Gupta’s v Gordhan In Court

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s legal team will on Tuesday face off with 14 Gupta-owned companies over the blacklisting of their bank accounts by South Africa’s top four banks. Meanwhile President Jacob Zuma has asked to intervene as an “interested party” in the matter. Zuma argued that Standard Bank had sought relief that affected the president directly, but failed to join him into the legal proceedings as a party

Source : https://goo.gl/OkEwD1

Judge Dismisses Zuma’s Application To Join Pravin Case

The High Court in Pretoria has told President Jacob Zuma’s legal representatives that he is not formally part of the process and so cannot be added as an “interested party”. Zuma made an 11th-hour application on Monday asking to be added in Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s application against Gupta-linked Oakbay Investments as an “interested party”. Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo said on Tuesday that because Zuma was not a party in the matter, his legal team could only observe.

Source : https://goo.gl/w0KuDU

Zuma Recalls Pravin Gordhan From Investment Roadshow

The rand plummeted about 52c against the dollar on Monday after President Jacob Zuma ordered Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan home from a global investor road show, while banks and property stocks retreated on the JSE in similar fashion to Nenegate in December 2015. The rand’s retreat was directly attributable to Zuma’s action despite a weaker dollar, which usually supported an appreciation in the rand, analysts said..

Source : https://goo.gl/r5mIwj

Brian Joffe To Step Aside

Bidcorp executive chairperson Brian Joffe has announced that he will be stepping down from this position to launch a new JSE-listed company. “Brian (Joffe) has informed the board that he will be launching a new listed JSE investment vehicle which will not focus on activities competitive with the current Bidcorp’s foodservice business,” Bidcorp said on Tuesday.

Source : https://goo.gl/eEhQy0

SAA Losses Climb Significantly

Losses of the already cash-strapped South African Airways (SAA) has rapidly increased to R4.5-billion, documents submitted to Parliament’s standing committee on Finance revealed. “This new figure of R4.5-billion is significantly higher than the R3.5-billion revealed ten days ago and the R1.7-billion estimated in September 2016.

Source : https://goo.gl/PW0Od7

Fake TV’s Recalled From Massmart Stores

Massmart has quarantined TVs which are being sold as Full HD (1080p), but have HD Ready panels (720p) in them and has initiated a product recall for the units. The recall follows an investigation by MyBroadband and ISACA member Abu-Huraira Oman Abdalla, which showed that a “Full HD” 32-inch Telefunken TV sold at Game stores sported an HD Ready panel.

Source : https://goo.gl/jPHbmL

Indicators : Oil 50.99 – Rand/USD 12.87 – Rand/GBP 16.24 – Rand/EUR 14.03

 

 

Acting Eskom CEO’s Daughter Gets Eskom Tenders

The stepdaughter of Eskom boss Mantshela Koko has raked in contracts worth about a R1-billion for her company from the state utility. The appointment of Koketso Choma, 26,  as a director at Impulse International last April was followed by the company netting eight lucrative contracts at Eskom over 11 months. The work, valued at  R1-billion, all came from a division of Eskom that Koko headed up until he was appointed acting CEO in December.

Source : https://goo.gl/XwLLFS

Old Mutual Close To Separation 

Old Mutual has taken another step in dismantling its business structure with the sale of its 25% stake in Old Mutual Asset Management (OMAM) worth $446m (R5.5bn) to HNA Capital US. Old Mutual, which has £395bn under management, said the transaction will reduce its shareholding from 50.8% to 25.9%

Source : https://goo.gl/kXLAEY

Rand Continues Winning Run

The rand continued its winning ways on Monday morning as it powered through the R12.35/$ level for the first time since July 2015. The latest bout of the rand strength has been partly traced to a weaker dollar, which is reeling from the expectation that the Federal Reserve will increase US rates gradually this year.

Source : https://goo.gl/7qSTcq

Ford Facing Lawsuits From Insurance Companies

Auto & General and Dialdirect, both part of insurance giant Telesure, have dealt with two and one fire-related EcoSport claims respectively, from May and July last year, and the third last month. They said Ford South Africa was informed of each incident.

