Karl Kumbier heads up South Africa’s only niche bank that specialises in financial products and services for entrepreneurs. Now on a mission to double the bank’s market share, he wants the brand to better represent what its clients need from a business bank. Monique Verduyn spoke to him Karl Kumbier, CEO of Mercantile Bank, is…
A new EU directive requiring rotation of auditors elicits a negative reaction in South Africa On 3 April 2014, The European Parliament approved the new EU Audit Regulation and Directive, which will require European-listed companies, banks and financial institutions to appoint a new auditor every ten years. This can be extended for a further ten…
Pick up a book As Albert Einstein once said: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them stories. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more stories.” Consider a few statistics. Ninety per cent of our children under the age of seven have no form of reading material in their…
Afzal Khan attempts to address the lack of awareness of some governmental sources of soft capital Small medium entities (SMEs) are the building blocks of an economy. According to research performed in 2010,1 91% of the entities in South Africa are SMEs, of which 61% contribute to the country’s employment statistics. Of the 91%, 52–57%…
VW Polo 1.2 TSi Manufacturer specifications: Engine 1,2L / Four-cylinder Turbo Power 66 KW Torque 160 Nm 0–100 km/h 10,8 s (claimed) Fuel consumption Average 4,9L /100 km CO2 117 g/km Price From R191 600 New is a rather relative term and many have asked what’s new with the latest Volkswagen Polo. The recently launched latest…
The Global Accounting Alliance recently undertook research to quantify and assess the attitudes and opinions that public accountants have toward business succession and continuity planning. In this article, Bridgitte Kriel looks at the responses of SAICA members to the survey In May 2014 the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), in cooperation with the 11 member bodies…
Pule Mothibe entered the professional services industry just as the barriers for the entrance of black people into the business sector were being removed. Mothibe was also fortunate in that he joined a firm that had visionary leaders who already had a programme in place to advance and train black charterered accountants before it became…
What makes them different? SAICA receives a great deal of feedback from small and medium practice (SMP) firms regarding challenges and difficulties faced in the SMP environment. However, this sector of the CA(SA) industry also offers vast opportunities, especially in light of the ever-growing focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their role in…
To be clogged, to be ignored, to be disregarded or to be utilised? Herman Viviers takes a closer look at the tax treatment of capital losses as a result of debt relief between connected persons There are many circumstances under which different types of taxpayers could be classified as connected persons for income tax purposes.…
Tendai White explains how medium-sized firms can make an impact internationally by joining associations or networks With the dominance of the larger firms, and the unstable economy, it can be difficult for South Africa’s medium-sized accountancy firms to thrive and make their presence felt. These medium-sized firms, which fit somewhere in the middle of small…