After much hype and talk that South Africa is the preferred site for the Square Kilometre Array - and incidentally one of the largest investments in this country - it seems the project
might end up
being 'shared' between SA and Australia. This is despite even more talk from both sides that 'sharing' is not an option - so that comes about, the investment might not be as large as we had hoped, had we won the bid outright. Which is not to say we won't... or will... we just have to await the final decision, fingers crossed.
On the mobile front there are now claims that
Turkcell tried to extort US$4.2bn from MTN... It seems things get murkier by the minute.
How should SA business spend their money? Paddy Hartdegen takes issue with Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, who apparently had some thoughts on the subject. Hartdegen points out that rather than trying to tell SA business what to do with their cash, Gigaba should rather start telling his fellows in government to
stop sending out mixed signals. It makes business nervous, you see.
Oh kyk! 'Da Boss' is in town... For you food fanatics who sit glued to the magic box as Buddy Valastro and his team create (with some histrionics, to add flavour) yet another masterpiece for little Hank's party, or whatever, here's your chance to see the man in 'da flesh', so to speak. Why? How can this be? Because da
'Cake Boss' is due to bake up a storm in Cape Town.
Lastly, something for you petrol-heads out there - particularly those with around R1.4m in loose change aching to be spent... Our motoring editor, Henrie 'Schumacher' Geyser waxes lyrical on the 2012
Nissan GT-R, which seems to have made him weak at the knees - apparently quite a common reaction on the part of those of us who get all emotional when we spy a vision in metal (marred only by the e-tag, unfortunately).
Rod Baker, content director
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With global assets under management having reached an all-time high of over US$2 trillion, and with 2011 producing the highest number of new fund launches since 2007, it seems that hedge funds are back in favour having proven their ability to deliver competitive returns at significantly less risk than with full exposure to equities. 
The 1st Quarter 2012 FNB Estate Agent Survey, completed in the month of February, came out with a mildly more positive view of the domestic residential property market. The improvement was witnessed both in terms of improved demand in the quarter, as well as some improvement in the balance between demand and supply, or otherwise put an improvement in "pricing realism". 
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has announced that it will issue revised terms and conditions for road users who register for Gauteng's e-tolling system. 
A United States union paid legal fees for a local union to fight US retail giant Wal-Mart's acquisition of local retailer Massmart, according to a report on Wednesday. 
Road users who have registered for e-tolls would not have to do so again, the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) said on Thursday. 
Government has assured South Africans that it is intent on ensuring that the Commission of Inquiry into the Strategic Defence Procurement Package, also known as the arms deal, delivers on its mandate in a transparent manner. 
President Jacob Zuma has likened Africa's growth pace to that of Asia, saying the continent is fast making good progress economically and is on its way to achieving economic growth and improving the quality of life of Africans. 
Economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz has been appointed as the government's expert on the Wal-Mart study, the economic development department said on Tuesday. 
