Category Archive: 3.) Investec

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Swiss chocolate consumption slides

2019-03-28

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2019-03-28

In 2018, Switzerland’s population consumed around 87,000 tonnes of chocolate. However, average chocolate consumption dropped from 10.5 kg per person in 2017 to 10.3 kg in 2018, a decline of roughly 2%. This decline reflects last year’s longer hotter summer, according to the industry association Chocosuisse.

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Swiss parliament calls for more online purchases to be taxed

2019-03-26

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2019-03-26

Since 1 January 2019, companies abroad making more than CHF 100,000 in revenue must charge Swiss VAT on sales made to anyone in Switzerland. Now the Swiss government has decided to take aim at online platforms such as Aliexpress and Wish, according to the broadcaster RTS.

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Cybercrimes of the future

2019-03-18

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AI-driven cybercrime, crashing IOT networks, connected car attacks… according to Matt Marx, dean of future crimes and security at xTech.Institute, this is all possible right now. Speaking at the CA(SA) of the Future Conference, sponsored by Investec, Marx says that as more and more devices connect to the internet, the types of cybercrime we are …

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Swiss health insurance deductibles to rise automatically

2019-03-16

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2019-03-16

Today, Switzerland’s parliament decided to bring in a system of regular increases in the deductibles for basic compulsory Swiss health insurance, according to the newspaper Le Matin. However, a plan to raise the the minimum deductible to CHF 500 was rejected by a clear majority.

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Three Swiss cities ranked in world’s top 10 most livable

2019-03-15

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2019-03-15

Mercer’s 2019 livability ranking looks at 231 cities across the globe. Vienna comes top for the tenth year in a row, while Bagdad ranks last. Three Swiss cities are among the global top ten. Zurich is 2nd, Geneva 9th and Basel 10th. Bern, a fourth Swiss city, is not far behind in 14th place.

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Why there is so much egg pasta in Switzerland

2019-03-10

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2019-03-10

Strolling through the pasta aisle of a Swiss supermarket, someone new to Switzerland might conclude that the locals prefer egg pasta over the eggless variety. And, while that might to some extent be true, there is another reason.

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Percentage of men in workforce declines in Switzerland

2019-03-08

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2019-03-08

Finished work
Recently published figures show a 7% decline in the percentage of men in Switzerland’s workforce between 1991 and 2018. The workforce figures, which include the unemployed, show a fall in male workforce participation from 81% to 74%, a 7% decline over 27 years.

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Women’s golf

2019-03-01

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Investec Property are #BuildingWomenChampions who are breaking new ground. The 2019 Investec South Africa Women’s Open, 14-16 March at the Westlake Golf Course.

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Budget 2019: “We dodged a worst-case scenario”

2019-02-28

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“It’s fair to describe it as a feel-good budget on the basis that the worst-case scenario was significantly worse than what came out. They could have said, ‘We’re giving R100bn straight away to Eskom’ and then Moody’s would have been finding reasons for a downgrade, pronto. They [Treasury] didn’t do that, because they’re cognizant of …

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Rocking the gig economy

2019-02-27

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The gig economy – a labour market made up of freelance, short-term, on-demand work – is redefining the way companies hire and how individuals structure their careers. Stacey Ferreira, a serial tech entrepreneur and the co-author of 2 Billion Under 20: How Millennials are Breaking Down Age Barriers and Changing the World, shares her views …

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Budget 2019 | Slight dip for the rand, as markets react

2019-02-26

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There was some panic in the markets as Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni delivered the Budget speech in Parliament. The rand weakened to R14.37 to the dollar and asset classes in South Africa went on a downward spiral as the news of a R69bn bailout for Eskom, and a blown debt ceiling, were announced, but there …

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Budget 2019 | It’s going to be a rocky road for a long time to come

2019-02-26

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The Finance Minister is certainly putting his stamp on things that he started that a few months ago, but government is made up of many stakeholders, certainly the ANC is made up of many stakeholders and we’re going to need to bring them on board to appease the unions. We still have some policy uncertainty …

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Budget 2019 | Tax announcements – no surprises

2019-02-26

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While direct taxes have not been increased (other than bracket creep which is expected to raise R12.8bn), there will be increases in the so-called sin taxes as well as taxes on fuel. – Rene van Zyl, Tax & Fiduciary expert, Investec. Find out more https://invest.ec/2tF7H3P

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Investec Life Mortgage Protection Cover

2019-02-26

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Investec brings you a first in South Africa: efficient Mortgage Protection Cover, where your premiums adjust according to your home loan balance. Find out more https://invest.ec/2SsoTUq

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What is Mortgage Protection Cover?

2019-02-26

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Investec brings you smart, efficient Mortgage Protection Cover that adapts to your changing life needs and secures your family home. Find out more https://invest.ec/2SsoTUq

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Decathlon to expand in Switzerland

2019-02-24

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2019-02-24

The low-cost French sports goods chain has plans to expand in Switzerland. 14 new stores, employing between 500 and 600 staff, are planned for 2019, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. Many of the new stores will be refurbished Athleticum stores. Décathlon teamed up with Athleticum in 2018.

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Drug makers paid Swiss doctors 12.5 million francs in 2017

2019-02-24

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2019-02-24

Since 2016, drug makers have voluntarily published the amounts they pay to Swiss doctors, who prescribe drugs to patients. In 2017 the sum was CHF 12.5 million, according to the association Science Industries. In 2016, the same figure was CHF 14 million. While drug makers publish the amounts paid, the information published does not always reveal the names of doctors receiving the money.

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Average Swiss rent barely rises over 7 years

2019-02-23

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2019-02-23

Recently published data show that close to 60% of households in Switzerland rented their home at an average cost of CHF 1,329 per month in 2017. Average monthly rents ranged from CHF 752 for a studio up to CHF 2,323 for 6 rooms or more.

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Budget 2019 | Tito’s tough talk and tightrope walk

2019-02-21

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Tito Mboweni’s maiden Budget may be enough to stave off a credit negative response from Moody’s but the risk remains that the agency may still downgrade SA’s outlook from stable to negative later this year, albeit not the rating.

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Swiss unemployment rate rises

2019-02-16

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2019-02-16

There are various ways to measure unemployment. Switzerland’s standard measure looks at the number of people registered with unemployment offices across the country. By this measure Switzerland’s unemployment recently reached a 10 year low of 2.6%. Today, another unemployment measure was published. It shows a 0.1% increase in unemployment over the fourth quarter of 2018 to 4.6% or 227,000 people.

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