ISANCO is perhaps the lowest profile of the seven political parties joining together in the Multi Party Charter of SA, but potentially it is one of the most potent. Deeply embedded within communities, the newly formed party scooped 14 councillor seats after only a few months of campaigning ahead of the November 2021 Local elections. It performed creditably in two subsequent by-elections (4-5% of the vote) suggesting ISANCO may prove an unexpected trump card for the Opposition Coalition in the 2024 National Election. Leader Dr Zukile Luyenge is confident he’s part of 2024's winning team - and in this interview, explains why. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven years after the Lily Mine tragedy in Mpumalanga, three families are still waiting for the remains of their loved ones to be brought to the surface so that they can give them dignified burials. They are Pretty Nkambule and Youvonne Mnisi, both mothers, and Solomon Nyirenda. They are believed to have been in the Lamp Room when the mine collapsed. Pretty is a mother of four children and Youvounne of two. Family spokesperson Mr Harry Mazibuko speaks of the many broken promises made to the family by a number of African National Congress (ANC) leaders, including Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, former Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, and former Premier and Deputy President David Mabuza. “There’s a lot of betrayal, there’s a lot of trauma…This government doesn't serve the people, doesn't care,” Mr Mazibuko says.  ActionSA President Herman Mashaba and Mpumalanga Provincial Chairperson Thoko Mashaba have now stepped in to assist with legal action against the mine owner and the State. Mashaba has also written numerous letters to plead with the ANC government to take action. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part 3 of his contribution to the BizNews@10 birthday conference, DA shadow minister of mineral resources, James Lorimer fielded questions from BizNews Community members in attendance. An endless supply of good news, Lorimer doubled down on South Africa's untapped oil and gas potential and added to that the country's rich - and still largely unearthed - mineral resources, including gold, uranium and possibly lithium. When asked what South Africa needs to do to unlock its bountiful resources, Lorimer retorted, "Change the government" and on concerns about climate change, answered, "One thing I am confident of, is that global warming is not going to kill us... it's way overblown." A crusader for the renewal of South Africa, it's difficult not to be excited by the prospects he shares. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The BRICS group of economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — is convening for its 15th heads of state and government summit in Sandton this week. What could have potentially turned into a nightmare for South Africa had President Vladimir Putin attended, has now become an occasion for President Cyril Ramaphosa to shine on the international stage. The agenda includes discussions on the potential expansion of BRICS, with 40 countries expressing interest, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Egypt. On the eve of the summit, President Ramaphosa expressed support for the expansion, stating that it will represent a group of nations with a common desire for a more balanced world order. However, Dr. Christopher Sabatini, a Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, has warned that there is a real risk that the weight of democracies in BRICS could be further diluted if it is expanded. He said that citizens of India, Brazil, and South Africa should ask themselves if they want to align with what is essentially a rogue's gallery of countries. In an interview with Biznews, Dr. Sabatini questioned the viability of a common BRICS currency, asking how a common currency can be created among countries that have shown little currency stability. He also said there is a need for trade protections for certain industries in peripheral BRIC economies to prevent them from being locked in providing raw materials to China, the 800-pound gorilla in BRICS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mr Ghaleb Cachalia, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Shadow Minister for Public Enterprises has called for Transnet Chief Executive (CE) Portia Derby to be sacked. He speaks to BizNews after Ms Derby’s recent remarks at a business conference that there could be catastrophic job losses in the road transport sector when rail operations improved. Mr Cachalia says that instead of focusing on fixing what is wrong with Transnet's freight rail system, Ms Derby is focusing on shoring up the trucking industry, which is not part of her mandate. He calls her “seemingly incompetent” and accuses her of moving the focus away from the much-touted Road-to-Rail Strategy, “which has never been properly implemented, which has resulted in huge failures…which has affected our economy massively…” - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zimbabwe is going to the polls again this week in a mixed atmosphere of despair, apathy, hope, disappointment in the lack of service delivery by the opposition in urban areas, and talk of reform and transformation from the long-ruling ZANU PF government. This has emerged from an interview with Ringisai Chikohomero, a political analyst with The Institute for Security Studies (ISS). He speaks to BizNews from Bulawayo. He lists the reasons for the shift in support towards the ruling ZANU PF government in urban centres that have traditionally been “the backbone and the strongholds” of the opposition. He says the central business districts of Harare and Bulawayo have an “awful sense of dilapidation” - and does not in itself show the potential of the opposition in terms of managing and governing. “So this is what the citizens who are more perceptive could be looking at going into this round of elections.” Although there are also fears of election manipulation, people do feel they are better prepared to counter it, with “the young ones” saying: “But this time we're going to defend our vote; this time I'm not leaving the polling station until all the votes have been counted.” Meanwhile, there has been some “recognition and realisation” in the ruling party that for the country to move forward, it needs to reengage with the international community. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s no doubt that the Independent Electoral Commission will be under more pressure than ever in the run-up to the 2024 elections. Expectations are high with the opposition hoping to unseat the ANC and the ruling party hoping it can cling to power. It could be a watershed moment for South Africa. The IEC is grappling with legislative changes and three ballot papers, which is a first for South Africa. There are a mind-boggling 540 political parties registered with the IEC in the country with 340 parties eligible to contest nationally which is an indication of how fragmented politics in South Africa is. In this interview with Biznews, Deputy Electoral Officer Mawethu Mosery said the IEC has made substantial progress in preparation for the election next year and was making more use of online registration. Mr Mosery said the commission was creating a platform for businesses and citizens to support political parties financially. He also revealed that the IEC has initiated an investigation in the first case of undisclosed foreign funding to a political party. He said it was brought to the IEC’s attention by a whistleblower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the second part of James Lorimer’s keynote address at BizNews@10, he is quizzed on the scale of and challenges to SA’s impending oil and gas boom. Lorimer admits it’s the first ‘good news’ story he’s probably been able to tell during almost a decade and a half as a Member of Parliament - but it’s one he says desperately needs to be exposed to a discouraged nation. Hard to disagree. Investors, too, will be taking note. For instance, real estate on the Cape’s Western and Southern coasts - and in the Karoo around Beaufort West - require more than a cursory glance. JSE-listed HCI too. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most astonishing part about this hugely bullish keynote to the BizNews@10 event, is that it was delivered by a politician who has no inventive to talk up the country's immediate economic potential. James Lorimer is the official opposition's shadow minister of Mineral Resources, and hot favourite to land the portfolio's cabinet position should the Multiparty Charter for SA prevail in the 2024 national election. Yet here he is, telling the BizNews tribe that a massive oil and gas resource is about to be unlocked, catapulting the country's economic prospects. I guess his journalistic background kicked in - news as good as this simply cannot be kept under wraps. - Alec Hogg   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South African Police Services (SAPS) Whistleblower Patricia Morgan-Mashale was taken into court in leg irons today (Thursday, 17 August 2023). This after she came out of hiding after 17 months to appear in the Bloemfontein Regional Court in the hope of having the warrant of arrest issued against her on 3 March 2023 cancelled. That warrant was withdrawn, but not until she had been arrested, taken to the cells - and into court shackled. In her reaction, Morgan-Mashale told BizNews: “My children were at court today to support me and they saw me in the leg irons. And I didn't want them to see that…I wouldn't have allowed them to go to court if I knew that I was going to be shackled.” Despite yet another harrowing experience, she remains defiant: “They can still open cases against me. I don't regret anything. I will do it over and over again. I don't regret speaking out about corruption.” Veteran police- and violence monitor, Mary de Haas, called the shackling of Morgan-Mashale "barbaric" - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The choppy nature of markets is playing itself out in the Fantasy Fund Manager game, with this week seeing a 23% difference between the best-performing stock Shaftesbury (7.14%) and worst-performing Impala Platinum (-15.24%). In this week's podcast, BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by Corion Capital's David Bacher and Ann Sebastian, head of equities at Terebinth Capital. Fantasy Fund is built on six specific sectors, and Ann looked at which sectors may offer value. She also offered some tips on which stocks may offer value in the financial services, resources and tech space, spoiler alert; it's not gold. Ann's investment tip for the week was ‘try not to be emotional when making your selections’. David also reveals a market tip after picking Shaftesbury as his Rand hedge this week. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Stock prices were correct at the time of the podcast recording. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The star of Cape Town’s young executive mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis continues to rise - with his leadership abilities seen to good effect during the adept handling of the city’s potentially debilitating taxi crisis earlier this month. Like the city’s water crisis between 2015 and 2018, lessons appear to have been learnt from the challenge. Hill-Lewis reckons these include the need for Pretoria to devolve decision-making power on rail services; and find ways to address the working conditions under which taxi drivers operate - an arrangement which incentivises them to break the law. In this interview, the 36-year-old mayor also provides an update on the city’s progress towards fulfilling his campaign promise of ending loadshedding. He celebrates the role of an innovative power supply agreement to secure for Cape Town the first AWS Skills Centre outside of the USA, launched today. It brings Amazon’s seven-year investment commitment of a further R40bn on top of the R16bn already injected by the multinational. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final part of his keynote address to the BizNews 10th celebration, author and informal economy expert GG Alcock engages with delegates, answering their questions and enlightening the audience about massive advances in Sa’s informal sector. He also attacks the army of myths that is anchoring South Africa’s economic potential. Don’t miss his missive at the end where he reminds us of what he could - and could not - get across to fix the homesickness of a then London-based expat. - Alec Hogg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In one of the most powerful interactions of the BizNews@10 conference, ’Kasinomics expert GG Alcock unpacks South Africa’s informal economy, booming entrepreneurship and out-of-touch government policies. He says this illustrates the massive disconnect between the ANC’s socialist beliefs and the capitalist reality evident everywhere in the country’s townships. It’s a wake-up call for the ANC leadership, its Blue Light Brigade whose distance from voters has caused them to act and legislate as though the country were still in the pre-1994 era. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa’s globally respected futurist Clem Sunter rates GG Alcock as one of the most important of all South African voices. Like Sunter, this White Boy raised Zulu in a Msinga mud hut is a champion of entrepreneurship. We have seen on numerous occasions that whenever GG Alcock gets the opportunity to engage with local audiences, he leaves them thinking differently about their country, uplifted and inspired. It happened again at the BizNews@10 conference. Can’t wait for BNC#6 in March 2024 where both GG and Clem have agreed to deliver keynotes. – Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The civil rights campaigner is calling for a ban on bail for the perpetrators of violence against children - after Action Society attended five “harrowing” cases last week involving the rapes and murders of children - and “in the last 24 hours, we’ve got five violent cases of which two out of the five involve children”. Cameron reveals how many victims were killed by the same perpetrator that was previously charged with hurting them. He speaks of how criminals are granted many second chances, while “victims never get a second chance” , and says: “I honestly believe we've got monsters that literally hunt children and we need to treat them in the same way.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of his contribution to the BizNews@10 event, former Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer answered questions from delegates, focusing on the electricity utility's future, emphasising the necessity for organisational transformation. He advocated for a diversified approach, including a coalition with private sector energy suppliers. Oberholzer believes older power stations can be opened to independent power producers, also that the system requires substantial investment in transmission infrastructure. He also pointed to the critical role of storage solutions and addressed concerns about Eskom's ageing assets and the potential increase in electricity tariffs. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women face more challenges than men in wealth creation, particularly in South Africa, where the gender pay gap ranges between 23 and 35%, exceeding the global average of 20%. Alongside women taking breaks from the workforce for childcare, this results in lower lifetime earnings and significantly less wealth upon retirement than men. Furthermore, women often invest in low-return vehicles such as savings accounts or money market funds. However, studies, including a comprehensive investigation by Fidelity, reveal that women's investments tend to outperform men's, with a 0.4% annual advantage. In an interview with BizNews, Julie Anderson, a wealth manager at Overberg Asset Management, attributed women's investments' success to behavioural characteristics unique to them. Despite being less risk-tolerant, women are responsive to facts and make considered decisions. In contrast, men tend to be overconfident regarding investments and tend to overtrade. Moreover, Anderson noted that contrary to prevailing beliefs, women are far less emotional than men in making investment decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There seems to be a real prospect that coalitions will become a new reality at all levels of government in South Africa. It is not just the polls indicating that the ANC could receive less than 50% of the vote; a flurry of activity on both the government and opposition sides of the political spectrum is currently unfolding. An all-party workshop was convened by Deputy President Paul Mashatile to discuss national coalitions and opposition leaders - the Economic Freedom Fighters have not been invited - are holding a national convention this week to try to find agreement on a coalition that could shift the power balance in the country.In an interview with Biznews, TK Pooe, a senior lecturer, called for the establishment of a Kenyan-style coalition mechanism or vehicle with an all-star cabinet predetermined before the 2024 elections. Pooe says that South Africans are cynical; they want to know what a coalition would entail before casting their votes. Regarding the matter of who within the ANC would decide on potential coalitions, Pooe says that President Ramaphosa holds the cards and is in the camp that does not favour governing with the EFF. However, the ANC in Gauteng seems to be operating on a different planet and would do anything to survive. If the ANC receives less than 50% of the vote in 2024, Pooe believes that it would mark the end of Ramaphosa's presidency and pave the way for Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who is not opposed to collaborating with the EFF. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) Leader says “we know they have a deal…everything has been agreed, they are just working out the lobola…” He warns, “Both of them are gonna pay dearly because it will be the end of the DA - and it will be the near-end of the ANC." McKenzie also predicts an imminent three-way split in the ANC between the faction of President Cyril Ramaphosa, ousted Secretary General Ace Magashule and former President Jacob Zuma, saying: “I just think that they've pushed Jacob Zuma too far…I think he's going to teach them a lesson.” He reveals that there’s a “Black Pact” rising amongst political parties to form one party. McKenzie calls the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), McKenzie “the wild card” of the coalition of 2024 - and calls for a ban of the song “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”. He also gives the low-down on his close friendship with billionaire businessman Rob Hersov, and divulges what they agree on - and what they don’t agree on. And he shares the details of his recent visit to Israel. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Missing bodies, missing body parts, bodies piling up, bodies being handled by unqualified personnel, bribes to view bodies…These are just come of the ways in which the rights of deceased people and their families have been violated in South Africa’s State mortuaries. BizNews speaks to Professor David Mc Cuoid-Mason, a lecturer in Medical Practice at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He has been fighting for the control of Forensic Mortuary Services to be removed from the Department of Health and placed under the control of an independent body to ensure that the rights of both the deceased and their relatives are respected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards digital healthcare. However, digital healthcare is still in its infancy in South Africa, with fewer than 100,000 patients using digital services. There is huge potential for expansion, and one of the companies aspiring to revolutionise healthcare in South Africa through technology-driven solutions is HealthDart. HealthDart has been selected to be part of the Google for Start-ups Black Founders Fund 2023 cohort. In an interview with Biznews, HealthDart CEO Njabulo Skhosana said that the company wants to use technology to streamline the patient journey to primary healthcare which is characterised by inefficiency and fragmentation. He said that they would be working with Google to improve their products and were interested in establishing partnerships with medical aid organisations within the country to make healthcare cheaper and more accessible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent interview with Rish Tandapany, Chief Operating Officer of the Purple Group, Alec Hogg delved into the intriguing story of Purple Group's expansion into the Philippines and its partnership with GCash. The conversation shed light on the motivations behind this strategic move, the synergies between the two entities, and the potential impact on the Filipino and global investment landscape. *EasyEquities and GCash make investing Easy with the innovative platform “GStocks Global". *For more information visit - https://bit.ly/3CkBJNz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four weeks after Alec Hogg’s fascinating interview with then Eskom consultant and former COO Jan Oberholzer, the electrical engineer returned to the same venue to provide an update at the 10th BizNews birthday celebration. Having only recently departed Eskom, well ahead of the expiry of his contract, Oberholzer explained the reason for the sudden departure and shared his views on how long South Africa will be plagued by scarce electricity - extensive power cuts which the nation knows by a more polite title of ‘load-shedding’. This is the first part of his contribution, an interview with the BizNews founder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attorney Christopher Bean, who specialises in the recovery of stolen monies and assets, says: “We want to have it frozen in terms of local freezing orders which apply in those different countries. And then we want to bring the money back. It's that simple. However, says Bean, “there are people who don't want us to do that because it will expose who are the beneficiaries” of that money. And without a mandate, either from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) or a State Owned Enterprise (SOE), Bean can’t go after State Capture loot stashed across the world. He is now challenging CEOs of Public Enterprises to “have the cojones to stand up and have a conversation with us and see if we can help recover the money that belongs to this country so that we can all benefit”. Civil Attachment Orders a.k.a Freezing Orders, Mareva Injunctions and Magnitsky Attachment Orders are currently being used very successfully to attach millions of US$ in Putin Oligarch funds all over the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic uprooted the majority of office workers from their 9-to-5 workdays. Work from home (WFH) became the new normal for millions of people around the world and some took the opportunity to move to other cities or the countryside. However, there has been a slow march back to the office, with even Zoom, the video conferencing company that became synonymous with WFH, joining a parade of companies requiring employees to show up in person. In an interview with Biznews, Anne Rutledge, the Executive Director of Talent Solutions at Resourgenix, said that the workforce is asking for flexibility and that companies need to embrace hybrid work, as it is here to stay. Rutledge said companies need to have conversations with their workforce and put measures in place to address issues particular to South Africa like loadshedding. The world has changed from the 9-to-5 model, she says, and talent will look for opportunities that embrace that change. Sponsored by Resourgenix Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recorder was a popular instrument 400 years ago inspiring renowned composers like Monteverdi, Vivaldi, and Bach to write concertos for these small whistle-like instruments. Over time, it has become synonymous with primary and elementary schools worldwide. In South Africa, it is something that is also taken for granted in many private schools but underprivileged children do not have access to recorders. Roland Moses, a musician, and senior lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology wants to change that and introduce recorders and formal music teaching into underprivileged schools. He has just launched a pilot programme to introduce recorders into the Love Trust’s Nokuphila School in Tembisa on the East Rand. Moses told BizNews about the recorder craze at the school and the benefits of music training in early childhood development. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Three of Herman Mashaba’s keynote to the BizNews 10th birthday celebration, the leader of Action SA engaged with the 200 delegates, answering questions about his political views, leadership, and his concerns for South Africa. He expresses trust in Gayton McKenzie over the DA, discusses the integration of spirituality into governance, outlines plans for his party’s structure, and shares strategies to tackle unemployment. He also highlights his fight for justice, concern for the country’s future, and the challenges and threats he faces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent interview on BizNewsTV, Martin Strauss, a wealth manager at Sharenet, discussed the emerging challenges in the South African retail sector posed by international digital retailers, particularly Shein and Temu, along with the potential impact of Amazon’s entry into the market. The interview shed light on the profound changes occurring in the industry, the structural threats to local retailers, and the need for strategic responses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quilter and Thungela Resources jumped more than 10 percent this week (at the recording time) to shake up the Fantasy Fund Manager standings. But the big moves highlight that a week is a short investment time. In this podcast, BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by Corion Capital's David Bacher and Rene Zietsman from Portfolio Metrix. Rene is leading the overall Fantasy Fund Manager game; she gave us insights into what's working for her, including a weekly Monday morning meeting with a fellow Fantasy Manager to discuss the week ahead's strategy. