is pure organic farming. The solution lies somewhere in between. So says Dr Charlie Reinhardt, extraordinary professor in weed...
Mitigating risk to become a whole lot trickier
Scientists have been warning us that climate change will alter rainfall patterns. They say that dryland summer crops in central South Africa will be affected most by an increase in...
Raising SA’s ‘speed limit’
Prof Ricardo Hausmann, director of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and Venezuela’s former minister of planning, looks at the economic challenges facing South Africa. He delivered this...
Hero or villain – it’s all in the eyes of the beholder
Those of you following our news coverage of the allegations surrounding People’s Bio Oil (PBO) would know that we have been trying for weeks to obtain comment from owners Vusi...
A GPS to keep track of family and valuables
The GT300 can easily be carried in a pocket or placed in a vehicle.
Why credit ratings matter, even to farmers
When South Africa’s credit rating was left intact just before the festive season, a cautious sigh of relief reverberated throughout South Africa’s financial markets and government corridors. Why are credit...
Does the left hand know what the right is doing?
News coming out of the ANC’s National Executive Committee’s recent lekgotla is worrying. Minister Gugile Nkwinti’s 50/50 proposal was mentioned again, and the NEC is proposing that government implement land...
The value of experience
The summer crop season, which had a promising start, is turning out to be a tough one for farmers in my home province of North West.
Positive ways of lessening inequality
A recent newspaper report indicated that 1% of the world’s population would soon be wealthier than the rest of us combined.
