Tim Cohen

1 day ago | timcohen.co.za | Tim Cohen

If the Starlink debate has done anything, it has rekindled South Africa’s long-running, anguished and contested debate about Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and affirmative action. Confronted with either “equity equivalents” or equity-stake BEE, the South African government will effectively be choosing between implementing modern technology providing an increasingly vital service to rural people on the one hand -  or sticking to its BEE guns on the other.

3 days ago | currencynews.co.za | Tim Cohen

Egyptian debt issuer Afreximbank, a key lender to African governments, was downgraded by credit ratings agency Fitch this week to one notch above junk, raising questions about the sustainability of the debt burden on African governments. Countries across the continent are grappling with high debt levels, rising servicing costs, and constrained access to external financing. Yet economists say that overall, government debt levels are still improving after a decade of steep increases.

3 days ago | currencynews.co.za | Tim Cohen

Eye-popping growth by online sports gambling companies shows how the new form of wagering is taking Africa by storm, raising questions about administration, regulation and investment. Are they worth a punt? Or are they a regulatory risk? After years of gradual growth, the ground is moving at lightspeed under traditional gambling companies, and the new winners are the online betting companies that are beginning to dominate the field.

6 days ago | currencynews.co.za | Tim Cohen

The first and only conviction flowing from the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, involving SAA and airport services company Swissport, is in danger of sliding under the radar. Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage has called it a “disgrace” that the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate has taken no action following a US conviction last year.

1 week ago | currencynews.co.za | Tim Cohen

To find out how French wine producers are meeting challenges such as low general profitability in the SA industry and plunging wine consumption back home in France, Currency spoke to Naretha Ricome, vice-president of Advini South Africa. Advini is the local branch of the century-old French wine company that has investments all over its home country, and in one other place: South Africa. Turns out, it’s complicated.