Consol makes SA “greener” one ray at a time with its New Solar Jar. The principle is simple and seductively clever: the Consol Solar Jar stores energy during the day and releases light at night; a fun and sustainable alternative light supply that makes it easy to go green! Fitted with solar powered LED lights,…
There is no other country where you can get to fly with angels, swim with devils and stay in paradise. The holidays are over and you’ve probably already bent (or broken) your New Year’s resolution – you’re wondering how the year has managed to settle into that familiar routine already. Maybe it’s time to shake…
The Nissan 370z was the icon of Japanese muscle cars until the latest GTR took its place. However, the sheer price difference between these two vehicles must be borne in mind. The 370 (the cheaper of the two) also looks more like a sports car than the GT-style GTR. The 370z’s styling is enhanced with…
Africa Fraud Barometer KPMG has released the findings of the second Africa Fraud Barometer. This initiative was launched in 2012 and is an early stage effort to measure fraud on the African continent and expose the risk of fraud to companies in their day-to-day operations. According to the tool, reported cases of fraud decreased from…
Sustainability CFOs are coming to the table A recent study by Deloitte on sustainability shows that corporate Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are engaging with sustainability1 in increasing numbers. This study surveyed CFOs from companies each generating at least US$1 billion in revenue, drawn from across 14 countries on five continents. It paints a clear picture…
Inconsistent shareholder spread – Disclosures The JSE’s current Listing Requirements contain ambiguities that lead to inconsistent disclosures on public and non-public shareholders. Listed companies need to disclose a shareholder spread in their annual report in terms of section 8.63(d) of the JSE’s Listings Requirements. The shareholder spread deals with the number and percentage shareholding by…
Charles Hattingh The Reality Behind Price Earnings Ratios (PERs) Financial commentators are often hopelessly misinformed when discussing PERs, particularly in the light of Gordon’s Growth Model. Commentators on local radio and television stations seem to believe that shares of companies are only fairly valued if their PERs are in the vicinity of 10. The sort…
Learn from change As a year ends and another begins, this issue is all about…change! Most people hide from change, rather than embrace it. Some view it as an obstacle – yet is it not a door opening to unseen opportunities? But managing change in today’s workplace is what keeps people relevant. To be responsible…
Your company culture – Is it at risk of fraud? Most accountants and auditors know the ‘fraud triangle’: the combination of incentive, opportunity and rationalisation that creates a risk that an employee will attempt to defraud their company. But the fraud triangle alone isn’t enough. In the wake of Enron and other high-profile corporate disasters…
Evolution of technology Can you believe that it is almost 70 years ago that Thomas Watson (IBM Chairman, 1943) said he thinks that there’s a world market for maybe five computers? And boy – was he wrong. By the end of 2011 there were more than 2,267 billion Internet users worldwide, and these numbers leap…