COMESA Summit ends, new chair appointed

[Gregory Gondwe] The 15th COMESA (Common Market for East and Southern Africa) Summit of Heads of State and Governments came to an end on Saturday 15 October 2011 with the announcement of the newly appointed chairman of COMESA, Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika. Read more >>

Western Union provides tips on buying, selling on the internet

Western Union, a global payment services provider, is offering information and tips on common Internet scams. As important as it is to our everyday lives, the Internet can be used for all kinds of scams. Consumers should be particularly careful when using money transfer services to make purchases through Internet auction, marketplace and classified ad sites, such as eBay and Craigslist. Read more >>

Banks to dump Financial Sector Charter?

South African banks are likely to ditch the Financial Sector Charter and discussions over the charter are taking place through the Banking Association of South Africa according to a report in City Press. Read more >>

Standard Bank committed to Nigeria

Standard Bank has committed itself to investing in Nigeria after a week-long board meeting in Lagos, the financial capital of the country. According to the bank's international board of directors, it has given an unprecedented declaration of its commitment to investing in the country. Read more >>

Crackdown on illicit credit providers

In a joint two-day operation the South African Police Service, the National Credit Regulator (NCR), South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) have embarked on an operation aimed at clamping down on credit providers who are still employing illegal bullying tactics against vulnerable and unsuspecting consumers. Read more >>

BFS to post improved interim results

Battling micro-finance institution, Blue Financial Services (BFS), which operates in 12 African countries, expects to post improved interim results after a significant restructuring of its operations. Read more >>

Huge tax relief for retrenched

Those facing retrenchment or retirement can look forward to better tax breaks from this year, with retrenchment or retirement tax-free payments increasing from R30 000 in a lifetime to R315 000, effective from the 2012 tax year. Read more >>

EXCLUSIVE: New Brand Council of SA announces office bearers

The board of the new Brand Council of South Africa (BCSA) has elected HKLM's Sean McCoy as chairman, and Interbrand Sampson's Jeremy Sampson and Brand Leadership's Thebe Ikalafeng as joint vice chairs. The BCSA, incorporates the Brand Design Council (formerly known as THINK), was constituted after extensive debate around the need for a collective voice to represent, strengthen and advance the interests of the wider branding and design industry in SA, and it. Read more >>

Rolling Stone South Africa: the first in-depth interview

[Johann Smith] "Rolling Stone" - it was the writing on the wall found backstage at Rocking the Daisies. It was a hint, a secret, that the writer wanted musicians to know first, before anyone else. There is no way of saying it better: Rolling Stone magazine is coming to South Africa in November 2011. Johann Smith and Ruth Cooper of Bizcommunity.com's BizLounge speak to Miles Keylock, editor-in-chief of RS SA. Read more >>

South Africans are overweight - survey

South Africans weigh in as the third fattest nation on earth. A survey done in 2010 by Glaxo SmithKline has found that 61% of the South African population are overweight or morbidly obese. In addition to this survey, a study done by the Medical Research Council in 2007 found that 56% of adult women and 29% of adult men in South Africa were overweight or obese. Read more >>

Unions to picket at Wal-Mart/Massmart hearing

The Congress of SA Trade Unions' (Cosatu) and the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) on Monday announced their intention to embark on "mass pickets" at the Wal-Mart-Massmart appeal hearing in Cape Town set for Thursday and Friday, 21 - 22 October 2011. Read more >>