Source : https://goo.gl/uW8EiS

Pipe Manufacturers Found Guilty of Collusion

The Competition Tribunal has found Dawn Consolidated Holdings (DCH), through its subsidiary DPI Plastics, and Sangio Pipes guilty of colluding to divide markets in South Africa between 2007 and 2012. The tribunal found that a shareholders’ agreement between DCH and Sangio, in which DCH held a 49% interest at the time, had the effect of dividing the market for the manufacture of regular HDPE pipes, in contravention of the Competition Act.

Source : https://goo.gl/DEeI2P

Indicators : Oil 50.80 – Rand/USD 12.36 – Rand/GBP 15.49 – Rand/EUR 13.42

Namibia Demands Germany Reparations

Namibia is to launch a $30 billion lawsuit against Germany over genocide committed during colonial rule, when tens of thousands of people were killed. The Namibian government has previously avoided demanding financial compensation, but it changed its stance as two indigenous groups filed a class-action suit in New York against Germany. Over 65,000 people are believed to have been killed when colonial Germany massacred Namibian tribes such as the Herero and Nama between 1904 and 1908. Namibian Vice President Nickey Iyambo issued a statement on Friday saying it had sent a report to Germany last year on the genocide, an official apology and reparations.

Source : https://goo.gl/VLC1Cx

Lambo Picture Gets ORT Suspect Caught

The suspected kingpin behind the audacious OR Tambo International Airport cash heist has been arrested after posting pictures of himself with a new R5-million Lamborghini on social media. The suspect, was arrested Sunday at his luxury Blue Valley Estate home in Centurion near Pretoria just hours after he posted pictures of himself and friends on social media with his new wheels.

Source : https://goo.gl/BDAstH.

Public Protector To Investigate Ministers Ties To CPS

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is to investigate the relationship between Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), the company that administers the payment of social grants. In 2015, Sassa had assured the court it would take over the payment of grants from April 1 2017, but it came to light earlier this year that the agency would be unable to do this and had to extend the CPS contract. The Constitutional Court judgment was scathing of Dlamini’s conduct, saying the ultimate responsibility for the “crisis” lay with her.

Source : https://goo.gl/5dcZ6Y

Home Affairs To Deport Zimbabweans On Special Permits

Home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba is expected to announce changes to the country’s position on Zimbabwe special permits (ZSPs) before the end of the month – with all indications that there is no room for extension. The ZSP was first introduced in October 2014, as a three year permit that would allow Zimbabwean nationals living in the country to legally work, own a businesses and study in South Africa, despite not carrying a valid visa. 

Source : https://goo.gl/Pf77yp

Eskom Signs R6 Billion Deal With French Agency

Eskom has signed a R6-billion multi-tranche framework agreement with the French Agency for Development (AFD).“This multi-tranche loan facility will contribute towards Eskom plans to strengthen and refurbish the transmission infrastructure while diversifying our funding structures,” said Eskom CFO Anoj Singh. AFD’s funding will focus on transmission lines and substations that support grid strengthening in areas where the development of future renewable-energy sources is envisaged, as well as supporting the facilitation of cross-border transmission projects.

Source : https://goo.gl/dAUdCi

Indicators : Oil 51.53 – Rand/USD 12.66 – Rand/GBP 15.68 –Rand/EUR 13.63

Helen Zille Defends Colonialism

Former DA leader and current premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, has caused  uproar on social media after tweeting her views on colonialism. In a series of tweets on Thursday, Zille said that people claimed that the legacy of colonialism was only negative, but insisted that there were positive effects as well. Specifically, the premier said that, thanks to colonialism, South Africa benefited from an independent judiciary, transport infrastructure and other modern social features.

Source : https://goo.gl/KZow9r

ADT and Fidelity Merger

Fidelity Security and US-based Tyco have concluded a R2 billion merger deal which will see the latter’s ADT security business become part of the South African Fidelity group. The new entity will be known as Fidelity ADT, and will be 100% South African and a 54.62% black-owned company. It will become one of the largest private security providers in the country. The new group now boasts 168 points of presence across Southern Africa, supports around 57,000 employees, and manages a fleet of 4,574 vehicles, absorbing ADT’s 365,000 residential, small-to-medium sized enterprises and larger commercial customers.

