Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Business Pointers >> December 2001 / January 2002
• Car strike costly: The recent strike at seven car manufacturers cost workers R5 million a day in wages, while the economy lost R1 billion of turnover per week. The Receiver missed VAT of R14 million a week and income tax of up to R1 million per day.
• SA vigs syfers: Die getal Suid-Afrikaners wat tans met die HIV-virus besmet is, is volgens die Departement van Gesondheid, 4,7 miljoen (11,6% van die bevolking) met 1 700 nuwe infeksies daagliks. Gemeet aan die ante-natale voorkomsyfer, is die getal geaffekteerde mense in Suid-Afrika 24,5% van die bevolking. Dit is ook deur die Internasionale Monetêre Fonds se World Economic Outlook Report van September 2000 bevestig.
• Census 2001 valuable to business: Census 2001 should not only provide work for about 100 000 people but also ensure that valuable marketing is done and other information gathered to help SA businesses. A total of R623 million is budgeted for this year's exercise - 45% up on the 1996 figure.
• Eastern Cape strong in manufacturing: Manufacturing is by far the Eastern Cape's largest generator of income at about 60% of the total. Automotive components dominate the sector but other industries in textiles, pharmaceuticals, paper and cardboard products, fiberglass, bath and cosmetic products, steel wire, storage systems and ceramics, follow suit. Textiles account for 6,7% of manufactured goods in the region and 10,3% of SA's textile and clothing output. Nearly all of the country's wool buyers, processors and exporters are in the Eastern Cape. Mohair SA says that about 80% of SA's mohair production comes from the Eastern Cape.
• Noordwes kosmandjie: Dat Noordwes 'n sleutelbydrae tot die SA kosmandjie maak, blyk uit die volgende statistiek: Uit die aangeplante hektare van grondbone in SA, lewer Noordwes bykans 56%. Met sonneblom is die bydrae meer as 52% en met witmielies bykans 41%. In tonnemaat beskou is die persentasie grondbone uit Noordwes 44%, die sonneblom 49% en witmielies 35%.
• Reuse-inspuiting vir Wes-Kaap toerisme: Beleggings van sowat R1 miljard in die Wes-Kaapse toerismebedryf word tans deur Arabella Country Estate wat deel is van die Schörghuber-groep met sy hoofkantoor in München, Duitsland, in die Wes-Kaap gedoen. Die eerste is die amptelike opening van die Western Cape Hotel & Spa op die Arabellu-gholflandgoed aan die strandmeer tussen Kleinmond en Hawston, terwyl die tweede die ondertekening van die kontrak is vir die bou van die Arabellu-Sheraton Grand Hotel by die Kaapstadse internasionale konferensie-sentrum in die middestad. Dit verteenwoordig 'n belegging van sowat R400 miljoen.
• SA's international rankings: In a report by the Economic Freedom of the World SA climbed from 63rd in 1999 to 46th out of 123 countries in 2001. The report places only one country in the African region, Mauritius, is a better position than SA because of, among other things, its low crime rate and fewer obstacles to trade. Meanwhile the UN Development Index ranks South Africa 94th out of 162 countries on the international measure of quality of life. SA's figure of 0.702 is it's lowest since 1985. Without the effect of Aids on life expectancy, the country could have maintained its solid improvement from 1990 to 1995. The UN report says SA's population growth rate of 2,1% per year for 1975 - 1999 will fall to only 0,3% in the period to 2015.
• World rankings: The world's population could stabilize at 9 billion by 2070 and then turn around, according to British research. But earlier UN research found that there would be 10,8 billion people on earth by 2150, with the total stabilizing in 2200 at 11 billion. Meanwhile the ILO reports that a third of the world's 3 billion workers are out of work, do not have enough work or earn too little to provide for their families properly. The ILO confirms that self-employment growth is outpacing formal sector job growth - about 12% of workers worldwide are now self-employed.
• Cellphone boom: According to Australian Paul Buddle Communications, cellphones now make up 37% of telephones worldwide - and the figure could reach 30% in five years, from only 2% in 1991. Some 250 000 people are joining networks daily and subscribers could exceed the 1 billion mark this month.
• Munisipale skuld: Uit syfers deur die Minister van Provinsiale & Plaaslike Regering, mnr. Sydney Mufamadi, in die Parlerment verstrek, blyk dit dat meer as die helfte van die land se munisipaliteite altesaam R11,7 miljard uitstaande geld vir dienste en heffings teen Desember 2000 by sake-instellings en huishoudings gehad het. Die meeste hiervan is oninvorderbaar en sal derhalwe teen betalers as slegte skuld afgeskryf moet word. Dit beteken dat elke Suid-Afrikaner sal gemiddeld meer as R288 moet opdok om die land se agterstallige munisipale skuld weens wanbetaling te kan afskryf.
• SA emigration: A total of 233 609 people, including 41 000 professionals, left SA in the 10 years to 1997 to settle in Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, reports the Institute for Development Research in Paris. SA's official emigration figure is lower. Since 1997, emigration has cost SA about R68 billion in human capital, estimates the International Organisation for Migration in Geneva. However, other reliable calculations have it that there are currently some 1,5 million South Africans living permanently abroad.
• SA kruideniers aanlyn: Drie groot Suid-Afrikaanse kruideniersklein-handelaars - Woolworths, Pick 'n Pay en Spar - beplan mededinging in die kuberruimte. Internasionaal is die verkoop van kruideniersware deur die Internet egter een van die minder suksesvolle bedrywighede en vaar selfs swakker as die verkoop van boeke en die aflaai van rekenaarsagteware. Daarby word die SA Internetbevolking wat potensiëel van aanlynkruideniers-dienste gebruik sal maak, op minder as 500 000 uit 'n Internetbevolking van 2 miljoen geskat. Woolworths en Wooltru se gesamentlike onderneming inthebag, hoop om teen Junie 2003 winsgewend te wees; Pick 'n Pay hoop om sy Internet-afleweringspunte spoedig tot 15 uit te brei; terwyl Spar wat reeds al die kruideniersware vir die webruimte Megashopper.co.za sedert Oktober verlede jaar lewer, beoog om binnekort sy eie webruimte op dreef te hê.
• Formula for countering HIV/Aids: It is being reported that Goldfields, the world's second-largest gold producer, hopes to have no new cases of HIV among 50 000 workers by early 2002, as a result of the success of its Aids prevention programme. What the detail of the stated success formula is, is however, not known.
• Start-up costs: According to World Bank figures it costs 40 times more to start a business in SA than in the US and 25 times than in Canada - and it takes 30 days on average to register a new company, compared with seven days in the US and only two in Canada.
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