Evaluating Trust in the Accountancy Profession

On behalf of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), Edelman Intelligence surveyed over one thousand business leaders and key decision-makers across the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand to measure their trust in chartered accountants, the accountancy sector and business as a whole. In South Africa 250 respondents were interviewed. In an era where trust…

Crypto Market in 2019

Naspers-backed cryptocurrency exchange Luno is predicting institutions to start testing the digital money market in 2019 despite the sell-off of bitcoin and other flagship coins over the past 13 months. According to data from Luno’s South African exchange, the price of bitcoin slumped from a high of R264 825 in December 2017 to R52 582…

Gene-Editing Scientist Breaks Rules

According to Bloomberg, scientist He Jiankui, who altered the genes of twin baby girls as embryos, is in serious trouble with the Chinese government for breaching laws and ethics. Besides his work leading to a second pregnancy created with a gene-edited embryo in a volunteer, he is reported to have ‘seriously violated ethics and scientific…

SA’s banks are finding new ways to stay relevant in the market

South Africa’s banking industry is rapidly evolving in response to regulatory changes, economic pressures, technological advances and innovation in digital. “The evolution of technology and increased customer expectations combined with the emergence of disruptive competitors, is placing significant pressure on the banking industry to implement new strategies to remain relevant in the future,” says Jorge…

Part 3 – Considerations when selecting an equity partner

When a company’s strategic focus turns to equity raising, it is critical for the company to determine what type of investor will best support the company’s strategic imperatives over the long term.  Robert Peché, Corporate Finance Associate at Bravura, an independent investment banking firm specialising in corporate finance and structured solutions services, highlights the key…

Part 2 – The implications of raising capital through equity funding

Many businesses require additional capital to grow the business or to facilitate the exit of an existing shareholder or partner.  Some of these businesses do not qualify to obtain funding from a bank, or the balance sheet cannot afford additional loan funding.  In other instances, equity funding may be preferred for long term strategic reasons…

Part 1 – The benefits of bank debt and mezzanine funding when raising strategic capital

Making money in a business does not only depend on profit margins, growth in turnover and growing market share.  The manner in which the business is financed can also have a substantial impact on the shareholder returns generated by the business. It will serve any business to have a strategic look at its balance sheet…

Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing the true potential of this revolutionary force

By Ankur Prakash, Vice President, New Growth and Emerging Markets, Wipro Limited 30 October 2017 As we race towards an uncertain future, one thing’s for sure: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. We cannot know exactly how it will reshape our work, our businesses, and our lives in general, but there are some fascinating and…