Rational Perspective

In today's business headlines:  Moody’s outlook on South Africa more gloomy as it includes Eskom in its calculations. South Africa dodges the emerging market bond jinx. Investors are hoping for a streamlined Ramaphosa cabinet with Mboweni in charge of Finance. Cosatu wants Ramaphosa to cut the size of the Cabinet to 26 ministers and 6 deputies. The DA should learn from British Prime Minister May's mistakes. And Anglo American will be building a new diamond-mining boat to operate off the coast of Namibia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Innovative South African group Discovery has been rated as the world’s second strongest insurance brand. South African banking’s great disruptor, Capitec, was yesterday given the green light to acquire a ready-made vehicle to enter the business banking market. More action will play out at the Competition Tribunal today where two large players in the cigarette sector, Gold Leaf Tobacco and Philip Morris South Africa, will be petitioning for a blocking of the proposed merger between their competitor BAT and the country’s leading Vaping brand, Twisp. South African share prices ended yesterday’s trading session slightly lower with a half percentage point drop reflected in 182 shares falling and 155 finishing higher. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One and a half billion people worldwide who use WhatsApp to make free phone calls are discovering it does come at a price. The share price of German chemicals group Bayer took another hit yesterday after a California court awarded $2bn in punitive damages to a couple claiming weed killer Roundup caused their cancer. The world’s largest crypto currency, Bitcoin, is on the hop again, the price rising above $8 000 in Asia yesterday. South African share prices edged lower towards yesterday’s close with the overall index ending 0.25% down and losing shares outpointing winners by 235 to 151. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Share prices globally took a hit yesterday as the US/China trade war sparked back into life. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 600 points,  The US market slide came at the worst possible time for Uber Technologies, one of the New York Stock Exchange’s most anticipated new listings in years.   There were contrasting fortunes for Vodacom and Netcare which released financial results yesterday.  Share prices on the JSE followed global markets lower, with a winning session turning negative after news broke of the Chinese trade retaliation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the South African ruling political party’s worst showing in a national election since 1994, global investors celebrated the ANC’s 57.5% victory as an improvement on the 54.5% it polled in the municipal elections three years ago. French oil major Total is doubling down on its African bet. It has agreed to acquire Anadarko’s assets in Mozambique, South Africa, Algeria and Ghana for $8.8bn. Ride hailing business Uber Technologies, whose shares made their long-awaited debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, is off to a slow start as a public company. The struggle for once flourishing Net1 is laid bare in its quarterly results to end March which were released on Friday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election is over and the results are in. In this week's episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss those results in detail. They look at the percentages and vote tallies, breaking down just what it all means for the DA, the ANC, and the EFF. They consider the market reaction to the news of the ANC's victory and what the results may mean for Ramaphosa's policy initiatives. They also ask why the DA made such a poor showing and what the EFF's gains mean for the future. It's a comprehensive wrap-up of #Elections 2019 and a look at what the future may hold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — Although the Democratic Alliance has managed to hang on to the Western Cape, their support has dipped since the 2014 elections. This raises the question whether the leadership of Mmusi Maimane could be challenged. Political analyst Theo Venter from the North West University spoke to Biznews about the DA leadership, has a look at a smaller Cabinet Ramaphosa may be looking at after the election and whether he would be able to rid the Cabinet of  members of the ANC NEC implicated in state capture. He also comments on whether the investor climate for South Africa has improved- Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — President Cyril Ramaphosa may not have received the 60% support of national votes in the 2019 elections that he wanted, but he has a big enough mandate for decisive leadership. A political analyst from the Stellenbosch University, Dr Collette Schulz-Herszenberg told Biznews that the election result is the most appropriate result right now. -Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — The Democratic Alliance was hoping to increase its support from the 22% they managed in 2014, but all indications are that they are not going to be able to replicate their previous national performance. The party's leader Mmusi Maimane said at the IEC centre that he is proud that his party managed to retain the centre ground. There are rumours that his leadership may be challenged due to the lack in growth in support for the party. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — She may have only one seat, but the leader of the GOOD party, Patricia de Lille, who broke away from the Democratic Alliance after a controversial stint as the mayor of Cape Town, is likely to be a vocal voice in Parliament. Her party also has at least two seats in the provincial legislature of the Western Cape  We could not pin down De Lille, but her spokesperson Nthabiseng Lephoko promised that they will make good on their promises to hold the DA to account in the province and the ANC in Parliament - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — Many of the smaller parties in the election did not manage to gain a single seat. One of the parties that have been more successful is the ACDP which have doubled their number of MPs. The party's leader, Kenneth Meshoe says they will oppose land distribution without compensation, and want to create an environment which attracts investors to the country. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — The Economic Freedom Fighters are increasing their share of the seats in Parliament from just over 6% to around 10%. Firebrand leader Julius Malema, a former ANC-member in a distinctive red overall, has increased the temperature in Parliament considerably with debates becoming more contested and has often been ejected. His party targeted former President Jacob Zuma and was probably one of the driving forces for the ANC to adopt plans for land distribution without compensation. The party's national communications manager Sixolise Gcilishe says they are not planning to let up on their confrontational politics, but are prepared to work with other parties to achieve their goals. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — The Inkatha Freedom party has increased its share of the vote in the elections and is running neck and neck with the Freedom Front Plus. IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa says the party was negatively effected by floods and unrest in the province. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investors around the world took fright yesterday when the US seized a North Korean ship alleging it had been illegally transporting coal from president Kim Jong Un’s ostracised country in violation of US sanctions. South Africa’s national and provincial election dominated the local news yesterday with investors a little concerned by the ANC’s inability to poll at their hoped-for 60% level. Anglogold Ashanti yesterday announced that it is in the early stages of a process to sell Mponeng, the last mine it owns in South Africa. Remgro-controlled chicken company RCL continued its recent run, picking up another 3% to close the session at R15.28. The shares have risen 18% in the past two weeks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — The Democratic  Alliance is on track to maintain control of the Western Province and could be part of a coalition in Gauteng, but have lost votes to Patricia de Lille's Good Party and the Freedom Front Plus on a national level. The Chairperson of the DA Federal Council, James Selfe says his party could be negatively effected by the split-vote. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — Foreign Relations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says the election has proven that South Africa is a stable democracy and adds the Government is opening its arms and inviting investors to come and invest in the country. Sisulu however ducked a question on whether there are internal forces in the ANC that are threatening President Cyril Ramaphosa's agenda. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — The Australian High Commissioner Adam McCarthy, who is one of the international observers at the election headquarters says he is impressed with voter turnout especially when it is compared with other countries. In Australia voting is compulsory. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA - The American civil rights leader, Jesse Jackson has always taken a keen interest in South Africa and was a staunch opponent of the apartheid regime in South Africa. Jackson sent representatives to the #Elections2019 to observe the elections. One of them is James Gomes from the Rainbow/Push Coalition who inspected voting that took place in the Soweto area. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — The Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC Jessie Duarte says she has applied to the Zondo Commission to testify about allegations made about her on state capture. Biznews gave her the right to reply to the various allegations against her and her fractious relationship with the media. She also commented on the halfway mark of the election results saying that she was happy with the ANC's performance, especially the areas of the Bo-Kaap they have taken from the Democratic Alliance. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PRETORIA — With the first results in, a couple of interesting trends are starting to emerge. Very few of the smaller parties are doing well, although one or two might get a seat in Parliament. Political Analyst and former South African Ambassador to Ireland Melanie Verwoerd says the ANC is performing well. - Linda van Tilburg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.