UK banking group Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced a deal to sell part of its Asian banking unit to the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) for A$687 million (£340 million).

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Ford, the second-largest US automaker, will announce its first year-on-year sales increase since 2007 later today, thanks to the GovernmentÔÇÖs ÔÇ£cash for clunkersÔÇØ scheme.  The federal Car Allowance Rebate System prompted a sudden surge in sales at the end of July for Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford, as customers rushed to trade in older vehicles in return for sums of up to $4,500 if they bought new, fuel-efficient models.  Within one week, buyers had almost exhausted the $1 billion of federal funding, which was made available from July 24.

Israeli food maker Osem Investments has announced it is to buy UK food distributor Yarden GB for £1.9 million.

Recycling not scrapping
The world is full of scrap metal merchants but few have taken their business to the level of professionalism Jeff Daniels found in South Africa.
At one end of the spectrum you have the seedy scrap merchant where you can still find a market for lead nicked from a church roof. At the other end, you have a slick organisation such as UCG Recycling. Both are handling waste metals but one is doing it by instinct, while the other is providing a wide-ranging recycling function for mines and manufacturing.

Specialist in all styles
The slogan of the great African band Orchestre Baobab applies well to South AfricaÔÇÖs premier firm of architects: its strength lies in its diversity, as TPS.P Architects director Guy Steenekamp explains to John OÔÇÖHanlon.

Solid steel ambitions
Like any business sector, the steel industry has not found itself immune to the effects of the recession. Andre Nienaber tells Andrew Pelis about expansion in a turbulent marketplace and finding a way to capitalise on the right opportunities.

Tough, and loving it
South AfricaÔÇÖs Spur Steak Ranch restaurant chain is expanding around the globe. Pierre van Tonder tells Gay Sutton how the organisationÔÇÖs people are motivated to drive that success.