Ajen Sita (EY Africa CEO) has cast his shadow over virtually every aspect of the Big Four firm’s business model since assuming the helm in July 2010, but nowhere more so than in its redefining of its Africa business. Demonstrating where Sita’s passion truly lies, he explains what he foresees himself doing should he ever…
Open-cast coalmines are ugly, as I saw for myself when recently viewing a client’s massive open-cast mine in Mpumalanga. Sprawling over several hectares, the scene was as apocalyptic as I had imagined. Four steaming pits sliced deep into the earth fed a relentless stream of mammoth tipper trucks ferrying their black cargo to washing plants.…
At first sight BMW’s largest hybrid vehicle is not distinguishable from its siblings. In fact the only differentiator from the outside is the rather large ‘Active Hybrid’ badge on the C-pillar of the vehicle. The usual 7 Series look is there, including the extensive use of chrome on the grill, front and rear bumpers, as…
Many companies sell goods or services on credit to customers resulting in the recognition of trade receivables in their financial records. This type of financial asset is currently measured by most companies in terms of the International Accounting Standard 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (IAS 39). However, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is…
Leadership is evolving with the next generation. The way things were done in the past, from pyramid corporate structures to top-down budgeting, has slowly fallen away as new generations come along with their own views on how things should be and where the generation before has gone wrong. This is nothing new – it is…
When going on holiday locally or internationally you always ask yourself one question: Is the hotel centrally located. If it is, you’ll want to know if it will fulfil all your other requirements as well. The African Pride 15 on Orange Hotel will do just that. It is the preferred choice for discerning, well-travelled connoisseurs…
Daniel Kahneman (Nobel Prize winner) and Amos Tversky developed a theory known as Prospect Theory which shows that, as individuals, we make decisions based on the value of potential losses and gains rather than the final outcome. The horizontal x axis measures the value of our gain or loss, whilst the vertical y axis measures…
Tax law generally applies to actual terms on which a transaction has been concluded as opposed to what the transaction would have been had it been entered into at arm’s length. Some exceptions exist where tax arbitrage can take place if the actual terms of a transaction are susceptible to manipulation. The most comprehensive of…
The importance of transformation management should never be underestimated; what is the point of investing a substantial sum of money in a system that is designed to address all your current business pains if your staff never invest themselves fully in it? What happens is that your fancy new system sits in its shiny new…
Following the 2008 global financial crisis, there is a need to build a strong risk culture, develop a robust risk appetite framework, and increase the role of the board and board committees in risk governance. The essence of risk governance is oversight – in the sense that the board oversees organisational activities and risks –…