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader John Steenhuisen on why 2024 could be the year of change…Many people see South Africa’s national election next year as a “hinge-of-history moment”. That is the belief of Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen who speaks to BizNews from Clarens in the Free State where has been engaging with local communities. Steenhuisen hopes that the upcoming historic National Convention of Opposition Party leaders will result in the setting aside of petty differences; egos being left at the door - and a blueprint for building a new majority. As for the recent National Dialogue on Coalition Governments lead by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Steenhuisen says: “I think it's a startling admission from the ANC that they are going to lose the majority next year.” However, he says there is consensus that coalitions have to be stabilised so that large parts of government are not paralysed because of poorly crafted or messy coalitions that are standing in the way of service delivery. Highly motivated by his journey through the Free State, he says: “…as heartbreaking as it has been, it's also been absolutely inspiring to see how communities are stepping in where government has retreated”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During his interview with Alec Hogg at BizNews@10, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba laid into the cosy relationship between Big Business and the ANC - accusing corporate South Africa of feathering its own nest at the cost of society. Never one to shrink from controversy, Mashaba believes this unholy alliance is based on a determination of many executives to retain the status quo and keep disadvantaging small and medium-sized companies. Mashaba says he is also driving an agenda to bring spirituality back into South African life, attacking atheist-by-conviction SACP, which he says has, through its ANC partner, created a situation where a tiny fraction of non-believers (Mashaba puts it as 2%) dictates to the vast majority who profess to be Christian, Hindu, Moslem or Jewish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Self-made entrepreneur and Action SA founder and president Herman Mashaba delivered a stirring keynote at the BizNews@10 conference, re-iterating a consistent message – his young political party was created to eject the ‘criminal’ ANC from power, and he will never serve in any coalition that includes them. Mashaba’s lessons from his entrepreneurship journey and running the country’s biggest city shaped his approach to life and politics. In short: work hard, trust God and fight evil – and you will win. As Mashaba believes Action SA will do in next year’s watershed national election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The third and final section of global entrepreneur and Harvard MBA Rob Hersov’s keynote address at the conference to mark the BizNews 10th anniversary. Hersov answers questions from assembled members of the BizNews tribe, including pointed issues raised by famous podcaster Penuel ‘The Black Pen’ Mlotshwa. This section covers issues from socialism and Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership through to BRICS, Russia’s involvement in SA and how the ANC is likely to react after losing its majority in the South African Parliament next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the interview section of his BizNews@10 keynote, Rob Hersov applied his mind to the likely political coalitions after the 2024 National Election. His preference - and that of the international investing community - is clearly for a Moonshot Pact victory, but with other permutations possible, Hersov offers his best ideas on their consequences. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When handed a microphone and offered a podium, global entrepreneur turned business activist Rob Hersov rarely disappoints. Some deliveries, however, are better than others and his ad-libbed opening address at the conference to celebrate the 10th BizNews anniversary was a tour de force. Hersov took no prisoners, castigating SA business leaders whom he believes are colluding with the ANC government – and sharing his dream of a country fulfilling its undeniable potential after the 2024 National Election. Potent. Inspirational. Visionary. If this doesn’t fill you with hope, nothing will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ronan Wordsworth of Geopolitical Futures - based in Prague in the Czech Republic - tells BizNews that while there's “this idea that perhaps South Africa had shifted quite far towards the Russian camp”, the African National Congress (ANC) has recently actually been “softening” towards the West, and is possibly bringing their stance back “more towards the middle ground”. He says if the ANC needs a coalition partner after next year’s general election, it would have to pick parties that would promote the growth of the South African economy, “which is desperately needed at the moment”. He explains why Kenya - as an African country - and India - despite being in BRICS - have managed to find a workable middle ground between East and West. And he points out that too much focus on Russia at the upcoming BRICS Summit in South Africa “will really upset the balance of South Africa's economy and trade and foreign policy interests compared to the other BRICS partners”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews has received a photograph of a soldier with a Wagner Group badge taunting Poland with his arrival on its border. Another photograph shows a Wagner badge being held up next to the “Polenska” sign. BizNews has also received Flight Tracker maps showing a private plane, believed to belong to Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin flying from St. Petersburg to Belarus and departing again a day later. We ask Andrei Kebkalo, the founder of the Omega Consulting Group (OCG) in Ukraine, for his take of these developments. He speaks about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s long-term goal of building a Russian Empire, Wagner’s big appetite for Africa, and Ukraine’s lack of manpower in a long war which he sees as only the beginning. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economic Freedom Fighters leader, Julius Malema, has consistently voiced his support for a socialist form of government, often citing Cuba as an example of the direction he envisions for South Africa if his party were to gain a majority. Malema’s tweets have described Cuba as a successful socialist state, and he seems drawn to the idea of enduring leadership akin to the Cuban communist leaders who have held power since the 1959 revolution. To gain insight into Malema’s vision of a South Africa modelled after Cuba, we sought the expertise of Dr. Christopher Sabatini, a senior Research Fellow for Latin America and the Americas program at Chatham House. In an interview with Biznews, dr. Sabatini refutes the notion of Cuba’s success as a socialist state, describing it as an economic basket case that primarily relies on tourism and the export of doctors for survival. He reveals that a significant number of Cubans, 100,000, have fled the country this year alone due to poverty and malnutrition, and that the perception of good Cuban health care is false. Cubans have to bring their own bed sheets to hospital and there is no medicine. Just this week, a Cuban legislator named Carlos Miguel Pérez, who is the only businessman in the country to sit in the communist National Assembly, highlighted the Cuban economy’s inability to provide enough food for all. Pérez said that even a basic item like Gouda cheese costs more than what a state worker is paid in a month, roughly 4,000 Cuban pesos or $20.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A ghost Container Park and empty sites where others should have been erected for Small, Medium, and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) are symbols of the mismanagement of Local Economic Development (LED) funds in some Free State towns. BizNews speaks to Irene Rügheimer, a PR Councillor for the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Dihlabeng in the Free State. She reveals the reasons for this, the challenges faced by the municipality - and the profound impact on the local communities. It is a tale of unscrupulous tactics to abscond with funds; unfinished projects; lack of accountability; the urgent need for reforms; and a glimmer of hope amongst all these challenges. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa will need all the cool heads it can access over the few months as the country moves towards the watershed 2024 National Election, where its long-time rulers are likely to lose their Parliamentary majority. One-time Robben Islander and former MD of News at the national broadcaster Dr Snuki Zikalala, weighs in with a hopeful message to counter those predicting chaos. Zikalala was this week re-elected president of the ANC Veteran’s League, which he explains is the most important of the movement’s three fundamental structures. In this powerful interview, Zikalala argues that popular opinion and even pundits like RW Johnson are wrong about the far-left EFF being the ANC’s “natural partner” - explaining why, post-2024, it would be impossible for the two parties to enter into a governing coalition. On the other hand, provided pre-conditions are met, he is confident a coalition between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance, the official opposition, would work in the national interest. Controversial within some quarters, but Zikalala has never been afraid of rocking the boat. His message offers an inside track into thinking within the ANC, and is sure to be welcomed by moderates hoping for a post-2024 turnaround in the country’s flagging fortunes. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Naspers share price moved from a low of around R1450 in May last year to R3465 at the time of recording the podcast. This is as the group looks to close the door on its complex cross-holding structure at the AGM later this month. In this week's podcast, BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by DMA One's quantitative analyst Charlotte van Tiddens and Sharenet’s director of operations, Fran Blom. Charlotte tackled the Naspers question, expecting more growth in the Naspers' share price run. At the same time, Fran picked up where Banyana Banyana left, announcing an extra R5000 Fantasy Fund Manager prize for August’s winning woman, and gave us the stats behind women in finance. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Unbridled” corruption, poverty - and poor governance are fuelling coups in Africa. BizNews speaks to Professor Humphrey Asamoah Agyekum of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark following the most recent coup, this time in Niger. He lists some of the main reasons behind the many coups - specifically in West Africa. He also discussed the link between coups in West Africa and coup leaders trained in the West. Commenting on one of the coups whose leader was US-trained, Professor Asamoah says: “So that, of course, also led to lots of discussions about what exactly was he trained in. Was he trained to overthrow the government or was he trained in something else, right? - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our monthly recap of the markets, David Bacher of Corion looks back at a month when the Rand outperformed, helping South African shares post a rare performance victory over their global counterparts. Bacher highlights the importance of a long-term perspective and diversification in investment strategies, offering examples of the fruits this delivers. The interview also touches on the significance of Women’s Month and promoting greater female participation in financial markets. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The activities of Cyber Mercenaries are becoming an increasing threat to peace and security in South Africa and the rest of the African Continent. They are willing to fight a Cyber War for anyone who is prepared to pay for their highly specialised services, including: Denial of Service Attacks, Surveillance, Espionage, Malware ‘kits’, Hacking, Social Engineering, Information Gathering, Spam/Scam Distribution, Social Media Bots, The Sale of Stolen Information; and the Generation of Deep-Fakes. BizNews gets taken into their world by Noelle Van der Waag-Cowling, the Cyber Programme Lead at the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) at Stellenbosch University. She talks about their capabilities, their clients, their motives, their modus operandi - and shares details of some of the damage they have inflicted already. "Any type of cyber activity that you'd like to execute can be at your fingertips if your money is right,” she says. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gauteng government has been rocked by corruption scandal after corruption scandal for nearly three decades. Veteran Democratic Alliance (DA) politician Jack Bloom, who has served in the Gauteng government since 1994, has witnessed it first hand. He gives BizNews the details of case after case in a province where three of the “Top Seven” in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) came up through the ranks. He describes how some corrupt officials simply got re-elected while others have never been held accountable because of never-ending investigations. “It's quite clear there's an utter lack of shame and utter lack of accountability…And I'd like to see some justice and accountability finally. These cases need to come to court, you know, and people need to be found guilty.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not long ago, global mining entrepreneur Neal Froneman’s was the only name worth mentioning when asked about SA business leaders calling out its incompetent, corrupt government. Of late others have joined the Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, with the common view among SA business leaders is the country has fallen so far that it’s in a place where there is no longer any downside for those speaking truth to power. In this interview, Froneman explains why, for the first time in his long entrepreneurial career, he has joined into an organised business initiative with the government. He shares the progress so far and what he expects to achieve alongside Remgro’s CEO Jannie Durand in the Crime and Corruption workstream - and leaves us with a message of hope. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Saunderson-Meyer, author of SA’s longest-running political column, revisits a kite he first flew six months ago - the potential national presidency of 52-year-old Freestater Fikile Mbalula. In recent weeks. Mbalula has been calling out his ANC colleagues from the councillors at Umsunduzi and supposedly powerful cabinet incumbents through to president Cyril Ramaphosa. WSM applies his mind to the question of whether self-proclaimed ‘Mr Fixit’ will ascend from ANC secretary general to the corner office in the Union after the 2024 election. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This interview explores the 25-year success story of Peregrine Capital with its co-founder and executive chairman, David Fraser, and CEO, Jacques Conradie. They share insights into their investment philosophy and strategies, emphasising the importance of backing strong franchises and conducting thorough fundamental research. They also highlight the need for disciplined selling and avoiding emotional attachments to investments. There's also valuable advice to aspiring investors, encouraging lifelong learning and the importance of understanding management teams as it can lead to rewarding opportunities to buy - or short-selling prospects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A former Security Branch (SB) informer who defected to the African National Congress’ armed wing uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) as an intelligence operative - and who left the ANC after 32 years to form his own party - is one of the opposition leaders who will be at the upcoming national convention of “pact” members. He is Neil De Beer of the United Independent Movement (UIM). He speaks to BizNews about what he fought for in the past and what future he is fighting for now. De Beer gives his reasons for joining the “Moonshot Pact Coalition”, and says the 2024 election is about “numbers” and “logistics” - not politics. De Beer also speaks about what drives him, his epic cancer battle, and his relationship with God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders have gathered in St. Petersburg for the second Russia-Africa summit. The previous summit took place in Sochi in 2019. Amid Russia's deepening isolation from the West due to the invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has increasingly turned to Africa. However, Independent Journalist and Foreign Policy Analyst Peter Fabricius told BizNews that only 17 out of the 43 African leaders who attended the 2019 Sochi summit indicated their willingness to participate this time. Fabricius emphasised that Putin's hosting of the African leaders is an attempt to demonstrate that he is not as isolated as the West perceives him to be following the invasion. African leaders, he said, are hoping to reinstate the export of Ukrainian grain. Fabricius also shared that despite being accredited as a member of the press for the summit, his accreditation was unexpectedly withdrawn at the last minute—a move he suspects may have been initiated by the Russian embassy in Pretoria - Linda van Tilburg Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. --- Timestamps 00:09 - Introductions 00:47 - Peter Fabricius on being withdrawn accreditation to attend the summit 02:29 - If any of the pledges from the last summit materialised 03:08 - On the drop of African attendees 04:01 - On what Putin is trying to get from the summit 04:53 - What the African leaders are hoping to gain 06:06 - On the Russian's bumper crop of grain from Ukraine 07:36 - On if African leaders will mention the influence of the Wagner group in Africa 08:35 - On if the peace initiative that Ramaphosa and some African leaders initiated might be on the table 10:14 - How the West sees this 11:34 - On the human rights violations in Ukraine and if they will be discussed 14:35 - On if Jacob Zuma will attend the summit 15:40 - Any new developments on the BRICS Summit 16:41 - Conclusions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Wolf, the esteemed chief economic commentator at the Financial Times, requires little introduction. Regarded as the gold standard of financial and economics journalism, Wolf’s latest book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, serves as a wake-up call for democratic nations. In it, he highlights the faltering marriage between democracy and the market economy, exposing democratic nations to the perils of profoundly anti-democratic forces. In an exclusive interview with Biznews, Wolf delves into his background and how it has shaped his perspectives, illuminating the concerning backsliding of democracy and proposes remedies to reverse this decline ‘before it is too late’. Reflecting on South Africa, a country for which he penned his “saddest but perhaps best column” in the early 2000s, Wolf laments the predatory and non-productive elite that is not creating new wealth. The leadership’s unbelievably difficult task, he says, has deteriorated. He emphasises that South Africa’s path to success necessitates the economy to grow at 5% a year and the incomes of the poorest should grow at 7 or 8%. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the mounting political uncertainty in the lead-up to the 2024 elections, coupled with the persistent volatility of the Rand and unsettling discussions on the term 'failed state,' South African investors are increasingly turning their gaze towards foreign shores in pursuit of financial security. Julian Adshade from Sable International says that the depreciation of the Rand stands out as the primary impetus driving South Africans to contemplate offshore investments. The Rand, he said, has depreciated 6.5% per annum against the dollar since 1994. Furthermore, the looming political risks associated with the upcoming elections and the notion of securing assets abroad for the benefit of future generations contribute to the growing discourse on safeguarding funds by investing them overseas. During this interview with BizNews, Julian Adshade delves into the advantages of offshore investments for South Africans, explores the various investment vehicles worth considering, and provides insights into the potential tax implications of overseas investments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is rising concern in Europe as soldiers of the Wagner Group are on the move again. BizNews gets news of the latest developments from the Omega Consulting Group's (OCG's) Andrei Kebkalo, who describes the Wagner Group as “Putin's Shadow Army". He counted 13 Wagner columns crossing the border with Belarus, with the last one arriving this morning (Friday, 28 July). There are also 3,000 to 4,000 personnel and 800 vehicles in the Wagner field camp 200 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Another 10,000 personnel is expected to arrive. As for fears that they could soon be heading to Poland, Kebkalo says it is a “possibility” as the Russians are trying to drag NATO countries into the war. He also gives an update on the “very difficult counter-offensive" and reveals that the military is in a “terrible state” while corrupt Government officials are crossing the border with suitcases full of US dollars, and people are buying golden chairs, golden tables, and “everything made of gold”. Kebkalo says: “It's very embarrassing because for some people, a war in Ukraine is a tragedy. And on the other hand, for other people, it's like a free ticket to a dream life.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa has emerged as a formidable force in fighting wildfires all over the world, with firefighters from the job-creation program "Working on Fire" gaining international recognition. In June, a team was dispatched to Edmonton, Canada, to bolster firefighting efforts against raging blazes that had consumed homes for over a month. What sets the South African team apart from others is their tradition of singing, which has gone viral. Trevor Abrahams, Managing Director of "Working on Fire," told Biznews that the program is providing employment and fostering cohesive teams that are sought after overseas. He said with climate change predicting worsening wildfires, their services are increasingly in demand and their "business is going to boom." Commenting on the wildfires in Europe and parts of Northern Africa, Abrahams said the increased exposure of some countries to wildfires necessitates preventative work, governments should be shifting more resources to forestall wildfires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been two years since Altvest burst onto the South African investment scene, promising to democratise private equity by offering a way into private companies for small investors. The challenge, however, was more daunting than anticipated and only two listings have been concluded to date - far from the ‘one a month’ that had been anticipated. But founder and CEO Warren Wheatley says lessons have been absorbed - and this week Altvest announced the appointment of a new chairman and three fresh directors which is likely to give the visionary concept fresh impetus. In this interview, Wheatley, new chairman Stafford Masie and one of the new non-executive directors GG Alcock share their excitement. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South African Rand hit a record level of 19.92 against the United States Dollar in June. And despite returning to the mid-17s this week, the longer-term trend is weaker. But what does this mean for Fantasy Fund Managers? In this week's podcast, BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by Corion Capital's David Bacher and Simon du Plooy. Simon, the head of asset allocation at the fund manager, broke down internal and external events that drive the local currency but, more importantly, how these movements impact the shares in the game. Stock rotation has been spoken about on the podcast before, and the currency trend, whether up or down, is at the heart of this rotation. David also pulled out the benchmark return of the 60 shares and explained how 64% of managers are currently beating the index. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Presidency budget, known as Budget Vote 1, stands at R625 million but notably lacks a Parliamentary oversight committee—a matter of ongoing concern for several political parties advocating for increased scrutiny of the Presidency. Judge Zondo's state capture report has also underscored the need for an accountability-focused committee. While the ANC has been dragging its feet on appointing an oversight committee, they agreed to examine similar committees established in the United Kingdom Parliament to oversee the British Prime Minister. Members of Parliament’s Rules Committee, including Chief Whip of the Freedom Front Plus, Corné Mulder, have just returned from this visit. Mulder told Biznews that he would like to see the robust interaction with the head of government in the UK replicated in South Africa’s Parliament with the opposition chairing committees, and told Biznews that it was "unthinkable" that the President was spending taxpayers' money without adequate legal oversight, especially as President Ramaphosa is consolidating power in his office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of diplomatic and legal drama over the attendance and then the non-attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the focus is now on the agenda at the BRICS Summit in South Africa next month. There is much hype over speculation that this BRICS Summit could open the door to a new world order with a move towards “de-dollarisation” and the induction of powerful new members like oil-rich Iran and the UAE. BizNews asks Sanusha Naidu, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Global Dialogue, what outcomes can realistically be expected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final episode of the Kagiso Trust campaign, we explore the inspiring story of the Makana Circle of Unity, a collaborative civic coalition. In this interview, Paul Smith, the Local Government Support Head for Kagiso Trust, and Sisesakhe Ntlabezo, the Programme Manager at Makana Circle of Unity, share their experiences in fostering radical collaboration to improve service delivery and governance at local level. Discover how they navigate challenges, build trust, and bring together stakeholders to work towards a common purpose, providing valuable insights into replicable models of community-driven development. Join us for this 6-part series with Kagiso Trust as we explore ways of being a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Sponsored by: Kagiso Trust - https://bit.ly/3N4FZ9e In case you missed it: Epi 1: https://youtu.be/k7NlmMGUzXY Epi 2: https://youtu.be/P3Xrn_VfBgY Epi 3: https://youtu.be/ppMCtp5KanE Epi 4: https://youtu.be/C5dQy6U0M-Q Epi 5: https://youtu.be/XD6p8CFlP5U Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposition party leaders gathering at next month's national convention will aim to agree how the coalition would constitute a “pact” government. This emerges from an interview with Dr Leon Schreiber, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Shadow Minister of Public Service and Administration. Also on the agenda will be a minimum programme that, should a government be constituted out of this pact, it would be looking to implement. That would be a set of policy solutions to the five or ten biggest problems in South Africa. Meanwhile, one or two more parties may still join the six already involved: those being the DA, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), Action SA, the United Independent Movement (UIM), and the Spectrum National Party. Parties that are not part of the pact process include GOOD, the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and Al Jama-Ah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RW Johnson, the most popular columnist on BizNews Premium, exhibits his trademark ‘take-no-prisoners’ approach in this powerful interview where he explains the ANC-SACP’s seemingly illogical pursuit of long discredited economic policies. He says the ruling party’s policy blueprint, the National Democratic Revolution, has even been disavowed by the Soviet Union bureaucrats who created the destructive template in the 1950s. Persistence with this failed plan speaks of a political leadership bereft of ideas and out of touch with the destruction their decisions have wrought. Such an approach is sure to deliver the sticky end that always follows extended periods of low economic growth with continued accumulation of national debt. