Agri SA says that the
choices on labour unrest will be decisive for South Africa. It says in a statement that it is evident that the wage and related challenges are not exclusively, but mainly that of seasonal workers who have to earn their annual income over a period of a few months.
On the education front, something really needs to be done to jack up our education system after the latest results show that
maths and science skills remain poor, with grade nine pupils recording a dismal average score of 12.7% in mathematics and 35% in first additional language in the Department of Basic Education's second annual national assessments of pupils' mathematics and literacy abilities.
Such results will have a massive impact on school-leavers' ability to find employment.
On the tourism front, Chris Moerdyk asks:
Is SA being priced out of the tourist market? As comments on the article seem to have it, the answer could be a big "Yes!" and remember, once tourists have been ripped off - or feel they have been ripped off - they will never come back, and they will tell everyone they know.
Finally, Amelia Jones reckons that the
proposed BEE amendments are nonsensical, immoral and counter-productive and will hamper social development efforts in the Western Cape and elsewhere.
Rod Baker: Content Director
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The government's strategy towards retirement reform poses some interesting contradictions. On the one hand the cost of advice is being targeted by government as being the main contributor to the high costs of savings for individuals through intermediary commission structures. 
South Africa's biggest short-term insurer‚ Santam‚ said on Wednesday (28 November) that despite the soft market conditions‚ the group had achieved satisfactory growth and underwriting profitability during the third quarter of the year. 
Wealth management group Liberty Holdings has seen a 16% increase in long-term insurance indexed new business (excluding premium escalations) to R4.8bn for the 10 months to October. 
Insurance policies on property usually include clauses which reduce the compensation for which they are responsible, if and when a force majeure takes place in the insured property's area. This is understandable because weather catastrophes like the recent Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast of the USA have the potential to bankrupt an insurance group, says Tony Clarke, managing director of the Rawson Property Group. 
FNB announced on Thursday (29 November) that Sizwe Nxedlana has been appointed First National Bank's (FNB) chief economist‚ taking over the role from Cees Bruggemans effective next week. 
South Africa's biggest listed mall owner, Hyprop Investments, is taking fellow retail-focused property fund Sycom to court in what could be a test case for the JSE on how it deals with corporate action by property unit trusts (PUTs). 
The prevailing low interest rate environment, which is at historically low levels following the reserve bank's July interest rate decision, has sparked renewed interest and activity in the commercial property market, especially through auctions. 
South Africa's tax system measures up well against those of other countries, but will need to reform further as other countries are catching up. 
A new record of 5.66m income tax returns have been submitted during this year's tax season‚ the South African Revenue Service (SARS) said on Tuesday (27 November), 16,4% higher than the previous year. 