Source : https://goo.gl/rYqmEp

Mercedes To Build AMG Models In East London

Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) will begin building AMG derivatives at its East London plant from the second half of 2017. Models to be built at the East London plant will include the C43, C63 and C63 S sedan. They will be produced on the same production lines as the C-Class. But to maintain the hand-built nature of the engines, they will be assembled at the AMG plant in Affalterbach, Germany, and be shipped to SA.

Source : https://goo.gl/h94AUz

7000 Prasa Employees Threaten Strike

More than seven thousands workers at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) may down tools in two weeks following the deadlock over wage negotiation with their employer. Workers affiliated to South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and United National Transport Union (Untu) were vehemently opposed to the proposed 4.5 percent wage increment by their employer.

 

Source : https://goo.gl/DYQOkT

Trump Travel Ban Blocked By Judge

A federal judge in Hawaii issued a nationwide order Wednesday evening blocking President Trump’s ban on travel from parts of the Muslim world, dealing a stinging blow to the White House and signaling that Mr. Trump will have to account in court for his heated rhetoric about Islam. The ruling was the second major setback for Mr. Trump in his pursuit of a policy he has trumpeted as critical for national security. His first attempt to sharply limit travel from a handful of predominantly Muslim countries ended in a courtroom fiasco last month, when a federal court in Seattle blocked it.

Source : https://goo.gl/URFMoJ

Ikea India Gives Employees 6 Months Paid Parental Leave

Ikea India has announced that all its employees in India — women and men — will be entitled to 26 weeks of paid parental leave on the birth of a child. The policy will also apply to employees who have children through surrogacy or adoption. And mothers will be able to work half days for 16 weeks on their return. Workers in Ikea’s home country of Sweden still have it better — companies there are required to offer up to 16 months of paid parental leave, of which three months are reserved for fathers.

Source : https://goo.gl/yM8kpC

Indicators : Oil 52.38 – Rand/USD 12.73 – Rand/GBP 15.57 – Rand/EUR 13.64

 

Bathabile Dlamini Goes To Court

A hive of activity is expected when Dlamini gives answers to questions in relation to the ongoing social grants issue. On Monday, Dlamini and the South African Social Security Agency missed the 4pm deadline to answer the ConCourt’s questions in relation to the controversial contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS). The appearance will be televised live on ENCA from 10am and you can stream it here : https://goo.gl/8ZeAcy

Source : https://goo.gl/WPJPv7

CPS Threatens Govt With Ultimatum

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has until Wednesday afternoon to sign a new contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) or risk defaulting on social grants on April 1, according to CPS CEO Serge Belamant. Belamant dropped the bombshell in an affidavit to the Constitutional Court, answering the South African Post Office’s application to be admitted as a friend of the court. Basically holding the country to ransom.

Source : https://goo.gl/LEzjP1

Cell C Posts First Ever Full Year Profit 

Cell C says it has swung into the black, reporting a surprise full-year profit of R540m after 16 years, the first since its start-up in 2001. The company increased earnings before interest and tax by R1.26bn in 2016 compared with 2015 and revenue for the 2016 financial year grew to R14.6bn from R13.2bn. Cell C has 15.3-million subscribers, up 20%.

Source : https://goo.gl/zmoxmt

Kusile Reaches Full Capacity

Eskom on Tuesday said that Kusile power station’s Unit 1 had reached its full 800 MW load-generating capacity last week after the initial synchronisation on December 26.
Kusile Unit 1, which is in the final stages of the combustion optimisation phase, is now one step closer to commercial operation.

Source : https://goo.gl/mOq6Xr

Somali Pirates Hijack First Ship Since 2012

Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker with eight Sri Lankan crew onboard, a Somali official said on Tuesday, the first time they have successfully taken a commercial ship since 2012. The ship reported it was being followed by two skiffs yesterday afternoon. Then it disappeared.

Source : https://goo.gl/0aO3Lo

Apple Found Guilty Of Price Fixing In Russia

Apple has been found guilty of fixing the price of iPhones in Russia for several years.Russia’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Antimonopoly Service, said today that Apple’s local subsidiary coordinated the price at which businesses were allowed to sell its phones. If sellers tried to discount an iPhone, Apple would email them and ask for it to be changed; failing to do so could have led to their contract being terminated. Apple is said to have done this for the last several years of phones, from the iPhone 5 through the iPhone 6S.