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this in-depth interview, Dr. Frans Cronje of the Social Research Foundation offers detailed insights into political dynamics across South Africa's provinces with particular emphasis on the Western Cape where the SRF has just concluded in-depth research. Cronje examines shifting voter sentiments in the DA-run province, concluding that newcomers Action SA and the Patriotic Alliance are attacking the wrong target - they would do better by focusing on former ANC voters whose support in the Western Cape is down from a recent 30% to just 10%. Cronje, currently engaging with movers and shakers in Washington also shares excellent news on AGOA and the US's renewed interest in Africa after realising the gains made on the continent by Russia and China. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian President Vladimir Putin “really wanted to show up” at the BRICS Summit in South Africa next month - “and he really wanted to show the world that the rules imposed by the international community, as he perceives it, don't apply to him because that's what he does; he always gets away with things that are somewhere written or deemed undoable”. These are the words of the Czech Deputy Minister of Defence, Dr. Tomáš Kopečný, who is also the Governmental Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. He speaks to BizNews following the decision by Putin not to attend the summit next month to avoid getting arrested in terms of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for war crimes in Ukraine. Dr. Kopečný says there was absolutely no chance that Russia would have gone to war with South Africa if Putin were arrested - as was argued by President Cyril Ramaphosa - because 96% of all its troops are in Ukraine, and they even use equipment that countries from Africa sent to Russia for maintenance overhauls. Dr. Kopečný also speaks to BizNews about the Wagner Group’s renewed focus on Africa under a new commander who “comes from the structures that are much more closely linked with the faithful”. And he gives BizNews the inside track on the Ukrainian counter offensive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s alarm about a new intelligence bill that targets religious institutions, private security companies and non-governmental organisations for vetting in a way that could possibly be unconstitutional. If the bill became law, those wishing to establish and operate a new non-governmental or religious organisation, or establish a private security company, would have to undergo a vetting investigation in order to determine their security competence for clearance. Such vetting would give intelligence officers access to one’s most sensitive personal information. BizNews finds out more from a member of the 2018 High-Level Presidential Review Panel (HLRP) that investigated the State Security Agency (SSA). He is Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, Professor of International & Diplomacy Studies at Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs at the University of South Africa. (UNISA). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book “Countdown to Socialism”, Anthea Jeffery removes scales from the eyes of those who have ignored the ANC’s pursuit of a blueprint for SA economic disaster - the National Democratic Revolution plan devised by Soviet Union bureaucrats in the 1950s. Jeffrey, head of policy research at the Institute of Race Relations, explains how the NDR originated from Soviet ideologies aimed at shifting newly independent African and Asian, primarily capitalist countries, to socialism. Despite the Soviet Union’s dissolution three decades after the economic collapse, Jeffery asserts that the ANC and its supporters remain in an obsessive pursuit of the NDR, despite its now well-exposed pitfalls and record of economic destruction and creating misery. She also warns those in the private sector rallying to the government’s call to support the failing SA economy that they are being misled and will be dispensed with as soon as it suits Pretoria’s socialist agenda. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this insightful discussion, three business leaders share their perspectives on the critical need for radical collaboration to address the challenges of local government infrastructure in South Africa. Alan Mukoki, CEO of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Richard Gayba, Chair of the Makana Business Forum, and Ken Clark, CEO of Twizza Beverages Eastern Cape, shed light on the urgent requirements for quick turnaround times, proper maintenance, and efficient service delivery. Despite the discouraging state of many municipalities, these leaders discuss their efforts to bring about positive change through initiatives like radical collaboration and the circle of unity. Join us for this 6-part series with Kagiso Trust as we explore ways of being a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Sponsored by: Kagiso Trust - https://bit.ly/3N4FZ9e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crooked South African Police Service (SAPS) members are “filling up” court rooms with malicious prosecutions to silence their competent colleagues who are investigating politically sensitive cases - as well as the honest ones who are trying to expose corruption. Long-time violence- and police monitor Mary De Haas - who has fought tirelessly for decades to hold the police accountable for abuses of power - gives BizNews the inside story of a force “riddled with criminality”. She describes how one officer is being maliciously prosecuted with no evidence at all, but simply to take him off a case that is a “political bombshell”. She recalls how the Nationalists still had a sense of shame when exposed, but says the current government has “no sense of shame”. De Haas lists the urgents police reforms that could be implemented immediately if there were political will - and she calls on big business to do read the Riot Act to the Presidency. Meanwhile, she is fighting all the way to Parliament on behalf of SAPS whistleblower Patricia Morgan-Mashale who is still in hiding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Less than half of South African university students complete their degrees, a stark contrast to the 30% rate seen in OECD countries. However, Excel@Uni, a pioneering South African startup, is determined to change this trend. Focused on keeping students on track throughout their academic journey and preparing them for the workplace, the company has recently received recognition from Google as a recipient of the 2023 Google for Startups Black Founders Fund. Co-founder, Lungelo Gumede, told Biznews that Excel@Uni has achieved remarkable results, boasting an impressive success rate of 90% for their students in a pilot programme, with certain years recording zero drop-outs. Gumede said that black founders often found it difficult to secure investors, but Excel@Uni adapted their business model and managed to make it more attractive for their preferred investor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran money manager Nick Downing specialises in a highly profitable niche - carefully selected global investment trusts from hundreds whose equity is listed on London Stock Exchange. In this fascinating interview, the co-founder of Overberg Asset Management explains his process, and how he can regularly acquire offshore assets at significant discounts. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introductions 00:48 - Nick Downing on starting his own business 03:18 - Why he chose the town of Greyton to start his business 04:42 - On moving to South Africa after graduating from Cambridge 06:25 - On Overberg's unique approach to investing and the London Stock Exchange 10:03 - Why investment trusts are not popular in South Africa 13:17 - On the ins and outs of investment trusts 14:29 - On the success of Overberg Asset Management 17:13 - How Downing and Overberg approach investment 19:58 - On Overberg's biggest holdings in the LSE 22:49 - Concludes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews founder Alec Hogg put Gosolr to the ultimate test - and says SA’s leading provider of residential renewable energy solutions passed with distinction. In this interview, Gosolr CEO Andrew Middleton, a qualified actuary, explains how the mushrooming company's business model is built on a discipline of a simply month-by-month commitment from clients - and installations completed within a single day. He also unpacks the direct correlation between demand for Gosolr's services and Eskom's load-shedding schedule and explains how the company is engaging with rural municipalities to assist them in overcoming seemingly intractable problems with supplying electricity to their ratepayers. - Alec Hogg Sponsored by: GoSolr: https://bit.ly/3q0jk6n Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Volatility is still the name of the Fantasy Fund Manager game, as Richemont and Pick n Pay are down more than 10 percent for the week. But what is this signalling? On the Fantasy Fund Manager podcast, BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by Corion Capital's Garreth Montano and Dylan Bradfield, a portfolio manager at Sharenet, to dissect the current rotation happening in the local market. But where does the opportunity lie, Dylan points to a potential rotation into insurers. The pros and cons of company share buybacks were also discussed, with both leaning towards the former, potentially better use of capital than dividends. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The roots of South Africa’s Construction Mafia reach all the way back to the extensive site disruptions around payment issues at the Medupi and Kusile projects for ESKOM. This emerges from an interview with Construction lawyer Euan Massey who says regulations released in 2017 opened up a door for illicit organisations to use what had happened previously in terms of site disruption to demand payment from contractors and from developers and subcontractors in the construction industry on the premise that it was a government requirement that they be paid 30% of the contract value. Their modus operandi involve extortion, violence, and even murder. Meanwhile details about the alleged involvement of government officials and crooked cops in the Construction Mafia emerged at a webinar this week with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala and industry experts. The Minister says a special task force to  deal with the Construction Mafia is being established - and at least 605 suspects have been arrested. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Settas, chairman of the Free Market Foundation’s Health Policy Unit, sheds more light on the National Health Insurance (NHI) project in South Africa raising widely held concerns. Settas says universal health coverage already exists in the country, emphasizing the need to address issues of cost and quality rather than completely overhauling the system. He is concerned about the lack of pre-implementation feasibility studies and engagement, potential disinvestment in the private sector, and the tax implications of the proposed reforms. Settas argues collaboration with non-State stakeholders, ignored thus far, is crucial for NHI to stand any chance of success. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A two seat gain by the Democratic Alliance in yesterday’s by-elections has given the party an outright majority in the George municipality, which is currently runs in coalition with Moonshot Pact partner, FF+. But there celebrations had a hard edge as the DA Western Cape leader Tertius Simmers explains in this interview, alleging that Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance used booze and food parcels to buy the votes that secured the PA the other seat. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For six years, a couple of entrepreneurially seasoned CAs trading have been delivering Alternative Investment goods for clients. Their firm, Innovate Alternative Investments and Assets, uses its independence effectively by spreading clients’ funds among the most appealing private equity, venture capital, 12J and other alternative investment classes. In this interview, co-founder Anil Govind explains how Innovate outperforms - and why the tax-incentive 12B funds are so appealing right now. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Asia's economic success stories have been extensively documented in numerous books, attracting a steady stream of visitors to countries like China, Singapore, Vietnam, and South Korea who seek to witness their remarkable growth. Naturally, this prompts the question: What lessons can Africa learn from these experiences, and who should serve as an inspiration? In an interview with Biznews, political analyst, Moeletsi, presents a fresh perspective, suggesting that South Africa should redirect its focus away from the East and instead look to the New World, particularly the United States that we should emulate. In an interview with Biznews, Mbeki draws parallels between the American experience and South Africa's emphasising the need for South Africa to break free from its neo-colonial economic structure imposed by the British, which heavily relies on the export of raw materials. He says that the big mining companies show little interest in beneficiation, instead focusing on excavation and calls for a revolutionary shift to proper industrialisation which includes a fundamental overhaul of South Africa’s education system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Ghaleb Cachalia, shares the details of a conversation he had with former ESKOM COO Mr Jan Oberholzer following his sudden departure from the beleaguered power utility. And he gives his very frank verdict on the move. He also hails the government’s first step towards privatisation at Transnet, another struggling SOE - and says public-private partnerships are needed to fix the State’s non-delivery at all SOEs. He is very upbeat about the outcome of next year’s national elections, and says that while the African National Congress (ANC) is “scrambling” to hold onto votes, the coalition is “looking stronger by the day”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judging by the vociferous comments on social media after my interview with Dr Nicholas Crisp, middle-class South Africans are almost universally camped against the concept of national health insurance. But most South Africans DO agree the status quo is disastrous. While corruption, cadre deployment and incompetence are blamed, deep structural issues inherited from pre-1994 were never addressed. South Africa’s solution surely lies outside those provided in often-referenced First World countries like the UK and France. Among the global success stories is Indonesia, a developing country with an efficient universal healthcare system serving a widely dispersed population four times SA’s. The President of Indonesia’s national health insurance body is Dr Ali Ghufron Mukti. He is a university professor and serves as the director general of Indonesia’s Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education. We met during his visit to SA last week. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Crime Intelligence section is “sleeping” while transnational organised crime syndicates loot billions - and rampant lawlessness sabotages the economy. This has emerged from a BizNews interview with veteran crime fighter Yusuf Abramjee, who is also the founder of Tax Justice South Africa (TJSA). Every day, an estimated R250 million is looted from South Africa by the illicit economy - often with the help of corrupt officials - with “very little action” from government to counter it. Abramjee says South Africans should be “very, very worried” about the corruption in the ranks of government, civil servants, and politicians - and urges civil society to fight back and put pressure on the government to act. He warns that the new Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill will help illicit cigarette barons loot even more. He calls the recent spate of torching of trucks “economic sabotage” and asks: “Where was Crime Intelligence in the first place - before the first truck was set alight? Perhaps they're still snoring. We know Crime Intelligence has been sleeping for years…” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into an insightful discussion with Andrew Vintcent of ClucasGray about the current volatile landscape of South African stocks. Andrew defies the bearish outlook by advocating for JSE-listed stocks, offering an intriguing take on investing in a South African-only balanced fund. The conversation delves deep into key issues like load shedding, inflation, and the cyclical versus structural nature of current financial difficulties, all framed within an overarching optimism for the future of South African investing. This candid conversation is not to be missed by any investor. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Francois Nortje, director of NT55 Investments and developer of the Port of Gauteng, unpacks the watershed public-private partnership deal announced yesterday by Transnet. Nortje, the parastatal’s most vocal critic, is full of enthusiasm lauding Transnet’s selection of ICTSI, a reputable Filipino company which is one of the world’s leaders in this field - and valued at R135bn on the Manila Stock Exchange. He is not as excited about the second leg in the process, a similar partnership opportunity on rail connectivity, but reckons improving South Africa’s port infrastructure is a positive step towards levelling out the downward economic spiral of recent years. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024 national and provincial elections are seen as a realistic opportunity for opposition parties to wrest power away from the ruling ANC. With every single vote making a difference, the DA is gearing up to woo overseas voters who have in the past overwhelmingly voted for the party. The DA Abroad’s Global Chair, Ludré Stevens, told BizNews that voting overseas is much easier for this election, as the IEC has agreed to allow online registration for overseas voters. Stevens said this is a huge game changer and the party is also pushing for more voting stations in locations where South Africans are based, rather than just capital cities, and for the use of only one form of identification. He said the DA has started a process of mobilising South Africans abroad as this is the election where a single seat can make a difference. Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introductions 00:28 - Ludré Steven discusses the DA's drive to secure overseas voting for the 2024 national election 01:00 - Steven gives the ins and outs of overseas voting 04:50 - On the number of overseas voters the DA aims to secure 06:56 - On the need to get votes away from the ANC 10:57 - On difficulties with securing passports for overseas voters 12:07 - On the importance of the 2024 national election Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would crime fighter Ian Cameron do if he were the Minister of Police? Cameron would start by fixing the top structure of the South African Police Service (SAPS): a national commissioner who understands that he is a CEO of an entity that is providing a service to 60 million clients; a skills audit of the “Top 10” to get rid of political appointments and incompetents; a polygraph process to weed out the corrupt; the recruitment of officers with integrity who can service with transparency; as well as better training, more detectives - and the return of reservists. He also gives BizNews an update on the latest developments around the recent assault by members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile's VIP Protection Unit detail on unarmed civilians forced off the N1 highway. - Chris Steyn Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introductions 00:22 - Ian Cameron gives an update on the N1 VIP Police scandal 08:14 - Cameron on how would fix policing in South Africa 11:39 - Ian Cameron provides words of hope for South Africans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dylan Bradfield, portfolio manager at Sharenet, provides some excellent investment pointers, basing his view on the strong potential for a rotation of investment from US assets to Emerging Markets - including South Africa. Bradfield highlights the recent popularity of the JSE, driven by the weakening dollar and increased interest in retailers, insurers, and banks. He believes that South African stocks are highly attractive value propositions, with cheap fundamentals and the potential for a significant upward move as global markets allocate more capital to the country. Bradfield also provides the case for buying Telkom and Blue Label. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews from the Latitude Aparthotel studio in Cape Town. - Alec Hogg Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introductions 00:39 - Dylan Bradfield on Fantasy Fund Manager 01:57 - Bradfield gives his overall view of the South African market 04:18 - On cheap SA stocks and the trajectory of the market 04:49 - On Telkom 07:50 - On Openserve 10:02 - On Blue Label 12:45 - On his approach to investing 14:01 - On the US inflation rate and its impact on US stocks 16:28 - How the US economy may affect the SA market 17:52 - On being patient with your investments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would Glynnis Breytenbach do if she were the Minister of Justice? In a face-to-face interview from the Latitude Aparthotel studio in Cape Town, BizNews asks her for solutions. Breytenbach, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Shadow Minister of Justice, says that her first priority would be to ensure that the functionality of the criminal justice system was restored. “The entire system needs a serious overhaul, and that includes the police, the prosecution, the judiciary and correctional services.” Currently, Breytenbach is working hard towards the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commission that would relieve the overburdened National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of the task of prosecuting very high-level corruption- and organised crime cases. She is optimistic that the bill will sail through Parliament - with the expected support from the African National Congress (ANC) - and that the Commission could be set up within about a year - and that this completely independent Chapter 9 institution could start prosecuting these complex cases within 18 months so that South Africans can start seeing accountability and consequences. - Chris Steyn Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. --- Timestamps: 00:00 - Introductions 00:28 - Glynnis Breytenbach on the state of the Justice Deparment in SA and what changes she would make if she were Justice Minister 06:35 - On if the dire state of the Justice Department can be turned around timeously 07:22 - On the National Prosecuting Authority 11:20 - On the public scepticism toward the Justice Department and NPA 12:49 - On the safety and protection of whistleblowers in SA 15:59 - On the Anti-Corruption Commission Bill 18:40 - On the endemic corruption in South Africa 20:27 - On the timeline for the Anti-Corruption Commission Bill 21:16 - On what drives her passion for justice 22:51 - On her relationships with the Ministers of Police and Justice and the Thabo Bester debacle 24:11 - On President Cyril Ramaphosa 24:42 - On the state of justice in South Africa 25:52 - Concludes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Kevin Trenberth, a highly regarded climate scientist whose work on several IPCC reports has made him a leading voice in the field, sat down with BizNews to discuss the current state of climate change. Dr Trenberth did an exemplary job of explaining how, while climate change is primarily caused by greenhouse gases, it also amplifies natural weather patterns like El Niño. Both those on the climate change alarmist and sceptic sides of this critical debate are sure to follow the interview keenly as Trenberth provided detailed explanations of complex climate science concepts and responded to statements made by climate scientists in the opposing camp. Dr Trenberth was forthcoming and informative with his beliefs and arguments – a fresh and very welcome level of professionalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

