As US-China tensions shake markets, luxury rebounds, and executive pay in South Africa soars — Kaya Biz unpacks the week’s top money stories.
Sinenjabulo Sibeko
The week began with markets on edge as US-China trade tensions flared back to life. Markets were rattled after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on all Chinese imports effective November 1st, reigniting fears of a full-scale trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The move triggered a sharp global sell-off, with digital assets among the hardest hit. Cryptocurrencies plunged on Friday before staging a tentative rebound early this week.
Closer to home, Lightstone Retail’s latest data painted a sobering picture of inequality in South Africa’s retail landscape. Nearly 46% of the lowest-income households live more than 5km from the nearest mall anchored by a grocery store, a stark reminder of the country’s uneven access to modern retail infrastructure.
Meanwhile, shares in LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate soared 13% after the group reported its first quarterly sales increase this year, buoyed by a rebound in Chinese demand and a surge in global beauty sales.
Here are this week’s standout stories:
1. LVMH Surges as Luxury Reawakens
Guest: The Financial Ghost – Retail Analyst
After months of sluggish demand, LVMH parent company to Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany & Co., and Moët & Chandon is back in growth mode. Shares jumped 13% on the back of its first quarterly sales increase in 2025, igniting an $80 billion rally across the global luxury sector.
Behind the rebound: reviving Chinese demand, resilient U.S. and European spending, and Sephora’s standout performance. But with slowing global growth and tighter household budgets, analysts are asking whether this luxury revival can last.
2. Executive Pay in SA Surges Amid Global Talent War
Guest: Makhosazana Mabaso – Director for Executive Reward, PwC South Africa
South Africa’s boardrooms are feeling the heat of a global talent crunch. According to PwC’s 2025 Directors Remuneration and Trends Report, CEO pay has risen by 8%, while CFO compensation jumped 19%, driven by global benchmarking and performance-based incentives.
Mabaso told KayaBiz that executive reward is being reshaped by international competition but warned that rising inequality and scrutiny from regulators could spark a major shift under the proposed Fair Pay Bill.
3. Corruption in SA: Businesses Still Enabling Dirty Money
Guest: Christopher Malan – Executive Manager, Financial Intelligence Centre
Corruption in South Africa doesn’t end when funds are stolen, it continues when that money enters the private economy. Malan says car dealerships, estate agents, and luxury retailers are still failing to perform adequate due diligence, allowing illicit cash to flow unchecked.
The SIU’s Tembisa Hospital probe, which uncovered over R2 billion siphoned through fake suppliers, exposes the systemic cracks that enable money laundering at scale.
4. Why 80% of Township Businesses Remain Unregistered
Guest: Naledzani Mosomane – Head of Enterprise & Supplier Development, Standard Bank
Nearly 80% of township businesses remain unregistered, locking them out of credit, digital tools, and formal supply chains despite contributing close to R1 trillion to the economy and supporting one in five jobs.
Standard Bank’s first-ever Township Informal Economy Report shows both the scale and resilience of this sector. Mosomane says the real challenge lies in transitioning from survivalist models to scalable enterprises, with targeted policy and financial inclusion as the next frontier.
5. Pivot Point: A Conversation with Standard Bank’s Thabani Ndwandwe
Guest: Thabani Ndwandwe – Chief Risk Officer, Personal & Private Banking, Standard Bank South Africa
As Africa’s largest bank navigates volatile markets and rapid digital transformation, risk management has evolved from a defensive discipline into a strategic growth lever.
Ndwandwe, who oversees risk across 16 African markets, told Kaya Biz that the bank’s focus is shifting toward data-driven decisioning, inclusive lending, and balancing prudence with innovation.
READ NEXT: Best of Kaya Biz: Gold breaks $4000, rand rallies, and SA’s potato crisis deepens
The post Best of Kaya Biz: Tariffs shake markets, luxury rebounds, and executive pay in SA surges amid global talent war appeared first on KAYA 959.