Source : https://goo.gl/v9M6cp

Canadian Marijuana Company To List On Stock Exchange

Canopy Growth, a marijuana-growing company based in Ontario, is being added to the S&P/TSX composite index. The company will be added to the index’s healthcare sector and start trading on March 20. Shares were down 0.72%, at 11.05 Canadian dollars, on Tuesday afternoon. Canopy is the largest legal grower of medical marijuana in the world, and has been hailed as the marijuana industry’s first unicorn — it blew past a $2 billion valuation in November, though its total valuation has slipped since then.

Source : https://goo.gl/KfIjG4

 

Zuma’s Lawyer In Sassa Grants Saga

it emerged in the Sunday papers that President Jacob Zuma’s special adviser played a key role in ensuring that Cash Paymaster Services would keep the lucrative contract to deliver more than 17 million social grants to recipients. Michael Hulley’s intervention coincided with Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini flatly rejecting any payment option that did not involve CPS, raising questions about why the minister was so intent on retaining the company.

Source : https://goo.gl/3FPu8Z

ANC Contradicts Zuma On Land Reform Method

The ANC says the state should pay fair compensation for land it acquires for distribution to the country’s black majority, contradicting a suggestion by President Jacob Zuma that the constitution should be changed to allow for free expropriation. The party said it needs to focus more intently on the “radical economic and social transformation of our country” to ensure its wealth is more evenly distributed and that it must act urgently to restore its moral character to win back public trust.

Source : https://goo.gl/VJpMbg

Popo Molefe And Prasa Board Take Minister To Court

Members of the former board of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) are lodging an urgent application in the High Court on Monday to reverse their removal by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters and to interdict her from appointing a new board.

Source : https://goo.gl/0HHTv0

Unions Join Up To Protest Eskom Power Station Closures

Rival unions are reaching out to each other to unite against Eskom’s decision to close five coal power stations within five years. National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim said he wants to engage with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on this issue. Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe told Fin24 last week that at least two units of Komati power station have already been shut down to create space for the renewable energy projects.

Source : https://goo.gl/YxJgS1

Bitcoin Price Plunges After SEC Decision

The price of bitcoin plunged from record highs Friday after the Securities and Exchange Commission denied a request for the first bitcoin exchange-traded fund, which could have prompted greater investment in the digital currency.

Source : https://goo.gl/GmuZXo

Elon Musk Offers To Fix Australia Energy Crisis

Elon Musk has promised to solve an energy crisis in Australia within 100 days, or provide the technology for free. Musk was responding to a challenge from billionaire entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, who wanted to know whether the company was serious in claiming that it could end blackouts in South Australia quickly. Tesla has offered to provide 100 megawatt hours of battery storage at a total cost of $25 million which should supplement the current grid and prevent cuts.

Source : https://goo.gl/NRUcXJ

Indicators : Oil 51.42 – Rand/USD 13.12 – Rand/GBP 16.00 – Rand/EUR 14.00

Prasa Board Dissolved

On Wednesday, in a dramatic turn of events, Parliament’s portfolio committee on transport called for an investigation into the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s (Prasa) board, following a marathon meeting which exposed infighting at the helm of the troubled agency. This came after Transport Minister Dipuo Peters told the committee, through the department’s acting director-general Mathabatha Mokonyama, that the Prasa board would be dissolved.

Source : https://goo.gl/aj8mNI

ConCourt Orders Social Development Minister To Appear Before Court

South Africa’s top court ordered the government and the nation’s welfare agency to explain how a crisis that’s threatening welfare-grant payments to more than 17 million people came about and what’s been done to fix the problem. In papers filed Wednesday, the court asked who at the welfare agency decided it was incapable of paying out the monthly stipends itself, when the decision was taken and why the court wasn’t notified. It also asked whether the state agency has concluded a new disbursement contract with Net1’s Cash Paymaster Services unit and, if so, to provide it with all details.

Source : https://goo.gl/H06yr1

Whatsapp Plans To Allow Businesses To Chat To Consumers Directly

WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging service used by more than 1 billion people worldwide, is testing a system that would let businesses talk directly to WhatsApp users for the first time, according to communications about the project seen by Reuters. One potential revenue source is to charge businesses that want to contact customers on WhatsApp. But the company is working carefully to avoid problems with spam messages, the documents show.

