The aim of the Alberton Business Forum is to provide a communication framework where local business people can interact with each other, in order to:

• grow as individuals and
• grow their businesses; with added benefit of
• interacting on provincial and national level.

Tom Moodie, tans voorsitter van die Hoofstad Sakekamer in Pretoria en ekonoom van AHI-Nasionaal vir etlike jare, het onlangs ‘n boek die lig laat sien oor die gebeure rondom Saambou se ondergang. Tom was vir 20 jaar ekonoom by Saambou en het noue verbintenisse met die Saambou Hoofbestuur gehad om nou na 10 jaar, “die storie agter die storie” te kan vertel.

What is it?
It is a perfectly normal car in the most popular (R100000-200000) price category that drives like all other ordinary petrol cars. But it would also easily qualify for green initiatives, as it is greener than any other car currently on the market and in the years to come.

Christo van der Rheede, chief executive of the AHI, and Josef Neumeier, seconded representative of GIZ, visited Upington during January to facilitate a
three-day symposium on entrepreurship at school level.

There is no denying that, rightly or wrongly, in the opinion of some people the credibility of South Africa’s fiscal policy has been impaired. The most recent downgrading of South Africa by all three leading rating agencies is the most visible evidence thereof, but various analysts, including myself, have previously expressed the view that the National Treasury’s grip on government finance is slipping.

On inflation and interest rates.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) advanced 6.3 per cent in the year to January, before slowing to 6.1 per cent in February. Although the data is likely to be a choppy in the next few months, it does appear as though inflation is peaking and the next material shift in inflation is likely to be lower into next year. Indeed, headline CPI could dip below the upper end of the Reserve Bank’s inflation target range before the end of this year. Global maize and wheat prices have drifted lower over the past twelve months, the inflationary impact of the former Rand weakness should fade and the annual advance in petrol price inflation should also moderate into 2013.

As the Monetary Policy Committee has kept the repo rate unchanged at 5,5% for 16 months, interest in the Reserve Bank’s activities has waned. The realistic prospect of no change in the repo rate being expected before 2013 indicates that it might be some time before monetary policy could again be a hot topic of discussion.

Die plaaslike politieke toneel word tans en in die res van die jaar, oorheers deur die regerende party se vergaderings en konferensies.
Interessant dat daar reeds nou melding gemaak word van mededinging oor die presidentskap van die party – dis volgens my mening
bietjie vroeg om in hierdie wedstryd te kan oorleef!

Oorhoofs gesien, is groeikoerse en groeivooruitsigte in die VSA besig om geleidelik te verbeter, het daar meer rustigheid in die Euro-gebied ingetree maar is daar groter onsekerheid oor groeivooruitsigte in Sjina, Indiё en Japan. Inflasiekoerse bly laag. Wisselkoerse was die afgelope maand redelik stabiel met die jen wat effens verswak en die euro wat matig versterk het. Beurspryse in die VSA, en in die Euro gebied het die afgelope kwartaal en maand verder verbeter maar in die VK swakker vertoon.

Boodskap van Christo van de Rheede,
Uitvoerende Bestuurder van AHI.

Die wêreld staar vandag vele ekonomiese probleme in die gesig en Suid-Afrika is geen uitsondering nie. Hierdie probleme kan egter oorkom word, mits ons anders daaroor begin dink. Te dikwels probeer ons oplossings vanuit ons bestaande denkraamwerk vind en val dan vas in konflik. Ook lei ons onvermoë om ’n saak vanuit ’n ander perspektief te sien daartoe dat ons ook nie die geleenthede raaksien wat daarin opgesluit lê nie.