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I am the SABC's main anchor and producer for JSE related coverage. I have over ten years experience as a financial journalist, in SA and the UK, and I am also qualified as a CSAP (Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner), a professional qualification recognised by the Global Reporting Innitiative, developed by AcountAbility (global leader in sustainability practice) and the International Register of Certified Auditors. It qualifies me to provide sustainability assurance, consultancy and sustainability report writing services.

In my opinion,every journalist should do a course on sustainability, as it provides knowledge that can open up a whole new way of looking at the world.

Despite, obtaining a degree in journalism and international relations, I've had to teach myself through work experience, just about everything there is to know about being a business reporter. As sustainabile development is now an irrevocable, essential business subject, I have combined business reporting experience with the knowledge obtained from the CSAP, to provide training courses for junior journalists, that look at both traditional business news coverage and the new dynamic offered by the sustainable development imperative. As I am still a student of international relations (i.e. I make sure to stay abreast of matters), the courses will naturally also stress the international geo-political influences that business has to contend with.

Below is an outline of the material that the courses cover:

Course1: Reading financial statements and discerning company value -
covers the basics of annual financial reporting and also looks at
financial ratios that are used for share value analysis. It also looks
at some other 'quirky' ratios e.g. stock clearance ratio, or
staff/turnover ratio etc, which can be useful in bringing the so what
element to life.

Course2: Reporting the markets - (might require two days depending on
your needs). This looks at the following:
Market sentiment and the "psychology" of stock markets
Multinationals listed on the JSE: tracking global events that could
impact the share price
Bond markets and interest rates
JSE sector overview - Banks (what has shaped the industry in the last
five years, and what are the challenges going forward?)
JSE sector overview - Platinum
JSE sector overview - Gold
JSE sector overview - Platinum
JSE sector overview - Industrials
JSE sector overview - credit retailers
JSE sector overview - food retailers

Course3: Sustainability for investors, and what media should be aware
of. This looks at:
- What is Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility?
- The SA policy environment and the sustainability agenda
- Responsible Investing guidelines and codes in existence - GEPF; PIC;
JSE SRI; Global Standards and Best Practice
- The triple bottom line explained, and the storylines (shareholder
perspectives; omitted risks; insight into management thinking; charity
porn vs strategic CSR)
- The link between Value Investing and CSR (CSR is a long term value
investors' game)

Course4: Climate Change Policy and the JSE. This looks at the
following:
- Climate Change Policy Green Paper explained and the impact
on business, as well as a discussion of what might be become law
- Carbon Disclosure Project - to become a central policy instrument?
- Implications for those who do not report.
- South Africa's Energy Crisis: an elixir to meet our carbon reduction
targets? This covers the energy options for the private sector going
forward and how corporate innovation can stave off rising costs from
carbon taxes and electricity bills.