United States inflation fell to 3% in June, the lowest in three years, as increased interest rates started to bite. This easing in CPI has lifted hopes that the current trend of rising interest rates will be cooled. But what does all this mean for a South African investor? This week on the Fantasy Fund Manager podcast BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by Corion Capital's Garreth Montano and Grant Morris, a portfolio manager at CluclasGray Asset Management, to try to answer this ever-changing scenario. With a big scope on which sectors and stocks may benefit from a dovish interest rate environment and a stronger Rand. Education is one of the cornerstones of Fantasy Fund Manager and this week dividend ratio was explained, and how it is used in investment decision-making. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Wolf, the esteemed chief economic commentator at the Financial Times, requires little introduction. Regarded as the gold standard of financial and economics journalism, Wolf’s latest book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism serves as a wake-up call for democratic nations. In it, he highlights the faltering marriage between democracy and the market economy, exposing democratic nations to the perils of profoundly anti-democratic forces. In an exclusive interview with BizNews, Wolf delves into his background and how it has shaped his perspectives, illuminating the concerning backsliding of democracy and proposes remedies to reverse this decline ‘before it is too late’. Reflecting on South Africa, a country for which he penned his “saddest but perhaps best column” in the early 2000s, Wolf laments the predatory and non-productive elite that is not creating new wealth. The leadership’s unbelievably difficult task, he says, has deteriorated. He emphasises that South Africa’s path to success necessitates the economy to grow at 5% a year and the incomes of the poorest should grow at 7or 8%. - Linda van Tilburg Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many whistleblowers in South Africa end up on the run. Some even end up dead. Others have to live in hiding in fear of their lives. One of those is South African Police Service (SAPS) whistleblower Patricia Morgan-Mashale, a former Senior Administration Clerk in the Firearm Registry in the Free State. Patricia has been in hiding since February last year (2022) after repeatedly trying to expose “massive” corruption in SAPS. She tells BizNews of threats to her life and liberty; how Police Minister Bheki Cele tried to get her to meet him alone; and how President’s Cyril Ramaphosa has ignored her pleas for protection. Still, she says: “…my children have told me they’d rather have a mother who died because of a truth than a mother who's still alive because she was afraid to speak out and tell the truth.” This is her story… - Chris Steyn Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Western Cape government's “Growth for Jobs Strategy” is being launched later this month (July 2022). Western Cape Premier Alan Winde gives a sneak preview - and details a raft of positive developments in the province. He discusses the latest plans to counter the “biggest blockage” to the economy - electricity and energy. And he tells BizNews how the province’s residents are being made safer with “boots on the ground” in murder- and crime hotspots. Meanwhile, new schools are being built fast, with one for 500 learners completed in just 65 days. Premier Winde also gives optimistic feedback on his recent trip to the United States (US) where talks were held with big investors, as well as the US Government on AGOA, amongst other matters of bilateral interest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa is home to one of the world’s foremost scenario planners - an Oxford PPE and erstwhile top business executive who played a huge role in the late 1980s in steering the nation towards the High Road of negotiation, rather than a widely anticipated civil war. Now in his late 70s, futurist Clem Sunter’s passion for the country is undimmed. But he fears that today’s political and business leaders are not appreciating the arrival of the second watershed that was highlighted in the original High Road Low Road scenarios three decades back. In this absorbing interview he explains to BizNews’s Alec Hogg what’s really at stake in Election 2024. In short, that it’s “the economy, stupid...” and without a 1980s-type refocus, this time to promote entrepreneurship, all of the Young Democracy’s gains since 1994 will be lost Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest episode of the Radical Collaboration series with Kagiso Trust, experts discuss the pressing issues of social justice and corruption in South Africa. The conversation centers around the concept of social justice as enshrined in the country’s Constitution, emphasizing equal access to basic necessities such as clean water, which is a fundamental right. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story, with disparities in the quality of services between different communities. The guests, Zukiswa Kota from the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) and Wayne Duvenage, CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), shed light on the detrimental effects of corruption and the challenges faced in achieving social justice and equitable service delivery. Join us for this 6-part series with Kagiso Trust, as we explore ways of being a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Sponsored by: Kagiso Trust - https://bit.ly/3N4FZ9e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Lings, Chief Economist at Stanlib, has added a lot of Eskom-related data to the weekly pack of graphs he distributes to the company’s clients - and in this interview, unpacks the key information, cutting through the complexity and technical jargon that often makes it inaccessible for many. Lings presents the information digestibly, allowing for a clearer understanding of the energy sector’s overall situation. His conclusions point to there being hope - thanks to the successful renewables programme and the huge and growing role now being played by the private sector, which was only recently allowed to enter the sector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Shadow Minister of Police Andrew Whitfield says President Cyril Ramaphosa should take responsibility for the state of safety and security in South Africa because he has refused to get rid of Police Minister Bheki Cele. He speaks to BizNews as Cele seems to have gone “underground” while the furore over VIP Protection Unit members assaulting unarmed civilians, rages on. The exposure of that has now resulted in an apparent death threat to an ex-cop in the security industry for sharing footage of the ”Blue Light Mafia” assault last week. That threat read: “Goodday we don't take kind (sic) to the footage that you supplied to the media. You made a lot of enemies in specialized units, we will deal with you…” Meanwhile, President Ramaphosa “unfortunately appears dead set on keeping Minister Cele in this position”. But Whitfield warns that as long as Cele stays in his job, the country’s safety and security environment will deteriorate. He also slams SAPS’ use of spy grabber technology to illegally intercept communications from ordinary South Africans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Magnus Heystek, a fiercely independent financial advisor and founder of Brenthurst Wealth, wrote a piece for BizNews this week where he argues why South Africa has reached the “suddenly” stage of a financial crisis. In this interview Heystek went into greater detail on his article, discussing various alarming trends, including the collapse of the residential property market, the depreciation of the currency, poor stock market performance, and declining consumer confidence. So what would it take for SA’s arch bear to switch sides? Quite a bit, as you might imagine - but it’s not impossible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chief protagonist for universal healthcare in South Africa, Dr Nicholas Crisp, has been taking plenty of punishment from private sector commentators. He believes this public debate has been missing the point because SA’s healthcare system is uneven, broken and needs massive restructuring. While criticism of NHI comes mostly from those in companies serving the middle class, Crisp says the bulk of the NHI Bill targets complete reform of the public sector, on which 80% of citizens rely. The Deputy DG at the Department of Health put his case to Alec Hogg of BizNews.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is “extremely likely” that the tentacles of the Wagner Group reach all the way to South Africa - and that its propaganda division has already been meddling in the country’s politics with a view to influence the outcome of national elections next year. This has emerged from an interview with Dr Bohumil Doboš of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. “It is extremely likely that they are (in South Africa) and they are doing this for quite some time right now. The Internet Research Agency (IRA) of Yevgeny Prigozhin, which is based mainly in St. Petersburg, is operating worldwide…it is quite obvious that the Russian elites have their interest in the outcome of the upcoming general election… If African National Congress remains to be the unchallenged leader in South Africa, this is definitely something that Moscow can make use of.” Dr Doboš also speaks about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s IRA operations elsewhere in Africa; the difference between its modus operandi on the African continent and in the West; how their propaganda operations have shaped the views of African countries on the East-West conflict; as well as Wagner’s origins, its funding, and its military operations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the studio this week BizNews' Stuart Lowman was joined by Corion Capital's David Bacher and Anthony Hall. Hall, a portfolio manager at Corion, won the competition for June with a 13.26% return, this against the worst performance of -5.81%. Hall unpacked the strategy that got him to the top of the podium, but how not having Naspers in his picks almost caught up with him in the final week of June. He also stressed the important difference between how the game is played and how he manages portfolios. A big focus of Fantasy Fund Manager is education, and this week David explained what a PE ratio is and how it can be used in decision-making. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The civil rights group Action Society has issued WANTED posters for six of the VIP Protection Unit members who assaulted unarmed civilians - and repeatedly kicked an unconscious man at the side of a highway in full glare of the public. Action Society’s Ian Cameron is outraged that the officers involved in the unprovoked attack have not been arrested and charged, but have just been put on administrative duty. “I mean, if you and I pointed a gun at someone, then kick them, beat them until they're unconscious, carried on beating them after they had lost consciousness, then we'd be behind bars. You and I would be begging for bail.” Cameron also describes the ordeal suffered by the victim, Lvaughn Fisher, who thought it was a hijacking. - Chris Steyn Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africans have reacted strongly to the video of a SAPS VIP policy protection unit dragging and gang-beating a motorist on the side of a major highway. Rory Steyn, who was the co-head of the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU) that looked after Nelson Mandela, answers the key questions and shares how PPU alumni view the actions of deputy president Paul Mashatile’s security detail. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dysfunction of ESKOM and Transnet has sent South Africa’s economy into the emergency ward. That has emerged from an interview with Ghaleb Cachalia, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises. “ESKOM, if you like, is the heart of our economy. Transnet is the spine of our economy. We have destroyed the heart of the economy. It's in ICU. Our spine needs to be looked at by every possible surgeon, to continue that metaphor, in sight, because of course it's broken.” Cachalia also shares his views on the state of other SOEs including SAA which he says is flying on a “shoestring”, and DENEL which was once the “darling of the investor community and now is the skunk of the investor community”. He singles out SAFCOL as the “only” SOE that's “holding its head vaguely above water”. However, he warns that there are “huge land claims about to derail SAFCOL over time”. - Chris Steyn Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Timestamps 00:33 - Ghaleb Gachalia on what's fixable and unfixable regarding Eskom 05:50 - On the lack of skills 11:45 - The ticking time bomb that is Eskom is far from being diffused 13:30 - On if the gaps between what should be done, what can be done and will be done are reachable at this point 14:44 - On How much time we have for these issues to be fixed 15:58 - On the Transnet disaster 16:37 - The broken spine that is Transnet 24:08 - Ending with words of hope  25:23 - Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Paul Mashatile has been in the crosshairs of late - not least of all because his VIP Protection officers assaulted unarmed civilians. BizNews now takes a look at his ascendency to power. Veteran Gauteng Democratic Alliance (DA) politician Jack Bloom gives his take on Mashatile’s talent as an “internal” politician, his lack of “external” political achievement, his ambitious climb of the rungs of power, as well as the persistent allegations about his lavish lifestyle, his “fishy” associates, and the ‘Alex Mafia’. Bloom says that everything that's been alleged about Mashatile is true, he was a pioneer of State Capture. - Chris Steyn Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a crisis of leadership amongst South Africa’s ego-driven politicians who are not serving the people with “character, caring, competence, commitment, and connectedness”. This has emerged from an interview with Leadership Diagnostician Dr. Albert Wort of the University of Johannesburg (UJ). He gives BizNews his take on the leadership abilities of some of the country’s past and current politicians. He describes ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba as a “very, very good leader”; expresses disappointment in President Cyril Ramaphosa who has “lost authenticity”; questions whether EFF leader Julius Malema’s authenticity is adding value; and says SA was at the pinnacle of leadership when Madiba was president, but then the “wannabes” stepped in… - Chris Steyn Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once hailed as the beacon of democracy in Africa, South Africa's municipalities are grappling with significant challenges related to governance lapses and accountability. Part 3 of the 6-part series with Kagiso Trust, Professor Sam Koma from the University of Limpopo and Mankodi Moitse, CEO of Kagiso Trust, shed light on the pressing need to professionalize local government in South Africa and address critical issues such as corruption, service delivery, and improved governance. The discussion delves into the importance of promoting high professional standards and ethics in the public sector, the challenges faced in recruitment and appointment processes, and the alarming accountability regressions highlighted by the Auditor General's report. These expert voices advocate for radical collaboration between local government and communities for a better future. Join us for this 6-part series with Kagiso Trust, as we explore ways of being a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Sponsored by: Kagiso Trust - https://bit.ly/3N4FZ9e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Civil rights group Action Society’s Ian Cameron has launched a petition for a ban on the South African Police’s “Blue Light Mafia”. This after a video went viral on Twitter showing SAPS VIP Protection officers violently assaulting unarmed civilians on the N1 highway. Deputy President Paul Mashatile has now confirmed that those officers are attached to his detail. “Paul Mashatile criticising an incident like this is the same as (Colombian drug lord) Pablo Escobar condemning drug trafficking. It makes no sense,” Cameron says. He says the incident is part of a culture that has been engraved in the very being of VIP Protection Services - and that has been a problem for years on end. - Chris Steyn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Corion Report, now in its sixth year, is a superb reference tool for the past month’s performance of asset classes. Compiler David Bacher, Corion’s CEO, explains why the big losers in May turned into the hardest runners in June, unpacks the unit trust sector’s winners and losers and shares his thoughts on what lies ahead. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 The IFP steamroller appeared to be gathering irresistible momentum since SA’s November 2021 Local Elections. In one by-election after the other, the IFP posted huge increases in the share of the vote and won an unprecedented eight wards off the ANC in the ruling party’s strongholds. So last week’s loss to the ANC in Estcourt’s Ward 14 was a shock, causing commentators to predict a rejuvenation for Ramaphosa’s beleaguered organisation. Not so, says IFP president Velinkosini Hlabani who puts the reverse down to ANC dirty tricks, not a sudden surge in popularity. Hlabani, tipped by the Freedom Front + as SA’s most likely next president, shares details with Alec Hogg of BizNews. He also looks ahead to the opposition party codesa next month - and explains why any IFP post-2024 election coalition with the ANC would be “very, very difficult for us”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eskomite Jan Oberholzer, an electrical engineer who retired as the utility’s COO at the end of April, spent Friday evening in Hermanus answering nothing’s-off-limit questions from BizNews’s Alec Hogg. Here are the highlights of that lengthy interview, providing the inside track on burning issues like why loadshedding has improved lately and when will it end. Plus the inside track on Oberholzer’s two year consulting job; his lengthy one-on-one meeting with the SA president; SA’s desperate need for a ‘crystal ball’ - and how to turn currently destructive transformation policies into a positive. The interview was in a large hall and in parts the recording is not good. But given the content, it's is worth persevering with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you belong to the group of South Africans that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has referred to as "mobile higher-income earners" and you're contemplating leaving the country or are already part of the large pool of South Africa's emigrants, it's crucial to take into account the tax implications of emigration. The finance minister and the South African Receiver of Revenue are eager to retain as many South African residents as possible within their tax net. Therefore, they expanded tax laws in 2021 to include South African citizens' worldwide income and assets. In an interview with BizNews, Sable International's William Louw suggests that prospective and current emigrants carefully consider the concept of tax emigration, which involves altering their residency status. Louw outlined the necessary steps for tax emigration to BizNews and provided insights on assets that may trigger capital gains tax. He also highlights the rules for individuals who may wish to return to the country.- Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Head of equities at Terebinth Capital, Ann Sebastian, is having lots of fun participating in its co-sponsored Fantasy Fund Management game. But her day-to-day work is to select the right stocks to invest in. She does so through a model that applies mathematical formulae to bring together many disparate factors, creating a “wholistic” selection process that turns the old ones on their heads. She explained this - and the excellent returns from Naspers - to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Interview sponsored by: Terebinth Capital: www.terebinthcapital.com Proud sponsor of: Fantasy Fund Manager: https://bit.ly/43pn8fM Timestamps: 00:00 - Introductions 01:01 - Ann Sebastian on Fantasy Fund Manager 01:35 - Sebastian on her passion for Mathematics and numbers 02:15 - On her transition into investment and finance 03:34 - How Terebinth looks at investment 05:34 - On using AI and machine learning 07:09 - On where the South African market finds itself 08:59 - On how to approach investing in the current market 11:32 - On Naspers 14:09 - On her move from Stanlib to Terebinth 16:06 - On Terebinth's woman-dominant business environment 17:11 - On what Terebinth stands for 17:45 - On Terebinth sponsoring FFM 18:38 - On her FFM portfolio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world where encounters with Holocaust survivors are few, and most have surpassed their 90s or 100s, Ella Blumenthal stands out as an extraordinary individual. Her journey that she penned in her book, “I am Ella” with author Joanne Jowell, goes beyond mere survival, for she carries within her a remarkable absence of hatred and refusal to be defined by her suffering. At 101 years old, Ella, who lives in Cape Town, exudes a fiery, gracious, and humorous spirit, at times even taking on the role of the interviewer. In an exclusive Biznews interview with Ella, her daughter Evelyn Kaplan and Jowell, her captivating presence makes this a must-listen, hosted by Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The growing power of Russia’s Wagner Group in Africa is believed to be behind the sudden termination of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. BizNews speaks to Dr. Robert Zuber, director of the UN-based Global Action to Prevent War and Conflict. He was at the UN Security Council meeting on Friday last week to ratify a plan for the drawdown. He feels the Wagner Group was “partially responsible” as they were able and are able to promise - if not deliver - security to Mali without the pressure that the UN is putting on Mali to return to democratic government, to hold elections, and to fully honour the peace agreement. US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has accused Wagner of using its operations in Mali both to obtain revenue for the group and its leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as well as to procure weapons and equipment to further its involvement in the war in Ukraine. The US has now sanctioned Wagner’s Mali “facilitator” Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov who has worked “closely” with Prigozhin’s entity Africa Politology and senior Malian government officials on weapons deals, mining concerns, and other activities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the rural regions of South Africa, an astonishing number of schools continue to rely on pit toilets or latrines, which essentially consist of 3-metre-deep holes in the ground. Pit toilets not only strip pupils of their dignity and compromise hygiene, but they also pose significant risks to their safety. Tragically, there have been cases of young children losing their lives after falling into these treacherous latrines including a four-year-old Eastern Cape girl, Langalam Viki that was found in a pit toilet in June this year. Seeking to address this pressing issue, Breadline Africa, a non-profit organisation, has taken up the mission to install 4000 flush toilets in schools across South Africa. Johan Nel, Marketing Manager from Breadline Africa told Biznews that they wanted to place 4000 toilets in rural South Africa helping 120 000 children. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The value versus growth debate has been a common theme across the Fantasy Fund Manager podcast, hosted by BizNews’ Stuart Lowman. Corion Capital’s Garreth Montani and Cuan Sauter from Moneybetter look behind the lens at the psychology and personality traits driving a value or growth investor. And on the subject of growth, Richemont is put under the microscope, a share that recently went through consolidation but continues to shine despite the cost-of-living crisis. There's also a tough match-up for June’s top spot, as 0.27% separates the top two (at the time of the podcast recording). Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs, be sure to have those picks in to take part in July's competition. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite a recent ratcheting up of “negative campaigning” by its detractors, the Patriotic Alliance is shaping up as a potent force in South African politics - evidenced by yesterday’s comfortable victory over the ANC incumbent in a well contested by-election in Johannesburg. Co-founder Charles Cilliers explains how the victory was crafted, and how it will send a message to the other free enterprise-supporting political parties. Especially the Official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, which also performed well in yesterday’s by-elections, retaining four wards, growing its share of the vote by well into double figures in two of them. Voters are pointing towards a clear path to victory in 2024 for opposition parties - but only if they start behaving in a manner that reflects the enormity of what is at stake for the country. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa’s estimated 13 million unregistered voters hold the power to change South Africa's future as the kingmakers in next year’s watershed national elections. This emerges from an interview with Werner Horn, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) member on the Party Liaison Committee of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). He tells BizNews why the votes of new voters are needed by “coalition” parties to surge past an estimated 40% of the vote to build a strong post-election pact for an “alternative” government. Horn also speaks about the “massive instability” that has been created by coalitions-gone-wrong in big Metros - and says the DA and the ANC are in agreement that strict coalition, management, legislation and institutions are needed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Irina Filatova is a Russian history and political science professor who moved to SA in 1992 to take up a post at the University of KZN - but remains closely in touch with her homeland and fellow Moscow University faculty and students. Author of half a dozen books, including acclaimed The Hidden Thread: Russia and SA in the Soviet Era (with Apollon Davidson), she is our go-to expert on all things Russian. Once again she delivers a rivetting interview here, providing superb context on the ructions in Russia and what impact the weakening of Putin will have on his South African acolytes in the ANC, EFF and SACP. After the interview, the Prof noted that had she said any of this in her former motherland, she'd have broken many laws and probably been jailed. