BOTTOMS UP
By David Furlonger
Investments by vehicle manufacturers are expected to grow 87% this year as the motor industry starts to emerge from one of the bleakest periods in its history. The improvement is somewhat artificial, given that in SA - as elsewhere ...

READERSHIP FALLS AWAY
By Matebello Motloung
Down, but not out - that's the state of SA's print industry. It has not escaped the recession unscathed. The Audit Bureau of Circulation's (ABC) October to December 2009 report shows weekend and weekly titles have been the hardest h...

KING SHAKA TAKES OFF
By Zohra Mohammed
It's not just another airport. The new King Shaka International Airport 35 km north of Durban's city centre boasts an impressive list of innovative firsts. Almost ready to welcome its first passengers, it has practised "dry runs" a...

LITTLE HOPE FOR NET#WORK
By David Furlonger
Could Verne Troyer - the 0,81 m actor who played Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies - really be the next big thing? Mike Schalit and Rob McLennan, of the Net#work BBDO advertising agency, believe so. Troyer, whose other films inclu...

SETTLING THE FOUNDATION
By Thebe Mabanga
Less than a year after its establishment, the Housing Development Agency is assisting government in solving one of the biggest stumbling blocks to housing delivery: the availability of suitable land. The agency was launched in March...

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SERIOUSLY
By Prakash Naidoo
A classic case of continuity and change is how a foreign policy expert describes President Jacob Zuma's approach to foreign relations. But, asks another expert, is it more a change of style over substance? Many are now examining Zum...

STATE PULLS FINANCE PLUG
By Larry Claasen
The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) will have to start fending for itself as government is no longer providing it with financial support, but it is confident it can stand on its own feet. The NEF was established in 1998 to provide f...

TALKING OVER THE FENCE
By Shannon Sherry
A potentially painful process began last week with the first provincial farm workers' summit, held in North West. The two-day meeting, and others to be held in all the provinces, will feed into a national meeting in May at which gov...

TOO MANY COACHES
By Carol Paton
Economic development minister Ebrahim Patel clearly got tired of waiting for President Jacob Zuma to provide clarity on the roles of his economic ministers and has drawn up his own mandate. In discussions among themselves, the econo...

A PENSIONABLE PLAN
By Carol Paton
The resurrection of a seven-year-old agreement between business, government and labour - that retirement funds would set aside 5% for developmental investments - has the industry buzzing. Its revival by economic development minister...