Crisis is a term often abused when it comes to the South African story. It has lost much of its power when commentators – and I include myself here – bemoan the state of the economy. Every time I consider the word, I remember what someone once said to me about the notion of a recession to many in the country: that for the majority, it’s a condition that they’ve never really escaped, never mind the data prints from our statistical body. It’s a poignant comment that has tempered my views on the...

Just what truths will the coronavirus pandemic expose about the experiment of the “new” South Africa? I remember that term well, a term which was supposed to mark a watershed moment in our most complex history where this country would be governed for all who live in it, but with a clear understanding that it would only come through some difficult reforms. You know that dream where you find yourself stark naked in class or on a school stage, reflecting your vulnerability, according to those...

115k Reactions At the point where Pick n Pay broke with the tradition of finding its best talent from within to lead the Raymond Ackerman-founded grocer more than six years ago, the outlook couldn’t be any worse. Some of its younger rivals bragged to journalists, off the record of course, that the end was near. Turns out, not so much. Shoprite had muscled in on their turf, Woolworths through its food unit was eating into its dominance in suburbia, while it would be folly of me not to mention,...

115k Reactions In truth, SA is but a novice when it comes to the allure of the international financial world. The Sasol story is yet another example of a corporate empire believing the hype stirred by an investment community that had pushed its previous chief executive (in this case, David Constable) along with the board to make what was ultimately a bad investment. There are many such tales where the pursuit of growth with the promise of super rewards for executives takes precedence when...

While the ruling party closes ranks and decides its fate and that of the country's president, its members should consider the economic state of those they are leaving outside their decision-making. A bad decision - and I am not one to prescribe - will fuel a political revolt sweeping across the country. It's no longer the lowest rung of society feeling the pinch of a deindustrialising economy. Banks and retailers - either through the...