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been challenged to visit Clarens in the Eastern Free State to be given advice on the implementation of poverty-relief programmes. The invitation comes from Garth Brook - an implementing agent for the past 16 years - who says: “And what we'll do is we'll explain very carefully to Mr. Ramaphosa what it is we need in order for his poverty relief projects to work. It's not difficult and it's very easy work.” Brook’s public appeal to the President comes after threats to blacklist him if he spoke out about his latest battles with officialdom. “They have told me that if I talk to you and I report this to you on your programme, I will be blacklisted.” According to Brook, the poorest of the poor are left even poorer by non-payment for projects; interference by municipal officials in projects funded by national government; and exploitation of workers by greedy implementers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa needs a professional diplomatic service to mitigate the damage caused by its foreign policy based on the ideological world view of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). That is the view of Terence Corrigan of the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) who speaks to BizNews about the ANC’s pro-Russia stance; the diplomatic debacle in Poland; President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “pathetic” performance in Paris; and the lingering questions over allegations that arms and ammunition were supplied to Russia in defiance of sanctions; as well as the “self-delusion” of BRICS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 In a rational world, the Democratic Alliance would be a shoo-in at South Africa’s National election next year. The only province where it has a majority, the Western Cape, proves the benefits of clean and efficient governance: crime is lower, property prices much higher, 98% of SA’s new jobs are created there - and public structures work in a country where big chunks are increasingly taking on the look of a failed state. But unseating SA’s Party of Liberation is no easy task. In this interview, DA leader John Steenhuisen explains how the DA expects to prevail. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews spoke to Dr Susan Wadia-Ells, author of Busting Breast Cancer, Five Simple Steps to Keep Breast Cancer Out of Your Body to discuss various factors contributing to breast cancer and shed light on the controversial practices and regulations surrounding its prevention and treatment. A fascinating discussion on mammograms, metabolic therapies and other critical issues related to the cancer industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Electoral reform is crucial in transforming South Africa’s democracy. Former member of the Independent Electoral Commission, Terry Tselane, and Senior lecturer at University of Pretoria, Dr. Sithembile Mbete participated in a panel discussion focused on the recent electoral reforms and their implications, specifically the inclusion of independent candidates in the closed list proportional representation system. Tselane emphasized the long-standing efforts to establish a fair electoral system, while Mbete expressed concerns about the Electoral Amendment Act potentially benefiting political parties. Despite the complexity of the reform process, Tselane and Dr. Mbete remained hopeful for broader electoral reforms in the future elections. Part 2 of the 6-part series with Kagiso Trust. Sponsored by: Kagiso Trust - https://bit.ly/3N4FZ9e Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa is betting on a losing horse with its backing of Russia - and will face consequences for a foreign policy that “accommodates Moscow and other rogue regimes”. This warning comes from Dr. Colin P. Clarke, the Director of Research at the Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security consultancy based in New York. He speaks to BizNews about the likely consequences of a continued SA-Russia “alliance”; the African National Congress (ANC) government’s failure to combat terror financing on its soil; a possible threat of misinformation leading to violence around next year’s national elections; and the “commercial and monetary” advantages of repairing its relationship with the US. Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A weekend of war games in Russia. A coup that wasn’t. A failed armed rebellion. A violent clash of egos between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his warlord Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin. BizNews speaks to Professor Abel Esterhuyse from the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University who says the failed rebellion nevertheless spells the beginning of the “unmaking” of the Putin regime in Russia. He thinks the “March for Justice” was for military-, not political justice and that it could have been sparked by a move to integrate Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fully into the Russian military because it was increasingly getting out of hand - and taking the credit for battlefield successes. Professor Esterhuyse says the failed rebellion has also put the loyalty of the Russian military in question. He believes the Ukraine should now just use time as a strategic commodity and wait for Putin’s position to be eroded to the point that a change of leadership becomes inevitable. Your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider keeps you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political scientist RW Johnson reckons there are significant implications here in South Africa after the weekend's aborted coup in Russia by Prigozihn's Wagner forces. The ANC and local Communist Party's support for a suddenly fragile Putin exposes them - and there are implications, too, for the country's watershed election in 2024. Johnson also sheds light on the parlous state of South Africa's international relations efforts and the need for a vast improvement in its expertise. Plus, he is scathing about SA president Cyril Ramaphosa's performance at the Paris summit which raises serious questions about his grasp of geopolitics and economics. Hi spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran money manager Piet Viljoen has been on the warpath against Naspers management in the runup to Tuesday’s release of the group’s financial results. He ripped into them in a social media post (see below), which sparked an interview with Alec Hogg where the manager of the Merchant West Value Fund elaborated on his views. Viljoen is not alone. A couple years back, a group of South African money managers issued an unprecedented public statement attacking management’s approach. Given the impairments that will be disclosed with the results on Tuesday, those critical voices are likely to be heard again in the week ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two billion people in the world, most of whom live in emerging markets, do not have access to credit. They are excluded from financial systems because they have limited or no credit history. South African startup, Omnisient, which specialises in secure data sharing for businesses, wants to bring this section of the population into the economy by leveraging AI and alternative data like retailers' rewards programs. A Financial Inclusion study by TransUnion showed that 20 million South African consumers were credit unserved and a further 7 million underserved. Omnisient was recently named one of the World Economic Forum's 2023 Tech Pioneers. Co-founder and CEO Jon Jacobson of Omnisient told Biznews that with alternative data, banks can predict the likelihood of defaults and increase sales by 30%. He said this is a win-win situation for everyone involved: the retailer, the person who could never get credit, and the credit economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this edited version of a lengthy Bloomberg podcast that uses South Africa as a template for "what happens when the lights go out", we are treated to how the international market sees the country's 15 years of electricity blackouts - what caused them and whether the problem is now being addressed. Bloomberg Opinion senior executive editor Tim O'Brien visited South Africa to see for himself what he describes as a "slow motion car crash". The host of Bloomberg's Crash Course podcast shares the microphone with his Cape Town-based Bloomberg colleague, energy reporter Paul Burkhardt and Olga Constantatos, head of credit at FutureGrowth Asset Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is in the strongest position to enter into a coalition government with the African National Congress (ANC) after next year’s general election. But a coalition with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) would be a feared outcome. That is the view of Professor Stig Jensen from the Centre of African Studies at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He speaks to BizNews about governance crises in Africa; how resistance movement-based governments are being increasingly challenged; how liberation movements fail to successfully transition to government; and how some governments became more authoritarian in the time of COVID. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a volatile environment investment professionals find themselves in, summed up succinctly by this week's guests, Corion Capital's Garreth Montano and Grant Morris from CluclasGray Asset Management, hosted by BizNews' Stuart Lowman. One of the building blocks behind Fantasy Fund Manager was education, and the first eight weeks have certainly given users that and more, highlighting how difficult it can be to manage money. But despite the macro and micro headwinds SA incorporated is facing, that's where both see certain companies offering value. While Grant laid out a few sector plays with a particular focus on Life Healthcare, set your diaries for ⅞ July. We've also opened up a questions section, which you can write in by going to our Twitter handle @Fantasy_Fund, emailing [email protected], or visiting www.speakpipe.com/ffm and voicing a question. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A change of Government is needed to save South Africa’s State-owned Enterprises (SOEs). This after the horror management experience of former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter who tried “every which way to rectify the troubles and the travails that Eskom had and still has”, but did not have the necessary political backing - and failed in the end. That is the opinion of independent political analyst Eugene Brink who guides BizNews viewers through the contents of De Ruyter’s explosive exposé of his time at Eskom. He says, apart from a change in Government, only some form of privatisation would be able to save many of the country's SOEs. - Chris Steyn Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, Mark Perchtold, founding director of OMBA, delves into the stock market’s Bull v Bear debate, shedding light on the current dynamics. He highlights that while last year was clearly a bear market, this year has seen the ascendancy of the bull, which holds significant implications for investors. Perchtold emphasizes the need for a more defensive approach, particularly after the impressive performance of certain stocks, notably Big Tech, which he accurately predicted six months ago were likely to enjoy a recovery. Furthermore, he discusses the recent surge in Artificial Intelligence stocks, drawing parallels to the dot-com boom and subsequent bust of 25 years ago. Perchtold provides valuable insights into OMBA’s current portfolio structure, highlighting its diversification and areas of overweight positioning. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shadowy agents from South Africa’s Apartheid era are believed to have been involved in the assassination 37 years ago of Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme. That is the conclusion of former Swedish diplomat and businessman Jan Stocklassa whose investigation was sparked by the discovery of research done by Stieg Larsson, the late author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Stocklassa’s findings are being aired in a documentary based on his book The Man Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson's Lost Files and The Hunt for an Assassin. BizNews interviewed both Stocklassa and veteran Swedish Police Authority officer Jan-Äke Kjellberg, who was seconded to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africans owe much to the efforts of its flotilla of activist non-profit organisations. Especially those like Solidarity’s Research Unit, which invests great effort in challenging seemingly endless irrational legislative proposals from the ANC- as it is doing once again after the ruinous National Health Insurance bill passed through Parliament last week. In this powerful assessment, the unit’s head Dr Connie Mulder puts the ANC’s unaffordable, irrational and un-implementable proposal to the sword, sharing some of the arguments that Solidarity will make in court. The true mystery is why the ANC persists with ideas that are certain to be blocked in the courts, which remain the primary power in any Constitutional Democracy. Perhaps it’s time for taxpayers to demand that political parties, and those driving them, are held personally responsible when they waste the country’s scarce financial resources in such obvious vote-pulling ploys? - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political analyst and Chairperson of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Moeletsi Mbeki says it’s evident from high employment, collapsing infrastructure, a deteriorating healthcare system and ailing security apparatus that the ANC government is not coping with its responsibilities and that the global status of South Africa has declined enormously, In an interview with Biznews, he also criticised the negative impact of black economic empowerment on the economy and on social cohesion. Change would be possible through the 2024 elections, he said, by a coalition of opposition parties. Mbeki called for the private sector to play an active role in politics, urging individual business leaders to intervene rather than simply advising the government. However, he dismissed the notion of a messiah-like figure driving this process. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a potentially watershed interview, Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie acknowledges his own mistakes and says South Africa's opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the PA, need to mature fast or they'll hand the African National Congress (ANC) another five years after the national election in May 2024. McKenzie says his leadership team is heading off on a learning visit to Israel, a country which has had a coalition government ever since its founding 75 years ago - and is hopeful this will teach his party the importance of maturity and unity among opposition parties, as their infighting undermines their credibility. In this wide-ranging discussion, McKenzie also touches on how the Moonshot Pact could work, but predicts that if the opposition doesn't sort themselves out, the ANC will be able to retain power in 2024 by choosing between his PA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as potential coalition partners. If this doesn't energise the opposition parties, you have to wonder what will. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Semaglutide, a drug marketed as Wegovy or Ozempic that was initially designed for diabetic patients to control blood sugar levels, has garnered attention for its potential weight loss effects. Notably, technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, hailing from South Africa, attributed his transformed physique, lauded by a fan as “ripped,” to fasting and the use of Wegovy. Muhammed Vally, Head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacy and Lecturer at Wits University, highlighted that clinical trials demonstrated that non-diabetic individuals who took Semaglutide experienced an average weight loss of 14.9%, in contrast to 2.4% in the placebo group. In an interview with Biznews Vally, however, stresses that the medication should not be considered a standalone solution and must be complemented with a proper diet and exercise regimen to maximise its benefits. It is important to note that Semaglutide may cause side effects such as nausea and diarrhoea. Despite these considerations, Vally believes that exploring the potential of this medication to address obesity is worth considering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa’s Mzansi Youth Choir has etched their names in history with a groundbreaking performance on America’s Got Talent. Securing the show’s first-ever group golden buzzer in its 18th season, they have set their sights on the next level. With harmonious determination, they aim to advance to the semi-finals and bring even greater pride to their nation by winning the renowned global talent competition. In an interview with BizNews, Artistic Director and choreographer Alfred Phakathi expresses hope that this international exposure will finally grant his choir the well-deserved recognition that South African artists often struggle to attain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once in a while, somebody produces truly superb work on a complex subject that demands the widest possible audience. Stanlib chief economist Kevin Lings delivers one of those rarities in this interview where he takes a look back at the past three decades and correlates foreign purchases on the South African share market with critical criteria like economic growth, unemployment and government debt. The result is a compelling argument and encouragement that SA’s desperate current situation is not pre-ordained; the road to success is no mystery - SA achieved it for more than a decade between 1996 and 2009. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Off the back of the US federal reserve interest rate pause, after ten consecutive hikes, it was fascinating to have Terebinth chief investment officer Erik Nel in the studio. Nel chatting with BizNews' Stuart Lowman and Corion Capital's Garreth Montano, gave insights into everything macro, from interest rate cycles to business cycles, plus a good case for an oil play. Garreth brought in some of the micro challenges SA inc has to deal with on top of the macro challenges, with a keen eye on banks and some of the beaten-down SA Inc. On the data front, players have moved away from SA inc, with Sanlam, Truworths, and MultiChoice making up three of the five least-owned shares. While Sasol was the most bought in stock in week seven, potentially supporting the oil play. We've also opened up a questions section, which you can write in by going to our Twitter handle @Fantasy_Fund, emailing [email protected], or visiting www.speakpipe.com/ffm and voicing a question. Remember to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roelf Meyer, known for his role in successfully negotiating South Africa’s Constitution alongside the ANC, joined Biznews for an exclusive interview. Meyer provided insights into his relationship with Cyril Ramaphosa and shed light on the President’s challenges in executing his plans. He highlighted the ANC and DA as the only parties with governing experience, cautioning against premature predictions on coalitions. Meyer discusses South Africa’s peace efforts in Ukraine, addresses criticism of the 1990s settlement, and advocates for a revised model of Black Economic Empowerment. He reveals that the Transformation Initiative (ITI), consisting of him and four other transition veterans, has been requested by the US to share their experiences in dealing with factionalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Action SA leader Herman Mashaba has bounced back after being savaged over paying R12m for the production of a biography - and hits the campaign trail again this week with a mass voter registration drive in the party’s fortress of Soweto. In this interview Mashaba offers his side of the book story - and explains why members of the Moonshot Pact will need to agree to a “deal-breaking” clause to prevent its abortion. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world where encounters with Holocaust survivors are few, and most have surpassed their 90s or 100s, Ella Blumenthal stands out as an extraordinary individual. Her journey that she penned in her book, “I am Ella” with author Joanne Jowell, goes beyond mere survival, for she carries within her a remarkable absence of hatred and refusal to be defined by her suffering. At 101 years old, Ella, who lives in Cape Town, exudes a fiery, gracious, and humorous spirit, at times even taking on the role of the interviewer. In an exclusive Biznews interview with Ella, her daughter Evelyn Kaplan and Jowell, her captivating presence makes this a must-listen, hosted by Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Civil society plays a crucial role in shaping societies and holding those in power accountable. However, with many municipalities in South Africa facing significant challenges, it is imperative for civil society to actively participate in addressing these issues. By organising themselves, holding those in power accountable, and engaging in collaborative efforts, civil society can transition from being part of the problem to becoming a powerful force for positive change. Active participation at both the individual and collective levels is essential to ensure that the needs and aspirations of communities are met. Join us for this 6-part series with Kagiso Trust, as we explore ways of being a part of the solution and not part of the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane's disruptive new political party Build One South Africa (BOSA) now has more than 20 000 members and will be whittling down already identified independent candidates to 200 ahead of the 2024 National Election. Maimane is confident that once the ballot papers have been counted he will be one of four options for SA's presidency alongside Ramaphosa, Malema and Steenhuisen. Far fetched? Not when you consider his popularity among political leaders - and what happened recently in Zambia and Lesotho. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The private sector has jumped into the opportunity presented by load-shedding and the SA government’s belated opening up of electricity supply. Marker-leading Gosolr is installing thousands of no-upfront-capital solar solutions into middle-income and upwards households, currently adding 10MW monthly. CEO Andrew Middleton, a trained actuary and former investment banker, says Gosolr’s target is injecting 500MW into the grid within three years - a number which would remove half a load shedding stage. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) is going to play an important role in collaborating with NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in their quest to reintroduce humans to the lunar surface. Construction is about to commence on a communication facility in Matjiesfontein. SANSA’s Managing Director, Raoul Hodges, from the Astronomy Observatory, delved into the details of this collaboration in an interview with Biznews. He said it marked an exciting milestone for South Africa's contribution to space exploration. NASA recognised the technology, skills, and reputation of the country in providing and operating a ground station to support its Artemis program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this compelling interview with OUTA founder and CEO Wayne Duvenage, he raises serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of 2024's national and provincial elections in South Africa - and the ability of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to fulfil its role. OUTA has been scratching in some dark places in the national accounts where it uncovered a switch in funding away from the IEC towards political parties, which now receive well over R1.5bn a year from tax revenues. This interview highlights the importance of upholding democratic principles and ensuring transparency in the electoral process - something far from guaranteed in what is shaping up to be a watershed election for the young democracy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa is in the grip of a serious national security crisis on the water front. This is according to Dr Anthony Turton, who is a specialist in water as a national security risk. He says: “We have a profound, profound problem in water in South Africa. We are deep in a water crisis. And the very foundation of this water crisis is an existential threat to the security and well being of the national economy in terms of job creation, in terms of its ability to raise capital, to grow the economy in the future and of course the ability to trigger social unrest.” He shares with BizNews the measures that Government should implement to make South Africa an investment prospect again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The growing number of raw sewage spills and cases of contaminated water across South Africa is becoming a critical threat to lives, livelihoods - and even the future of small towns. Sonja Boshoff of the National Council of Provinces has fought an epic - 15-year-long - battle in just one of the affected areas in Mpumalanga. The Democratic Alliance (DA) MP warns that a “very big health issue” will “explode” in South Africa if the African National Congress (ANC) government continues to allow municipalities to get away with it. She also guides BizNews through the Government’s recently released interim Blue and Green Drop Watch reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent experiences with coalitions in South African metros indicate that opposition parties are facing challenges in interpreting their mandate, raising concerns for the upcoming national and provincial elections. However, in an interview with Biznews, Freedom Front Plus leader, Dr Pieter Groenewald expresses his belief that both political parties and voters are in a learning process. Groenewald also addresses concerns about trust and potential coalition partners, particularly highlighting the need for the DA to clarify its position on forming a coalition with the ANC. He also touches on the potential challenges of a white opposition leader becoming the President of South Africa and suggests the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Velenkosini Hlabisa as a potential candidate for the presidency- Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 75 000 people have read last month's BizNews article based on our interview last month with James Lorimer, DA Shadow Mineral Resources Minister, where he likened the country's oil and gas potential to the Diamond and Gold booms that transformed the country. At last count, the recording of that interview on YouTube has been watched by almost 140 000 people. Here's the obvious follow-up - the "official" view from the South African State's chief geologist, Mosa Mabuza. His message, based on the science, is equally upbeat. In effect: Prepare to Meet Thy Boom. Good news at a time when the country needs it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a recording of the booked-out breakfast talk BizNews founder Alec Hogg gave this morning at the Hermanus Golf Course as part of the town's annual FynArts Festival. In it, Hogg shares how Fake News is nothing new, explaining how, through the ages, the innovations that expanded media access always attracted those with agendas far removed from the purist's approach to publishing the truth. He also suggests practical ways to become part of the solution to the Fake News scourge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview with Michelle North and Chris Eddy from COREshares by 10X, we learn how a JSE rule change has enabled the introduction of actively managed ETFs into the South African market. Currently delivering 9.9%, the COREshares actively managed Income ETF is a winner for those seeking high yields without having their money tied up for long periods - or being forced into risky paper. