VIEWPOINT: For richer or richer

When last did an economist’s weighty 700-page tome shoot to the top of the Amazon and New York Times bestseller lists overnight? Why is Thomas Piketty, a hitherto unknown French academic, being mobbed like a rock star when he appears in public? Strange days indeed … especially as Capital in the twenty-first century is apparently…

VIEWPOINT: Teacher coach mentor

I am a father, my biggest reward and hardest responsibility. As a professional coach I’m aware of what is lacking and constantly in process; strategising and implementing essentials to equip my kids to have everything they need for tomorrow. I need to raise confident, creative, self-sufficient, caring and balanced individuals to be great future partners,…

SPECIAL REPORT: Live reporting and analysis

Organisations go to great lengths to implement enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and for very good reasons. ERP systems such as Oracle or SAP support data centralisation and eliminate islands of information caused by software applications that do not communicate with each other. Despite these compelling reasons and the overall benefits of ERP systems in…

LIFESTYLE : Gadgets

Jawbone UP24 wristband The UP24 fitness band is the perfect combination of aesthetics, ground-breaking technology, functionality and style. The UP system gives you tailored and actionable activity recommendations based on your personal data. With its sleek design and featuring Bluetooth Smart for real-time notifications when connected to your smart device, anyone can stay motivated and…

VIEWPOINT: The unknown

What is the difference between a measurable risk and an unmeasurable uncertainty? It was back in 1921 that economist Frank Knight differentiated between these two. Being a supporter of the notion that humans are inherently unpredictable, he distinguished risk from uncertainty. The former you can measure while the latter, you can’t. Investors and the investment…

ANALYSIS: The employment tax incentive

Unemployment has been and remains one of the biggest challenges that South Africa faces. A youth wage subsidy has been on the cards for a number of years as a means of resolving this problem to some extent. The Employment Tax Incentive Act 26 of 2013 (the Act), which was promulgated on 18 December 2013…