Star 2026-02-16

Personal Finance editor Dieketseng Maleke, Business Report editor Phillippa Larkin, and Independent Media editor-in-chief Adri Senekal joined in congratulating the winners of the 30th Raging Bull Awards at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Marking three decades of excellence, the awards have earned a reputation as the “Oscars” of the investment world, honouring South Africa’s top-performing funds and managers whose consistency and skill continue to shape the country’s asset management sector. Alexander Forbes Investments took centre stage as it claimed the coveted South African Manager of the Year award, the highest honour of the evening, recognising excellence across its suite of funds and rewarding resilience and performance in a highly competitive market. The accolade underscored the firm’s ability to navigate shifting economic conditions while maintaining investor confidence. Winners were determined…

After President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address classifying the foot and mouth disease as a National Disaster, a Government Gazette was issued on Friday declaring a National Disaster. The Red Meat Industry Services and the Foot and Mouth Disease Industry Coordinating Council (FMD ICC) have welcomed the announcement. Dr Elias Sithole said on Friday in his capacity as the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre that after having considered reports submitted on the foot and mouth disease outbreak in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, and the Western Cape provinces, and the impact and magnitude the outbreak has, or may have. “I hereby give notice that, in terms of section 23(1)(b) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002),…

Secured lender pledges to salvage the business and implement turnaround The Vision Group, the secured lender to Tongaat Hulett Limited (THL), has pledged to salvage the business by securing control over the assets that had been pledged as security and protecting the integrity of the company. In a statement, the group said the filing for provisional liquidation provides an opportunity to begin implementing its five-year turnaround plan, which focuses on operational stability and returning the sugar mills to sustainable profitability. The group, which is the lead secured lender with substantial exposure to THL, said the liquidation filing follows the failure of the Business Rescue process to effectively stabilise THL’s operations and maximise the turnaround. This has left liquidation as the necessary legal mechanism to allow secured creditors like Vision to…

The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) has declined to confirm or deny reports that cybercriminals demanded a R50 million ransom following a cybersecurity breach last month, saying it will not comment on alleged ransom demands while investigations are ongoing. This comes after the Land Bank reported a "temporary disruption affecting certain internal IT systems" that occured on 12 January, after which it took offline the affected systems as a precautionary measure to protect its operations and information. However, a source close to the situation has claimed that the bank’s IT systems were hacked and that the perpetrators allegedly demanded a R50m ransom. It remains unclear whether any ransom was paid. In an emailed response to BR on Friday, the bank confirmed it experienced a cybersecurity…

African leaders and development finance institutions have reaffirmed their commitment to turning water investment pledges into bankable projects, as the Africa Investment Programme (AIP) reported significant progress following last year’s landmark water summit in Cape Town. Speaking at a high-level continental gathering in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Sunday, Alex Simalwambi, CEO of the Global Water Partnership Organisation, outlined how the AIP was structured to move beyond declarations and deliver tangible infrastructure outcomes. “When the African Union conceptualised the summit, they were very clear — we do not want a talk show. We want concrete projects,” Simalwambi said. The Cape Town summit, hosted under the auspices of the AU, featured 80 investment-ready…

Mustek, the South African technology group, has predicted a whopping 250% to 270% increase in headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the half year to December 31, 2025. The group share price closed 4.45% higher on the JSE Friday to R15.25, a strong gain considering the JSE's Software & Computer Services Index was lower by 1.67% on the day. A year ago, Mustek's share price traded at R14.50. The group that assembles, distributes, and services ICT products and solutions said in a trading statement Friday that HEPS is expected to be between 82.13 cents and 86.83 cents compared with 23.47 cents at the same time last year. Basic earnings per share is expected to be between 255% and 275% higher than reported in the comparative period, at between 81.69 cents…