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six months into his second term, Cyril Ramaphosa has been labelled an “awful” president - who accumulated his huge personal wealth like a Russian oligarch on the back of a regime change. This devastating take down on his performance was delivered by independent political analyst Eugene Brink who likened Ramaphosa to a fearful Emperor with no clothes: a man who has disappointed citizens and investors alike; “who is afraid of his party, who's enthralled to his party” - and who has filled his Cabinet “with people he favours and some people he has to have there for the sake for political expediency”. Brink says Ramaphosa has “failed dismally” to deliver on his promises - but is “sadly” still the best the ANC has to offer right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The illicit trade in copper has unleashed a staggering burden on South Africa’s economy. With global demand for copper reaching new heights, the prospect of criminal gangs relinquishing their activities seems increasingly unlikely. Despite a previous six-month moratorium on copper exports imposed by the government, no new regulations have emerged since its expiration. The Leader of the Freedom Front Plus, who sits on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police, highlights corruption and alarmingly low conviction rates as the primary stumbling blocks impeding South Africa’s resolve to combat the rampant copper theft problem. Groenewald says the disheartening truth is that criminals in South Africa currently enjoy an 80% chance of evading punishment for their crimes. Groenewald also reflects on the recent passing of Tina Joemat-Petersson, the chairperson of the police portfolio committee who was being investigated for extortion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The extraordinary tale of two visionary property entrepreneurs, EasyProperty’s Rupert Finnemore and BlackBrick’s Jonathan Liebman, is covered in this interview, exploring their latest partnership and the profound impact they are having on the real estate industry. Their collaboration is now into its fifth project, the new BlackBrick Gardens development in Cape Town, which is already 65% subscribed with 15 days to go. The previous development in the Mother City delivered a net yield of 12% a year for Easy Property investors - with zero entry barriers to a market previously restricted to institutional investors. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fantasy Fund Manager of the month of May Angela Walton joined BizNews’ Stuart Lowman and Corion Capital’s Garreth Montano in studio. She gave away all her secrets that got her to the top of the investment pile, which have held for decades prior. Naspers as a holding also came under scrutiny as it’s still the most held stock in the game; 1 in 5 do so. We also opened up a questions section, which you can write in by going to our Twitter handle @Fantasy_Fund, email [email protected] or visit www.speakpipe.com/ffm and voice a question. Don’t forget to make your picks each week by the market open on Monday to have a chance to win any of the prizes up for grabs. And invite your friends. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this gripping interview, the Democratic Alliance's provincial leader, Roy Jankielsohn, exposes how state capture was “perfected” in the Free State under former premier Ace Magashule. He says the textbook for state capture was written in the province. “And Jacob Zuma was merely a student who read that textbook and implemented it at a national level, obviously using companies and individuals, including the Gupta brothers. But they started their empire in the Free State,” Jankielsohn says. Don't miss this eye-opening account of corruption, mismanagement, and its lasting consequences in the Free State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renowned political analyst RW Johnson’s explosive interview delves into two critical topics plaguing South Africa: the controversial arms-to-Russia scandal and perplexing recent African National Congress (ANC) decisions. Johnson uncovers a disturbing lack of transparency as the government conceals the inquiry’s findings, fuelling suspicions of guilt. The consequences loom large, including potential sanctions and detrimental effects on South Africa’s reputation and economy. Moreover, Johnson dissects the ANC’s puzzling move to grant immunity to Russian President Vladimir Putin, inviting criticism and muddying the fate of the upcoming BRICS summit. With sharp insights into South Africa’s National Health Insurance and public dissatisfaction, this thought-provoking conversation unveils a nation teetering on the brink. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emeritus Professor Francois Vreÿ of the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University warns that the African National Congress (ANC) government risks a “flash revolution” if it does not improve the provision of “human security”. He says the failure to effectively deliver quality services is evident in the “little red flashes” of dissatisfaction across the country. He also stresses the importance of a strong security governance platform to maintain stability. However, he does not believe that there will be a deep revolution that topples the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transnet has sent an SOS to the government about the freight chaos on the Jo'burg-Durban corridor, urgently calling for action to combat sabotage and cable theft. Francois Nortjé, Director of Distribution Junxion at the Port of Gauteng and a prominent advocate for rail issues, emphasizsd that this chaos has persisted for 22 months He told Biznews that the recent problems are not unprecedented, and there remains a lack of effective legislation to address the prohibition of copper exports. In an interview with Linda van Tilburg of Biznews, Nortjé estimated that Transnet's losses due to these issues amounted to R30-35 billion, surpassing the impact of state capture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Load shedding, crime, decaying infrastructure, corruption, and now, the concerning ties with Russia have South Africans boiling with anger. However, according to Professor William Gumede from Wits School of Government, our collective fury falls short. In a BizNews interview, Prof. Gumede revealed that acceptance of state failure, weak leadership, and corruption has seeped into our national psyche. What we require is a resounding uproar. Encouragingly, at the local government level, signs of hope emerge as people harness their voting power for change, as shared by Prof. Gumede in conversation with Linda van Tilburg of Biznews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There have been an increasing number of daring - and devastating - attacks behind Russian lines in its war with the Ukraine: audacious drone attacks on Moscow and the Kremlin itself; oil- and fuel depots and bridges blown up; air bases attacked; assassinations carried out. No one has publicly claimed responsibility for these clandestine operations. However, BizNews has been given a glimpse into the war zone by Andrei Kebkalo of Omega Consulting Group (OCG) that has trained at least 2 000 "extraordinary" operators. He answered reporter Chris Steyn's questions from his HQ in the northern Ukraine near the border with Belarus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A collapse in the Rand and a sharp fall in local asset prices brought the contestants in the R1m Local v Offshore Challenge much closer together. But 18 months into the five-year competition, Piet Viljoen’s portfolio still has a handy lead (R550 000 v R450 000), and he says the JSE’s selloff has made high-quality SA shares very attractive. They are so cheap that even Magnus Heystek, his rival, reckons it’s worth buying them. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the secrets of successful investing in this captivating interview with Moneybetter, one of the major sponsors of the Fantasy Fund Manager game. Chris Clarke and Charlotte van Tiddens reveal the game’s educational benefits and Moneybetter’s mission to revolutionise savings in South Africa. They uncover the factors behind discounts on investment holding companies like Naspers and provide valuable insights into their top stock picks for the game. Dive into finance as they discuss long-term investing, healthy cash flow, and the urgent need to promote a more robust savings culture in South Africa. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek Hanekom, a veteran ANC member known for his vocal criticism of the party, who chairs the interim board of SAA has expressed confidence in concluding the airline’s acquisition by the Takatso consortium by year-end. He said that SAA had returned to profitability and unveiled plans to expand its route network to 20 destinations, with the first intercontinental route set to reconnect Sao Paulo. Hanekom also emphasised the importance of clean, renewable energy for South Africa, highlighting its potential to be implemented more swiftly than nuclear energy. Furthermore, he voiced his support for the Defend Our Democracy Campaign, a counter-mobilisation aimed at safeguarding South Africa’s democracy. He spoke to Linda van Tilburg of Biznews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The quiet in March and April proved to be the calm before May's storm with all hell breaking lose on investment markets - and any Rand-related asset taking a hammering. David Bacher of Corion shares the hard numbers and offers insights into whether May's wipeout is a warning of worse to come for JSE-listed shares, or a juicy buying opportunity. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ace forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan says South Africa's new specialist unit to counter a surge in kidnapping has all the signs of an inside job. The founder of Forensics for Justice says the leadership of the SAPS unit is compromised (the operational head is himself on trial on kidnapping charges), while family of unit members are acting as couriers of the cash to kidnappers—a case of wolves appointed to guard sheeple. Also, in this interview, the no-nonsense crime fighter admits his mission to destroy legal firm Lawsons (ex Hogan Lovell SA; previously Routledge Modise) is personal. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After loosing 37 cattle at about R10 000 a head and 178 pregnant sheep, Bees goes sleepless for nights on end to scare off rustlers when motion sensors on his cattle are set off - sometimes three times a night. He also does not hesitate to shoot cattle smuggled across the border to mate with his bulls or cows. He says he has had no support from the police in 20 years - and implicates soldiers and cops in stock thefts. Meanwhile, even wealthy Basothos farming in the Free State are targeting by the stock thieves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We reflect on the first month of Fantasy Fund Manager this week and hope to entice the winner into the studio next week. The varied insights of players make the game what it is, a hotbed of learning. It also highlights how difficult it can be to manage money. We had Corion Capital's Gareth Montano and Dylan Bradfield from Sharenet in the studio. Dylan penned a Telkom article on BizNews, which opened up the telecom discussion, while volatility was evident throughout, with six companies falling more than 20% in the month. The following month's competition kicks off on Monday, 5 June, so be sure to get your picks in before the market opens at 9am, and invite your friends as prizes are up for grabs. Register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ANC’s stubborn insistence on retaining its close friendship with Russia, which broke promises and the UN agreements by invading its democratic neighbour Ukraine, defies reason.The costs are rising.There has been a spat with the US’s Ambassador to the country; warnings from SA’s business community of doors closing; and a red flag from the SA Reserve Bank about the ruinous impact of capital outflows and potential sanctions. Despite this, the ANC refuses to change its irrational stance, defaulting to a claim that the country is ‘non-aligned’. Why? In an interview with Biznews, Professor Piet Croukamp from North-West University’s Business School prods us to ‘follow the money’ suggesting the answer may lie in Russia’s (potentially illegal) funding of the ANC. He spoke to Linda van Tilburg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monique Le Roux, a senior researcher at the CSIR who specialises in energy and electricity, applies her mind to the challenges and potential solutions for SA’s energy crisis. She also touches on recent revelations of corruption in the country’s public utility, as well as the delays in the renewables program. Le Roux emphasises the importance of gas as a low-hanging fruit, but the government’s lack of leadership and policy direction is a big obstacle. Also covered in the interview are the potential of fracking in the Karoo and its impact on the country’s energy supply. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa has been waiting six months for an audience with the country’s Defence Minister to hear what happened with the Russian vessel Lady R, the alleged recipient of SA arms to Russia. Ambassador Luibov Abravitova remains hopeful on that, as she does about SA’s ability to recognise it’s impossible to be “non-aligned” on the UN Charter - or on granting immunity to international war criminals. It’s a fascinating interview by the Ukrainian diplomat charged with one of her country’s most challenging assignments. She reminds us that Ukraine and South Africa have a long history of cooperation and both are young democracies (Ukraine in 1991; SA in 1994) which sacrificed much for their freedom. Also, they both voluntarily gave up their nuclear arsenal, which, in Ukraine’s instance, the world's third largest, which was and in return for supposedly rock-solid sovereign nation protection guarantees from the US, UK and Russia. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite astonishing advances in science and technology over the last several decades, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with an estimated 9.96 million people dying from cancer in 2020. Dr Thomas Seyfried, a professor at Boston College and a prominent researcher and professor in the field of cancer biology and metabolic therapy, believes this is a result of a misunderstanding as to what cancer is. Over a decade ago, Seyfried, a trailblazer in the arena of conquering cancer, published his groundbreaking book Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer, which provided extensive information showing that cancer can be best defined as a mitochondrial metabolic disease rather than as a genetic disease. This theory has incredible implications for the development of new non-toxic cancer therapies. In an interview with Dr Seyfried, he explained the virtues of this concept, the dogmatic ideology that is suppressing its development in mainstream medicine, and how the current cancer treatment is killing patients. A stunning interview with thought-provoking revelations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is much to admire about activist Ian Cameron. Smart, brave and articulate, he is best known for standing up to grandstanding police minister Bheki Cele at a public meeting in July last year. Cameron works at NGO Action Society and is focused on getting justice for the most vulnerable in South African society - primarily abused women and children living in poverty. This week, Cameron was in court again, fighting for the family of Siphokazi Booi, a woman whose horrific murder, he believes, would have been avoided but for police indifference. Cameron points to the deep malaise in the SA Police Service, which pays R1.2bn a year in taxpayer money to an astonishing 600 brigadiers and 200 generals - most of whom are political appointments. But there is a ray of hope from the Western Cape. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister Dr Dion George says South Africa is already being punished with “silent sanctions” for the pro-Russia stance of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Dr George - who was part of a recent DA delegation that engaged with “players” in the US State Department, the Senate and the House - tells BizNews that DA officials implored Washington to renew its special trade agreement (AGOA) with South Africa in 2025 - despite its unhappiness with the ANC alignment with Russia. He provides a list a solutions to protect the economy from disastrous consequences - and also assures South Africa that it is not all “doom and gloom” - and that there is still time to turn the economy around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The allegations of arms shipments to Russia have raised doubts about South Africa’s neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict. These accusations have strained relations with the West, risking the loss of South Africa’s duty-free access to the US market. The South African Reserve Bank has also expressed concerns about potential censure due to perceived closeness to Russia. In an interview with BizNews, a veteran writer on foreign affairs and diplomacy, Jean Jacques Cornish warned the South African Government not to underestimate the significance of the US government. People, he said, often say, “Don’t poke the Russian Bear, but he would say, “Don’t put your finger in the eye of the American Eagle, because it is going to cause you a lot of trouble.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After decades as South Africa's arch bear, political scientist Dr Frans Cronje has of late been a surprising outlier in the gloomy norm. In this interview, the chairman of the Social Research Foundation shares upbeat conclusions after detailed research into how to fix load-shedding. The solutions, he explains, are relatively simple and already being enacted. And from the ANC's perspective, should be perfectly timed to provide a welcome boost to flagging voter support just ahead of next year's critical National Election. He spoke to Alec Hogg of Biznews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic Alliance has launched a court application to force the South African Government to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin should he set foot in South Africa for the BRICS summit in August. In an interview with BizNews, DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Glynnis Breytenbach said that the DA is taking pre-emptive action to avoid a repeat of the Al-Bashir saga. She said the South African government is playing a dangerous game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The eyes of the international world are once again turning to South Africa after Russian President Vladimir Putin has been given diplomatic immunity to attend the upcoming BRICS summit. BizNews talks to Prague-based analyst and host of The Geopolitical Pickle podcast, Ronan Wordsworth, about the logistics and implications of such a visit: an advance party of Russian security agents to keep the paranoid Putin safe from assassination - and maybe even a body double or two. Wordsworth says South Africa is sending a strong message to the West, but warns that Russia may not have much to offer South Africa in return for its support. He also speaks about the return to Cold War dynamics on the Continent - and tots up what Russia, China and the US are bringing to the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we're one of its business partners, the AltVest story has been closely followed by BizNews. So one year after going public, it is disappointing that CEO Warren Wheatley's dream of delivering one private company listing a month has not been fulfilled. He says in this interview that a severely constrained South African consumer and realities of engineering a private equity revolution worked against AltVest - but with two underlying assets on its boards, there has been progress. Wheatley explains how the economic realities of an energy-starved South Africa forced the business to pivot. He also delivers a compelling Altvest listing sales pitch to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The establishment of the R100-million Dinosaur Interpretive Centre in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in Clarens in the Free State has been hit by long delays. This has resulted in a huge loss of potential income from visitors, students and researchers from across the world. The Centre was commissioned by the SA National Parks back in 2019 - and the building should have been completed in early 2020 already. MP Sonja Boshoff of the National Council of Provinces has spoken to BizNews about the devastating impact of the delays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes more than hard work and sweat in the African sun to blow the petals off exhibitors at the world-renowned Chelsea flower show. For Andy de Wet and Quinton Bean, two South African plant breeders, it took 18 years of diligent cultivation, 12,000 hand-pollinated seedlings, and perfect timing to emerge victorious. De Wet Plant Breeders have claimed the prestigious Royal Horticulture Plant of the Year award for their native Agapanthus creation, Black Jack Andy de Wet and Quinton Bean from De Wet Plant Breeders have just won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Plant of the Year award with a native Agapanthus that they named Black Jack. In an interview with BizNews, the duo from Hartebeespoortdam discussed their previous Chelsea accolades and the soaring demand that followed their latest win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sibusiso Ngwenya, the highly qualified head of Fintech at Telkom, explains the telecoms company’s partnership with Easy Equities. It’s a leap in the democratisation of share market investing for the bottom end of society’s pyramid. It offers the incentive of a free R50 investment when the Telkom Digital Wallet client opens their Easy account. Given Telkom’s massive reach and the low cost of buying into equities, it’s a product with vast potential. Ngwenya spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mozambique’s former Finance Minister, Manuel Chang, is set to face charges in the US over his role in a $2 billion so-called “tuna bond” scandal, after South Africa’s top court dismissed an appeal by his home country for him to be tried there. It marks the end of a long-running litigation that challenged successive decisions by South Africa to extradite Mr Chang to Mozambique. Chang has been detained in a South African prison since his arrest in 2018. The Executive Director of the Helen Suzman Foundation, Nicole Fritz told BizNews that it was a significant moment in civil society’s effort to combat corruption in Southern Africa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a well-known fact that the global suicide rate is alarming, with an average of over 700,000 people taking their own lives each year. What isn't remotely well-known, however, is that the suicide rate among males is three to four times higher than that among women. Richard V. Reeves, a senior fellow at the highly respected think tank Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle-Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families, has extensively researched this dark disparity between genders. Despite strong warnings not to, the father of three boys documented his findings in Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It in 2022, a critical but bold undertaking in light of our social landscape which dismisses the plight of men by virtue of its (perceived) infinite inferiority to the history of injustices suffered by women. Reeves sets out the structural and social shifts over recent decades, which have effectively left a vacuum previously occupied by permitted and biologically informed masculinity – now tainted as toxic. In an interview with Reeves, the maligned issue of male malaise and the social, cultural and ideological reasons driving this are discussed – highlighting just how crucial addressing the crisis faced by boys and men is to the well-being and flourishing of BOTH genders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many municipalities in South Africa face substantial financial challenges, rendering them unable to fulfil their obligation of delivering essential services to their communities. A prevailing culture of non-payment further jeopardises the long-term viability of numerous councils. But there are beacons of light and councils that are well run that could serve as examples to the ones that are struggling and are in danger of collapsing. Two councils have been singled out by Ratings Africa as the most financially sustainable municipalities in the country. In its latest Municipal Financial Stability Index Midvaal and Saldanha Bay came out as the two best-run municipalities in South Africa. The DA’ Executive Mayor of Saldanha Bay, André Truter told BizNews what his secrets for success were and said he was more than willing to share best practices with ANC-run municipalities. At the core lies zero tolerance of corruption and theft, and the appointment of qualified individuals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this era of state nationalism, reputational crime doesn't get much worse than PWC in Australia which sold its foreigners inside information sourced during consulting to the National Treasury on multinational tax avoidance. A once trusted advisor in Canberra, PWC's head of International Tax Peter Collins, is accused of having passed on secrets to many colleagues, with 53 PWC partners exposed in emails made public earlier this month. Among the major beneficiaries were US Big Tech companies which have been in running battles with Canberra for some years. The Australian Government has now banned anyone involved in the scandal from working on State business - a tall order as Canberra is PWC Australia's biggest client. There is no disclosure of involvement by any South African partners or companies, but sharing of the information has been confirmed in some other English speaking countries, including the US and the UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of South Africa’s bravest whistle-blowers, Cynthia Stimpel, speaks to BizNews about the huge personal sacrifices being made by the country’s whistleblowers; the terrible losses some have suffered - and the extreme vilification that is used to discredit those who dare speak truth to power. She is now dedicating herself to help other whistle-blowers through her work at The Whistleblower House that has supported at least 160 whistle-blowers over the past year. She also gives important advice on blowing the whistle in the safest possible way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time flies as we enter week four of Fantasy Fund Manager. This week Corion Capital's David Bacher and Andrew Vintcent from ClucasGray Asset Management joined us in the studio. A Tinder-inspired article in the Financial Mail got the juices flowing around which approach might be better suited; buy-to-hold or active management. The most brought-in stock for the week was Naspers, which is now held by 1 in 4 players, while the big ownership move into Lewis Group was at the expense of Woolworths and Clicks. Also look out for Andrew Vintcent’s pro tip.If you still want to play the game, register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za and compete in the weekly and monthly prizes—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A class action law suit has been launched by families of those killed and maimed by guns smuggled to gangsters by cops. Former top cop Major-General Jeremy Vearey has given BizNews the inside story of the investigation codenamed Project Impi, which was eventually disbanded after interference from top brass. About 1 700 people were killed with those firearms over a seven-year period. General Vearey has given an affadavit to the law firm acting pro bono for the families of the victims. He had long warned that the police would be liable for “victim death by death, murder by murder with those guns”. He calls for the Central Firearm Registry to be removed from the authority of the police. