Bonds Firmer As Rand Gains on Expected Zuma Departure

South African bonds were firmer at midday on Wednesday after the ANC sent the strongest signal yet that President Jacob Zuma is about to resign. The rand firmed through R12 to the dollar, benefiting local bond yields.

At 11.31am the R186 was bid at 8.405 percent from 8.470 percent and the R207 at 6.970 percent from 7.050 percent. READ MORE

The International Air Transport Association urges governments to address infrastructure challenges

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged governments to urgently address the infrastructure challenges airlines face to secure the industry’s future. Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general, and CEO said there are worrying infrastructure gaps, which are increasing operational costs and, thus affecting the profitability of the sector. READ MORE.

Elon Musk wants a new space race, he says new SpaceX rocket can launch payloads as far as Pluto

Falcon Heavy became the most powerful commercial rocket in the world on Tuesday, 6^th February. After the rockets, inaugural launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he wants a new space race. Two of the three Falcon Heavy boosters landed successfully but the third hit the ocean at about 200 miles per hour. READ MORE

Stock markets in Europe rise despite Asia rally losing steam

European stock markets recovered ground on Wednesday as a rally in Asia ran out of steam after three days of frantic trading. London’s FTSE 100 opened up 0.7% while in Paris and Frankfurt markets were 0.5% higher. Earlier, a rally for Asian stocks faltered with some markets slipping into negative territory despite a strong lead from Wall Street. READ MORE

Black business will soon own half of SA’s vehicle aftermarket franchises

Black business is taking an increasingly firm grip on the automotive aftermarket, and will soon account for 50% of all franchise owners, franchising analyst Benedetta Gordon said.

This is in stark contrast to the vehicle and components manufacturing industry, where companies are struggling to increase black participation. READ MORE

Compiled by Maureen Nyarinda