Source : https://goo.gl/hRdCtR

Allan Grey Defends Net 1 Investment

Allan Gray has defended its decision to invest in Net1 UEPs, the controversial parent company of social grants distributor Cash Paymaster Services (CPS). Allan Gray, which had assets under management totalling R461.7bn at June 2016, holds a 15.6% stake in the company on behalf of investors.

Source : https://goo.gl/7SZpmE

Indicators : Oil 53.40 – Rand/USD 13.21 – Rand/GBP 16.01 – Rand/EUR 13.90

R24 Million Cash Heist At O.R Tambo

Police are investigating after R24 million in cash was stolen from a plane at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday evening. After the SAA flight landed, people in a marked police vehicle intercepted the money. A white Mercedes-Benz is believed to have been used in the operation. Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said a high-level investigation, involving all law enforcement agencies, was underway. He declined to divulge further information.

Source : https://goo.gl/yHe4NS

MTN Announces New CEO

MTN has announced that Godfrey Motsa is the new CEO of MTN SA and he will start at MTN on 13 March. The announcement follows the news that current MTN SA CEO Mteto Nyati is leaving the company to join Altron. Motsa is currently VP of the SEA region at MTN Group.

Source : https://goo.gl/JKAf9z

Gauteng Budget Released

Infrastructure and Education take up the biggest slice in the Gauteng R108-billion provincial budget for 2017/18, which this year included the addition of R10-billion to departmental baselines.Finance MEC Barbara Creecy said R44.4-billion had been set aside for infrastructure spend over the 2017 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.

Source : https://goo.gl/rDhzKC

Racing Pigeon Bought For R5 Million

Two South African pigeon farmers paid a record R5 million to buy a racing pigeon in Belgium. The Belgian pigeon, called “Golden Prince” was put up for auction by conservation group Pipa, and with a closing bid of €360,000 (R4.94 million), has now become the most expensive pigeon ever sold, replacing the former record holder “Bolt”, which sold for €310,000 (R4.25 million) in 2010.

Source : https://goo.gl/SVKWA8

Wikileaks Publishes Biggest Ever Leak Of CIA Documents

The thousands of leaked documents focus mainly on techniques for hacking and reveal how the CIA cooperated with British intelligence to engineer a way to compromise smart televisions and turn them into improvised surveillance devices. The revelations in the documents include : CIA hackers targeted smartphones and computers and the Center for Cyber Intelligence, based at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, has a second covert base in the US consulate in Frankfurt which covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Source : https://goo.gl/XENhWD

Trump Releases Details Of Plan To Replace Obamacare – It Sucks

After months of wait for an official Republican plan to replace Obamacare, the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees unleashed legislation dubbed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) late Monday that would nix the existing health law’s unpopular mandate to buy insurance and pare back its far more popular expansion of Medicaid for the working poor, among other provisions. Health experts have said “It will be the biggest transfer of wealth from low- and middle-income people to wealthy people in our country. Show us the numbers as to how many people will be thrown off. It couldn’t be worse.”

Source : https://goo.gl/q4zKwd

Indicators : Oil 55.63 – Rand/USD 12.97 – Rand/GBP 15.78 – Rand/EUR 13.69

E-Toll Fees Quietly Increased By 6%

Sanral has announced increases for Gauteng e-toll gantries and other national toll roads in South Africa, which take effect as of 3 March. Some Sanral users – not all – received notification of the increases via e-mail on Friday (3 march), the day of the adjustments. The new tariff prices also do not provide any historical data of the prices, and their increases over a period of time. Sanral’s only justification was that the adjustments were published in the Government Gazette on 16 February. The e-toll tariff hikes are around 6% across the board, in line with inflation.

Source : https://goo.gl/iGrOM6

SAA Internal Investigations Have Cost Over R21m In 4 Years

Between the period 2013 and 2016 SAA have spent more than R21m on forensic and internal investigations, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said in a parliamentary response. The investigations are among other things into the irregular awarding of tenders, the leasing back of aircrafts, procurement transactions and allegations by whistle-blowers.

Source : https://goo.gl/ZmBMhE

Ascendis Buys Cipla Units For R375 Million

Ascendis is buying Cipla Agrimed and Cipla Vet for R375 million as it sees the deal as an “excellent strategic fit” for its Phyto-Vet division. Ascendis says its strategy is to create a synergistic group of health product brands that cover the value chain from imports of raw materials, manufacturing and distribution to consumers via retail and direct selling channels, spanning across human, plant and animal health.

Source : https://goo.gl/pioeby

Record Number Of Americans Forfeiting Their Citizenship

As the White House engages in a fierce fight to restrict travel into the U.S. by citizens of some Muslim-majority countries, a record number of Americans are voluntarily renouncing their citizenship. Last year, 5,411 people “expatriated” by renouncing their U.S. citizenship or terminating long-term residency in the U.S. This marks a 26 percent jump from the record set in 2015, when 4,279 individuals expatriated.

Source : https://goo.gl/a2nFm2

Ford Recalls More Kuga’s Over Brake Issue

Ford South Africa has issued new warning letters to owners of its 2.0-litre diesel-powered Kuga SUVs for to resolve a potential “brake problem”. The brake issue is said to affect 848 Kuga models, manufactured in Spain, built from 2014 to 2015, said Ford in an official statement.

Source : https://goo.gl/EHVccg

Cybercrime Could Cost The World R78 Trillion In 4 Years

The cybercrimes industry is expected cost business up to $6trn (R78trn) by 2021. The statistic was mentioned by Paolo Passeri, Cisco’s consulting systems engineer for cloud security, at the Cisco Connect South Africa conference currently being held in Sun City. He mentioned a recent case where a smart TV, powered by the Android operating system, was taken hostage by cybercriminals.

Source : https://goo.gl/mKAp5m

Indicators : Oil 55.86 – Rand/USD 12.98 – Rand/GBP 15.83 – Rand/EUR 13.73

 

SASSA And CPS Agree 2 Year Deal

Net1 UEPS subsidiary Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) agreed to the terms of a new two-year contract, but these terms have to be agreed to by National Treasury, a report reveals. There were no details of exactly how much this new deal will cost but CPS claim that the amount is below the reported R25. The major stumbling block is that treasury has already said they wont sign off on an illegal deal so i dont understand how Bathabile Dlamini can claim that grants will definitely be paid when treasury refuses to comply.

Source : https://goo.gl/SvMpwj

Mercedes Recalls Cars Catching Fire

Daimler AG said it is recalling 1 million new-model Mercedes-Benz vehicles worldwide due to the risk of fire. Of the 1 million vehicles, 307,629 are in the United States. Of the 51 fires, 30 were reported in the US, said Mercedes-Benz. The report did not state which models are affected.

Source : https://goo.gl/vuYj47

Department Of Public Works To Discipline Officials Over Nkandla

The Department of Public Works has finally started to discipline officials implicated in the Nkandla scandal. The Special Investigating Unit reportedly recommended that 15 civil cases be opened, 44 criminal cases be opened, and 64 disciplinary processes be pursued against officials. 92 cases are pending or outstanding and 31 other cases have been finalised

Source : https://goo.gl/4QhQx6

New Welfare System For SA By 2019

South Africa plans to bring in a new welfare-payments system over the next two years and hasn’t yet signed a new interim contract with Net 1 UEPS Technologies, the government said. Cash Paymaster Services, a unit of Net 1, will continue making payments while new social-grants arrangements are implemented, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini told reporters in Pretoria on Sunday.

Source : https://goo.gl/xu7bWm

Ford Working On 3D Printed Car Parts

Ford is using the Infinite Build system provided by Stratasys to test 3D printing in the vehicle manufacturing process. Advantages of 3D printing include cost-effective production and lighter components, as 3D printed car parts will weigh less than their cast metal counterparts. The technology is not fast enough for high-volume manufacturing yet, but is more cost-efficient for low-volume production.

Source : https://goo.gl/7ySnRO

Bitcoin Worth More Than Gold

Bitcoin’s price equaled that of an ounce of gold on Friday, trading at $1,238 per bitcoin. Gold’s price per ounce was $1,237. The move follows a break to new all-time highs for the price of bitcoin, which began the year by crossing the $1,000 mark.

Source : https://goo.gl/4uuZlg

Indicators : Oil 55.76 – Rand/USD 13.03 – Rand/GBP 15.97 – Rand/EUR 13.81