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba’s book, written by political commentator Prince Mashele, has sparked controversy following the revelation that Mashaba contributed to its funding, despite being advertised as an unauthorised biography, Jonathan Ball Publishers withdrew the book from the market, citing a breach of trust, as Mashele failed to disclose the source of the funding. The source of the funding was disclosed by Brutus Malada, a senior researcher on the book who is married to former Democratic Alliance mayor Mpho Phalatse. Charles Cilliers, author and Co-Founder of the Patriotic Alliance, expressed astonishment at the reported payment of R12.5 million to Mashele, deeming it an “unfathomable amount”. Cilliers further commented that this controversy could have negative repercussions for Mashaba and ActionSA, adding that if his “big and scary” leader, Gayton McKenzie, had done the same, he would have strangled him. - Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The National Transport Department’s decision to grant Karpowership, a Turkish power ship operator, 20-year access to three South African ports has been met with criticism from environmental groups and opposition parties. Kevin Milehame, the DA’s shadow minister of Energy, has warned that the deal could cost South African taxpayers a staggering R200 billion, while only generating 1200 MW of power, equivalent to a single stage of load shedding. Milehame told BizNews that he was concerned about what appearedto be the bending of rules to favour Karpowership and that it presented another opportunity for corruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter is taking no chances after publishing his instant bestseller Truth To Power, which exposes the ANC's plundering of South Africa's national electricity utility. De Ruyter has refused any in-person engagement - but did agree to an "email interview" with Alec Hogg of BizNews. In it, the filter-free executive answers the big questions about load-shedding, criminality and what's next for Eskom. Also, what he learned from his three years of running SA's "largest organised crime syndicate". Eskom has required R500bn in direct bailouts from SA taxpayers. Still, its inability to deliver a steady electricity supply has cost the country even more through lost economic growth, lower investment, and destroyed jobs. So the book is a must. This interview, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political scientist and independent commentator Eugene Brink guides BizNews through the doomed relationship between departed Eskom boss André de Ruyter and the African National Congress (ANC), a relationship that started with big expectations on both sides, but ended in bitter recriminations. Brink predicts that De Ruyter speaking out could have an impact on the outcome of next year’s national elections. He also warns that large-scale sabotage has made Eskom largely unmanageable. He says there are people who have vested interests in power stations breaking down, technical faults occurring, coal not being delivered on time or in the exact quantities or the exact makeup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Global arms trade expert Andrew Feinstein shares his perspective on a charge by the United States that South Africa supplied arms to Russia in a time of war and sanctions. The former African National Congress (ANC) MP, who resigned in protest from Parliament at the ANC's refusal to allow an independent inquiry into a multi-million rand arms deal, also shares his frustration at being left on"standby" for many years to give evidence in the fraud and corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma and Thales, the French arms company that allegedly bribed him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There have been so many warnings about Artificial intelligence including a call from 1000 tech leaders and researchers, and Elon Musk calling for a pause on AI and they point to the potential risk of AI to humanity. Governments are playing catch-up looking for what UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has called ‘guard rails’ at the G7 summit in Hiroshima to limit the dangers of AI. In this interview with Linda van Tilburg, South African tech entrepreneur, Stafford Maisie described AI as a superpower and said that he was leaning more into the idea that you could do more with less. For Africa, he said it could either be a dystopian future or a massive opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arno von Helden is the driver of Standard Bank’s revolutionary in-house fintech called Shyft, a business that’s democratising the foreign exchange market for retail investors. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Arno explains how Shyft clients can transact at a fraction of the fee charged traditionally - and shares the next moves for the innovative platform, including offering shares listed in Europe, the UK and South Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Johann van Loggerenberg entered the public consciousness during the Gupta era of State Capture when fighting the defanging of an investigative unit he headed at SA Revenue Services. SARS's best-known whistleblower chronicled his story in the co-authored 2016 bestseller "Rogue: The Inside Story of SARS's Elite Crime Busting Unit". In this interview, Van Loggerenberg discusses parallels with former Eskom CEO turned whistleblower Andre de Ruyter's blockbuster new book; his experience of working for De Ruyter's ex-boss DPE Minister Pravin Gordhan - and reflects on being jumped and beaten over the weekend by "four angry people". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent investigative report by Al Jazeera has brought to light a web of gold smugglers allegedly aiding the Zimbabwean government in evading sanctions. The exposé has implicated high-ranking individuals, including diplomats, the President's niece, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself. Piers Pigou, the Head of the Southern African programme at the Institute for Security Studies, told Biznews that this revelation sheds light on the Southern African region's struggles in dealing with organised crime. Pigou also questioned why South Africa and Mozambique are on the FATF grey list while Zimbabwe has been removed. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Maltento, a pioneering biotech company based in Cape Town, has successfully concluded a capital raise of £3.3 million (R63.78 million) from Sand River Venture Capital. The funding injection will enable Maltento to significantly scale up its business, which centers around farming black soldier flies for animal feed. Operating from their factory located in Epping, Cape Town, Maltento is currently shipping more than 15 tonnes of processed black soldier fly larvae to the United States every month. Dominic Malan, the Commercial Director and Co-founder of Maltento told Biznews that highlighting the gut health and hypoallergenic benefits of insect protein rather than focusing solely on the origin and the insects could shift the narrative and encourage the adoption of insect-based products among humans- Linda van Tilburg  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

81% of Gr4 learners in South Africa could not read for meaning in any language in 2021 - and South Africa experienced the largest decline in reading outcomes (-31 points) of all 33 countries/regions with data in 2016 and 2021. Professor Nic Spaull of the Economics Department at Stellenbosch University shares these and other findings in the latest “Progress in International Reading Literacy Study”. He discusses the causes and the long-term implications with BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of a slow and tortuous process, the ANC's Hate Speech Bill is now within a few weeks of being promulgated. The Democratic Alliance has fought the proposal all the way because it says it is an attempt to criminalise dissent, rather than address something already well covered by existing laws. South Africans who agree with this the Official Opposition's view have until Monday 22nd May to officially object, an action strongly recommended by Daniela Ellerbeck, legal advisor at Freedom of Religion South Africa. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Ellerbeck urges citizens to comment of they will end up with a law which is a dressed up Trojan Horse which will remove important freedoms most citizens currently take for granted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of the BizNews interview with Dr Patrick Moore, one of the co-founders of Greenpeace and the most prominent figures in the field of environmentalism, Moore makes a compelling case for nuclear energy. Moore shares why he was silenced on the topic of nuclear energy during his years at Greenpeace and provides excellent insight into both the misconceptions around the risks of nuclear energy and why nuclear energy is not inherently evil in any way. Moore argues that we should conserve the most precious fuels we have, which are fossil fuels, by replacing them with nuclear energy where feasible. A brilliant perspective on the world's current energy dilemma and the best way forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Action Society SA is being swamped with unsolved murder cases, including the killing of Pastor Liezel de Jager. The NPO’s Ian Cameron shares details of some of the worst cases of police incompetence their investigators are trying to deal with. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Into the third week of Fantasy Fund Manager, the interest is still growing as over 3500 users have joined the fun with a critical education driver behind the initiative. Corion Capital's Garreth Montano and Chris Clarke from Money Better joined BizNews' Stuart Lowman. The most brought-in stock for the week was Richemont, which also made it the most-owned share in the game. Gareth put this down to the weakening rand, which might have also played the antithetical part in Capitec being the most sold-off share. The developers have also worked hard with the My History tab launched in-app. This addition allows users to keep track of any weekly trades and performance. If you still want to play the game, register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za and compete in the weekly and monthly prizes—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steinhoff shareholders are staring down the barrel after the company's management is approaching the Dutch courts to force through a decision voted down at the annual general meeting. But all is not yet lost, says German Shareholder Association lawyer Dr Marc Liebscher, whose organisation is fighting for Steinhoff's small shareholders. He is urging them to once again vote against the management proposal - and says this will ensure they capture the R30bn (€1.5bn) that they own in the business, in his opinion the true net asset value of the company. The WHOA vote closes on May 24, and should the majority of shareholders go against the management's proposal, Liebscher says his organisation will give its Wall Street-commissioned research to help the Dutch judge rule in shareholders' favour. Liebscher also spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews about former CEO Markus Jooste's no-show in the German Court a month ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharenet portfolio manager Dylan Bradfield has taken a deep dive into the telecoms options in our inaugural Fantasy Fund Manager game and offers some canny advice. Bradfield, a value investor at heart, explains in some detail why the shares of Telkom and Blue Label have explosive upside potential - while rivals Vodacom and MTN are fragile. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a net outflow of overseas migration from Australia for the first time since World War II, resulting in a critical skills shortage and numerous unfilled vacancies. To address this, Australia welcomed 400,000 migrants in 2022 but found the need for even more people "to do the stuff that needs to get done." As a result, Australia is now offering another opportunity for 400,000 migrants, making it the best period in the past ten years to choose Australian migration, according to Sam Hopwood from Sable International. Hopwood told BizNews about the profession that are in high demand in Australia and how far less business and investment visas are available . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kurt Steiner, the first head of Law Enforcement for African Parks, now an independent consultant, reveals how at least 24 armed groups have settled in conservation areas in Africa; how militias in one area alone are netting $ 70 million a year from the charcoal trade; and how over 1000 rangers have lost their lives trying to protect the Continent’s wildlife and its natural heritage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One morning in October 2021, Pastor Liezel de Jager went for a jog. She returned to her home only to be murdered. Her killer left her body at the back door. He is still free. Seeking justice for his daughter is Henk van Zyl, a former police colonel, a former Commander of the Police Academy in Graaff Reinet, and a former United Nations (UN) Project Manager in Police Reform. The bereaved father speaks to BizNews about the police investigation that has been dragging on for 581 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, what do you call a President of a country who appears to have lost interest in his job and with every crisis that comes across his desk, he kicks the proverbial can down the road by appointing a retired judge to investigate. The term ‘dead man walking’ comes up often in news articles on President Cyril Ramaphpsa. One commentator went further by calling South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa a skeleton walking. Sam Mkokeli, a political researcher, and journalist told BizNews that the President, who is the country’s commander-in-chief, could not even give a simple answer to the question of whether South Africa would sell arms to Russia as a matter of principle. Mkokeli said the President appears 'lifeless" and overburdened by the sheer weight of his responsibilities and didn’t have it in him to last a second term. He also said it was not a done deal that Paul Mashatile would be Ramaphosa’s successor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews speaks to Professor Abel Esterhuyse from the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University. He calls President Cyril Ramaphosa’s handling of the issue “bizarre”, and says if SA did supply Russia with weapons in contravention of sanctions, there would be a paper trail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leading global fund manager Sean Peche has a rational perspective on why the Rand has tanked in the past week - it lies primarily with the deficiency in the SA Government's executive culture, laid bare through the arms-to-Russia scandal. Peche explains that to use an investment analogy, the "share price" of a country is its currency; and "management" the political leadership. He contrasts the disastrous performance of South Africa's government (and hence the Rand) with the inherent potential of investing into Japanese corporates (and Tokyo-listed shares). He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview we meet Michael Cardo, an MP for the Democratic Alliance, and a quite superb biographer. His first book was about the far-sighted politician Peter Brown, whose Liberal Party called for a universal franchise in Apartheid South Africa in the 1960s - and was banned for its trouble. This one, on Harry Oppenheimer, focuses on another inspirational South African whose in addition to being a global mogul also spent a decade on the green benches of the country's Parliament. Born into a mining dynasty, Harry Oppenheimer lived a full life - massively expanding the family business, breaking break with the world's rich and powerful, and for decades serving as the most effective counter to the Apartheid regime. Cardo's superb writing skills, access to Oppenheimer's private documents (including an unfinished memoir) and the six years he invested into the project combine to make this into a world-class production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March, at the fifth BizNews Conference, a COVID panel discussion was held between consultant cardiologist and public health advocate Dr Aseem Malhotra, world-renowned sports scientist Professor Tim Noakes and PANDA (Pandemics ~ Data & Analysis) Chairman and co-founder Nick Hudson. The discussion that followed explored science and its desecration, media censorship and persecution of those who have dared to stand for solid science instead of bowing down to the narrative propagated by mainstream media and how this is in sharp contrast to the majority of professionals either freely volunteering or nefariously coerced into spreading the notorious COVID tagline, "Trust the science". In Part 2 of the COVID panel discussion, Malhotra, Noakes, and Hudson continued to discuss the atrocities and deviations from rationale and science as the objective knowledge system it entailed not so long ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The recent dispute between the South Africa and the United States over claims from the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa that South Africa had supplied weapons and ammunition to Russia would have a negative impact on South Africa’s economy. That’s according to Sufficient Group Economist Dawie Roodt who anticipated some recovery in the Rand’s value, but he told Biznews that the currency would remain weak, resulting in inflationary pressure. Roodt told Biznews that a fifty base point hike in interest rates in response to the situation is likely and that he expects that the South African economy is not going to grow this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews speaks to Dr Edward Mienie, the Executive Director and Professor of Strategic & Security Studies and External Relations at the University of North Georgia in Atlanta about South Africa’s rapid slide towards a Failed State. He warns that drastic measures are needed to ensure effective governance because a Failed State could descend into a Collapsed State which would leave every man fending for himself. The former diplomat - for both the NP and ANC governments - remains hopeful, however, that it is not too late to turn the ship around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN editor-at-large Richard Quest is back in South Africa where he chaired sessions at the 2023 African Indaba in Durban and ended up befriending Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille. During a visit to Cape Town in February this year he told Alec Hogg that his big takeaway was the “unimaginable” power outages. In this interview with Linda van Tilburg the CNN anchor said that until Africa gets to grips with its air links issue, it will continue to “hobble with one hand behind its back, a patch on one eye and a shot in one foot. Quest also commented on South African Airways and on demands from some South Africans that the Cullinan diamonds that were prominent in King Charles III’s sceptre and Queen Camilla’s crown during the King’s coronation should be given back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa's foremost political scientist RW Johnson provides context on the US's accusation that South Africa has been supplying arms to Russia. It's reminiscent of PW Botha's "Rubicon" blunder in August 1985, which sparked massive disinvestment, demand for immediate repayment of foreign debt, an economic collapse and rocketing interest rates. Johnson says Pretoria's actions threaten hundreds of thousands of South African jobs - and lives. Most apparent are SA motor manufacturers whose lifeblood is selling into the USA and Europe. Equally at risk is the country's membership of AGOA which gives SA exporters duty-free access to the US market "as a favour" because, strictly speaking, SA shouldn't qualify. Johnson also points out that millions of South Africans living with HIV/Aids receive antiretrovirals purely through the generosity of US donors - another critical source of goodwill threatened by Pretoria's actions. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Official figures of South Africans living in the United Kingdom are that there were 298,000 in 2020/21, but for expats living in the south or near London, it appears to be many more. You can hardly 'skinder in Afrikaans' on the street or on the London Underground without somebody understanding you. John Dunn, Citizenship and Immigration specialist at Sable International says the UK has historically been a destination of choice for a lot of South Africans and it still is. Dunn told BizNews about the range of visas South Africans can apply for and said that there were job opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers on the Isle of Man, a UK Crown Dependency that wants to grow the island's population from 85,000 to 100,000 by 2035. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Into the second week of Fantasy Fund Manager and over 3200 have joined the fun. The game is built with education at its core to grow the South African investor base. Corion Capital's Garreth Montano and Richard Bray from Terebinth joined BizNews' Stuart Lowman. And as the data starts to stream in around picks and trades, the focus was on which shares were most traded in, most owned and the converse for the week. Richard was also the driving force behind the introduction of CPD points, so we shine a brighter light on that side of the game. And if you still want to play the game, register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za and compete in the weekly and monthly prizes—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Webinar hosted by BizNews focused on unpacking current trends, opportunities, and challenges within the booming solar market as well as key information about Jaltech’s Section 12B Solar Tax Deductible investment. Patrick Bennett, the CEO of Magneto Renewable Energy, and Jaltech's Jonty Sacks joined the panel. If you are looking to invest, visit https://www.biznews.com/jaltech-fund-.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Perchtold is one of the South Africans establishing a considerable reputation in the world's financial centre. In this interview, the London-based founding director of OMBA shares his perspective on the boom in valuations of artificial intelligence-related stocks and the investment appeal of banks and shares in Japanese and South African companies. He also offers some thoughts on other emerging investment opportunities that excite him. Perchtold spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South African sailor, Kirsten Neuschäfer emerged victorious in the prestigious Golden Globe round-the-world race, renowned as the sailing world’s ultimate test of endurance. Notably, this extraordinary race forbids the use of modern technology for navigation, demanding participants to rely solely on paper charts and sextants. In an impressive display of skill and determination, Neuschäfer not only clinched the coveted victory, but she also crossed the finish line a full day ahead of her closest rival and undertook a rescue mission to save fellow competitor Tapio Lehtinen when his boat sank. Pretoria-born Neuschäfer’s talents extends beyond her sailing prowess. Previously she traversed Africa on a bicycle and she devoted her leasure time on the vessel learning the Xhosa language and reading books by Dalene Mathee and Dostoevsky. Hailing from Pretoria, Neuschäfer fittingly embodies the qualities of an “Outlier” as described in Malcolm Gladwell’s insightful book. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Simon Lincoln Reader, a popular columnist for BizNews, is one of those individuals that people either love or hate. Finding someone whose feelings about Reader fall between these extremes is as unlikely as Reader developing a filter. At the fifth BizNews Conference in March, the London-based technology investor returned to South Africa to sit down with BizNews founder Alec Hogg for a frank fireside chat. Any first-time conference delegates who, on the eve of Day 1 of keynote presentations, were under the impression that they were attending a mild-mannered event found out that this was profoundly untrue during the first five minutes of Reader's appearance on stage. It's just as well, considering the brilliant but loaded BNC#5 presentations that followed his delightfully disruptive perspectives. The host of topics explored, ranging from wokeness to the Russia-Ukraine war, and, in particular, Reader's unique delivery of his opinions, was, if anything, a fantastic testament to the South African sense of humour – and the apparent failure to rob a true Saffa thereof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa has been slipping on rankings of the world 'Ease of Doing Business rankings' occupying 84th place out of 190 economies according to a 2022 World Bank report. This report has since been replaced by a new "Business Ready" ranking and the city that plans to stand out and become the easiest place to do business in Africa, is Cape Town. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has launched an ease of doing business index that will track ten critical indicators for ease of doing business. Hill-Lewis told BizNews the index will have a special focus on enabling greater infrastructure investment. He also said that he is still confident that Cape Town will be the first city in South Africa that stop the first four stages of load-shedding Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Patriotic Alliance is synonymous with its charismatic president Gayton MacKenzie, a larger than life man’s man who possesses no diplomacy filters and takes no prisoners. Critics of the fast growing political party write it off as a one-man show. But as you’ll discover in this interview with PA co-founder Charles Cilliers, that superficial judgement is done at your peril. Cilliers, a journalist and prolific book author who wrote MacKenzie’s life story in 2007, is urbane, mature and articulate. Apart from disputing much of the narrative surrounding last week’s drama in the Joburg Metro, he offers insights into reasons for the party’s stance - based, he says, on fierce independence. This interview is certain to change perceptions. Cilliers spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the secrets of wealth creation? These are some of the questions BizNews put to Daniel Strauss, the best-selling author of “The Billionaire Mindset” and “The Billionaire Career”. He shares his trick for making a successful pitch to an investor; describes the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur; and reveals how he used business strategy to help his then girlfriend, now wife, Roelien Strauss, win the Miss World title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SA's longest-serving political columnist, William Saunderson-Meyer, expands on his recent op-ed where he argued that Eskom-related power cuts are a sideshow compared with his homeland's ever-escalating crime rate. The reason for surging malfeasance, he believes, is obvious: the criminal justice system - from policing to the courts through to prisons - is an ocean of incompetence with zero consequences. Fixing it will be a long-term project, and a lot more difficult than simply replicating the Western Cape LEAP system (as Gauteng has been discovering of late....). WSM spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Purple Capital, the JSE listed 70% owner of East Equities, reported a R50m bottom line reverse in the half year to end February - and also dropped the surprise of a R150m capital raising exercise. However, the news was absorbed well enough by an already cautious investment market - the shares are down by half in the past year - offset perhaps by the excitement of the group's venture into the Philippines. CEO Charles Savage shares the latest on SA's exponentially growing company (830k active clients, +24%) with Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Muslim academic Professor Hussein Solomon reveals the extent of terrorist financing, training, and activity on South African soil. He describes the relationship between the extortion of big businesses, kidnappings, and terror financing. He states that the Government does not have the ability, the capacity, or the political will to deal with the growing threat. And he warns that the country is not immune to a big terror attack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chair of the Democratic Alliance's federal executive, Helen Zille, has been publicly blamed for torpedoing an anti-ANC alliance's opportunity on Friday to take back governance of SA's richest metro. But just like at the BizNews Conference in March, Zille answers her critics with a powerful comeback - arguing that this was the third time Gayton MacKenzie's 'kingmaking' Patriotic Alliance let down Moonshot Pact partners. Zille points to the MacKenzie party's support of the ANC in Friday's crucial vote as evidence that her fellow opposition partners were once again "played". Nevertheless, she reckons the Moonshot Pact is alive and well - and its existence will prevent a similar disappointment in SA's watershed 2024 National Election. Zille spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, shares how he came to join the fledgling group that founded Greenpeace, the bold endeavours and significant victories obtained by the young organisation during its early years, and the details behind his decision to walk away from the organisation after 15 years of devoted involvement. Moore's comprehensive understanding of the geologic time scale – the "calendar" for events in Earth's history – is extraordinary, allowing him to contextualise climate change, CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and extreme weather events, among others, in a way that is brilliant yet simple enough for the layman to understand. A true environmentalist, Moore is a rare example of someone who placed his principles above all else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After intense behind-the-scenes negotiations to find an agreement between coalition parties in the Johannesburg metro on the following executive mayor for Johannesburg, talks have collapsed, leaving the door open for the ANC/EFF, who have patched up their differences to take control of the council. Action SA issued a statement on Twitter stating that all former coalition members, ActionSA, the IFP Plus, ACDP, UIM, and the Patriotic Alliance, confirmed their willingness to support Funzi Ngobeni from Action SA for Mayor, but the Democratic Alliance refused. An incensed Action SA President Herman Mashaba told BizNews that the coalition group initially offered the DA the mayorship of Johannesburg but tanked the possibility of an agreement by insisting that the PA withdraws all support for the ANC in all the municipalities throughout the country. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A month after DA leader John Steenhuisen proclaimed a Moonshot Pact to sweep the ANC from power next year, the coalition has collapsed at a relatively low first hurdle. Although they had the numbers to eject the ANC alliance from power in the Johannesburg Metro, opposition politicians could not agree on some key issues. Steenhuisen is "unavailable," but an official DA statement's reference to "former" coalition partners speaks volumes. Political scientist Dr Frans Cronje, who has been closely involved in the negotiation process, admits things "loop kak" - i.e. discussions are going very badly. But the head of the Social Research Foundation says the turbulence is not unexpected when seen in perspective. He says not all participants appreciate the "epochal change" occurring in SA politics. So mindsets will require time before adjusting to a very different future, which contrasts starkly with an effective one-party state for virtually all of South Africa's past four centuries. Cronje spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa is known for exporting raw minerals, fruit and wine, but what is probably not that well-known is that it has a thriving space industry that supplies satellite components and services globally. South African space products are incorporated into a multitude of international satellites. Exports generated by the country’s space industry amounted to around R200 million in 2022. Stellenbosch space technology solutions provider, Dragonfly Aerospace is building on that history and has provided ‘eyes in the sky’ for several missions in space. CEO and Founder of Dragonfly Aerospace, Bryan Dean told BizNews that the company’s technology has been built on the technology that has been developed in Stellenbosch since the 90s. Dragonfly Aerospace has a camera that has been flown to an asteroid and in January 2023 they launched the first of a seven-satellite constellation in low earth, called the EOS SAT-1 from Cape Canaveral on a Space X rocket to monitor agriculture.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DA's James Lorimer believes South Africa is on the cusp of hitting a natural resources jackpot transformative as the discovery of diamonds in 1867 and the Witwatersrand gold basin twenty years later. In this uplifting interview, the Shadow Minister of Minerals and Energy explains how the offshore Orange Basin, which extends from southern Namibia to beyond Cape Town, has 10x the oil and gas potential of Total's vaunted gas discovery off the southern Cape. Lorimer adds that after a tortuous process, revised legislation before Parliament will, finally, be aligned with global norms and thus acceptable to multinational oil majors. He reckons that given the prospective nature of the geography and this year's rich strikes in Namibia, once the legislation is passed, the oil majors are likely to invest heavily in exploration. With each well costing around R500m and the nation pocketing roughly 60% of all revenue generated from oil and gas produced, Lorimer advocates making it possible to adopt an approach of "drill, baby, drill" by Shell, Total and their peers - not just off SA's West Coast but also to exploit the Karoo's shale gas potential. Lorimer shared the excellent news with Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SA Treasury has reacted to the flood of private capital legally leaving the country with a sneaky regulation change announced immediately before the May long weekend. Restrictive new compliance criteria for financial emigration and the R10m per taxpayer that can be invested offshore annually takes these options off the table. In future, South Africans wanting to invest offshore will essentially be restricted to the R1m a year no-questions-asked allowance. In this interview, Brenthurst Wealth founder Magnus Heystek explains how he picked up the shock changes and how, among other consequences, this is likely to accelerate the exporting of well-educated young South Africans - sent abroad on the urging of their families before they become registered taxpayers. He spoke to Alec Hogg of Biznews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Herman Bosman, the Kidnapping and Crisis Incident Manager at TSU International, spoke to BizNews about the steep increase in kidnappings, particularly of high-net-worth individuals. This has already led to companies abruptly closing their doors and leaving the country. In this interview, Bosman warns that the damaging effect on the economy is being underestimated and calls for drastic measures to stop the situation from getting completely out of control. Meanwhile, he shared some tips people can use to better prevent themselves from becoming kidnap victims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been a flurry of negotiation behind the scenes to get opposition parties to agree on who should be the next Mayor of Johannesburg and keep the ANC/EFF’s candidate out. This follows after ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba accused the Democratic Alliance of not being serious about removing the ANC and EFF. Freedom Front Plus Member of Parliament and Chief Whip of the party, Corné Mulder, told BizNews that he had discussions with other political parties and was confident that ‘good people’ would succeed on Friday when the council reconvened and that either Mpho Phalatse of the DA or Funzi Ngobeni from ActionSA would become Johannesburg’s new mayor. He also told BizNews that the FF+ is not interested in coalitions with the ANC as he believed they had nothing to contribute. The ANC brought its A-team at the time of Nelson Mandela, Mulder said, but they left and “we are now busy with the G or H-team.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An unusually quiet April provided welcome relief to investors after the turbulence of recent months, and Corion's David Bacher explains why the long-neglected property sector shot to the top of the JSE's leaderboard. In this monthly recap, the author of the Corion report also looks at Alec Hogg's selections in the Fantasy Fund Manager competition, explaining why he avoided some of those the BizNews editor likes - and offers (better performing) alternatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fantasy Fund Manager kicked off this week with over 2800 users battling it out for the inaugural investor's crown. It's a game built with education at its core to grow the South African investor base. Corion Capital's David Bacher and Garreth Montano, the brains behind the idea, joined BizNews' Stuart Lowman in the first episode of the Fantasy Fund Manager podcast. A weekly podcast aimed at keeping all players informed with some much-needed tips and tricks from industry experts and the players themselves. If you still want to join the fun, register at www.fantasyfundmanager.co.za and compete in the weekly and monthly prizes—thanks to our platinum sponsors Sharenet, Terebinth Capital, ClucasGray Asset Management, and Money Better. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humans have attempted to understand ageing and reverse its effects for thousands of years. In modern times, the study of ageing and attempts to reverse its effects have become more scientific and rigorous. The field of gerontology, which focuses on the study of ageing, emerged in the early 20th century, and scientists have made significant progress in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying ageing. Dr Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California and the director of the USC Longevity Institute, understands this all too well. In an interview with Dr Longo, he explains how he came to develop his fasting-mimicking diet, the material differences between this and other versions of fasting, and how the fasting-mimicking diet has had success or is showing promise in the treatment of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's. The possibilities are seemingly infinite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National Security Adviser in the Presidency, Sydney Mufamadi headed a South African delegation in Washington last week to lobby the U.S. Congress and Biden Administration amid concerns that South Africa’s drift into the Russia-China camp could jeopardise its relationship with the US and other Western trading partners. The Head of Policy Analysis Chris Hattingh told BizNews that South Africa was playing with fire and says buzzwords like non-alignment and neutrality might not be enough for Western nations to continue giving South Africa access to their markets through agreements like the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Action SA leader Herman Mashaba exposes the Elephant in the Rainbow Alliance room for all to see - and urges that unless the anti-ANC alliance gets past this, the DA’s proposed Moonshot Pact is a dead duck. Mashaba shares the events leading up to the contentious vote for a new Mayor of Johannesburg, explaining how the obvious lessons must be absorbed by opposition parties if they are to have any hope of governing South Africa in a successful coalition after the 2024 National Election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The famous, highly articulate son of former SA President Jacob Zuma has decided to fight the country’s potentially watershed 2024 National election outside the ANC because he “wants to be part of the solution”. Duduzane Zuma warns those in power will be held accountable for “dropping the ball”. In this cracking interview with Chris Steyn of BizNews, he calls for less politicking, less political rhetoric - and more action. He lists SA’s three significant threats as racism, tribalism and xenophobia - and will stand on a tolerance and inclusivity platform. Zuma Jnr says he lives for “safety, security, peace and prosperity” and wants people to work together so that SA can attract the foreign investment needed to create job opportunities.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk's Starlink, the high-speed, low-cost internet access offering from space, won't be coming to South Africa. The reason, says tenacious SA opposition politician Dianne Kohler-Barnard, is the ANC demands that to be licenced, Starlink must first give 30% of the local company to politically connected cronies under the guise of Black Economic Empowerment. That's a demand that Musk, who was born and raised in Pretoria and still has family in the country, refuses to countenance. This was admitted by the ANC in Parliament, prompted by Kohler-Barnard, the DA's Shadow Minister of Communications. So while the rest of Africa stands to leapfrog into the digital age through Starlink's cheap, fast, universally accessible bandwidth from space, ANC policy will stop South Africa from participating. Kohler-Barnard spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every month virtual game drive broadcaster WildEarth takes seven million viewers on safari in the South African bush - entertaining and de-stressing them while simultaneously planting seeds for future tourists. In this interview, UK-based Saffer and co-owner Andre Crawford-Brunt shares his journey from global banker to co-owner of an international media company that exposes the excitement of Big Five spotting. The trader turned entrepreneur, who partners Magda Wierzycka in the very successful private equity fund OSE/Braavos, has big plans for WildEarth, which already hosts millions of people at its live-streamed sunrise and sunset game drives. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech entrepreneur and former Google Executive Stafford Masie answers questions on the rapid rise of cryptocurrency, the integration of Artificial Intelligence in business and the growing concern surrounding South Africa’s economic future. Masie highlights the overlooked value of Bitcoin as both an asset and an international currency, emphasizes the threat of economic irrelevancy for South Africa if they fail to catch up to their technologically pioneering peers such as Rwanda and Nigeria, and discusses the nuances surrounding the inevitable integration of AI into commerce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dieter Eiselen was born in Pretoria and attended school in Stellenbosch at the Paul Roos Gymnasium and he has just been signed for a fourth season of the Chicago Bears, a professional American football team. Even though he loves rugby and would love to see his former class mate, Herschel Jantjies back in the Bok team, Eiselen swapped rugby for weight-lifting at school and only started playing American football when he arrived in the US. Eiselen told BizNews how he came to love American football, about his selfless role in the offensive line of the Bears, how he loved to tackle and his 100% chance of picking up injuries in gridiron. Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this insightful BNC#5 investment panel discussion 36One’s Cy Jacobs, Ranmore Fund's Sean Peche, and Merchant West’s Piet Viljoen offer their insights as they weigh in on pressing investing questions covering growth vs. value, the problems with technology and the volatile future of the stock market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this BNC#5 Q&A, Cy Jacobs highlights the massive opportunity in the renewable energy sector and the trillions of dollars that will be spent globally. Jacobs discusses the involvement of various companies in the industry, cautioning against the slow turnaround time for fixing coal-fired power stations and the challenges facing manufacturing businesses in adopting renewable energy. The discussion also touches on the impact of loadshedding on the market and the potential for investment in Transnet assets. Despite the challenges, there is hope for increased investment in renewables across various sectors of the economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this BNC#5 presentation, Cy Jacobs focuses on hedge fund investment strategies, highlighting forensic research into businesses that are believed to be unsustainable. Jacobs discusses the ability to assess the current environment and choose between value, growth, or quality investments. Highlighting the importance of protecting capital during down markets and the benefits of shorting assets. Jacobs also delves into current market challenges, such as geopolitical tensions, COVID, zero carbon emissions, and political issues, but highlights the opportunities that exist, particularly in renewable energy investments. Jacobs concludes with a discussion on the importance of finding opportunities within a crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finland has topped the list of the world's happiest countries for the past six years. That is according to the World Happiness Report. This always surprises countries like South Africa, where we consider plenty of sunshine and our friendly people to be the key ingredients of happiness. In contrast, Finland has long dark winters. In Lapland, daylight is restricted to a few hours in winter, and temperatures can drop to -50C. So, apart from their love of the outdoors, which we share - what is their secret ingredient for happiness? Kristiina Hietsaari, Senior Director at Visit Finland told BizNews why the Finns are so content, how happiness is becoming an export product, and why they don't mind paying tax. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran climate expert Dr Richard Lindzen made a name for himself before the term "climate scientist" had even been invented. In an interview with the pioneering atmospheric physicist and former emeritus professor of meteorology at MIT, he recounted how, between 1989 and 1996, funding for climate science in the US increased by a factor of 15, giving birth to the field of climate science and its absurdly stretched list of climate impacts. Having begun his research on climate change in the mid-70s motivated by a sincere interest in understanding the Earth's climate regimes, Lindzen's assessment of the various elements paraded as scientific evidence of an impending climate catastrophe is remarkably sensible, revealing the complicity of the media and politicians in forcing the disastrous climate change narrative upon an unsuspecting and trusting public from the very beginning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Songezo Zibi is a former newspaper editor and political commentator who was the chairperson of the Rivonia Circle, a platform that drew inspiration and courage from the Rivonia Trialists. He will need courage in the robust and sometimes even violent political world he is entering. Zibi comes from a tiny rural village called Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape that he calls one of the unseen communities of the country, where people have never had piped water or flush toilets and who live in fear of crime in the dark. He told BizNews that RISE Mzansi would soon register as a political party but that it wants to be more than that. South Africa's newest political leader envisages a non-racial movement, and the RISE Mzansi's national leadership Collective will soon embark on a series of town hall meetings nationwide to shape a People's Manifesto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the follow-up to his BNC#5 presentation Piet Viljoen delves into what he thinks will happen in 2024 if either an ANC/EFF coalition or the Rainbow coalition assumes power and what it could mean for investment performance. He also offers his thoughts on Bitcoin and its place in today’s turbulent society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this BNC#5 presentation, portfolio manager, Piet Viljoen, delves into his portfolio of undervalued securities and warns that each security is like a brittle twig that can easily break. He clarifies that the job is not to pick individual stocks, but to manage the portfolio using a sensible investment process. Viljoen also expands on low-risk investment opportunities in South Africa that have generated strong returns in recent years, emphasising the importance of considering valuations when investing in Africa. Viljoen notes that while South Africa may be perceived as a tough place to invest, valuation is the only reason to invest in the country, he encourages investors to take advantage of valuations but to also be mindful of the risks associated with investing in South Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pressure is growing from the West on the South African government, because of its close relationship with Russia. President Cyril Ramaphosa is said to be sending an envoy to the US to discuss its relationship with Russia. Foreign Policy Analyst Peter Fabricius told BizNews that the South African government is concerned about losing the benefits of its inclusion in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). AGOA allows Sub-Saharan countries to export products to the United States without tariffs. South Africa contributes the majority of AGOA exports at 56%. Fabricius says South Africa and the Russian leader are likely to wriggle out of the sticky situation of being forced to arrest Putin if he sets foot on South African soil for the BRICS summit. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President for war crimes in Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Always wanted to play the share market but never known how to? Fantasy Fund Manager a new game which borrows from its wildly popular Sports equivalents, is a fun and free introduction to investing in equities - and easy as pie to participate. In this interview Corion's Garreth Montano tells Alec Hogg of BizNews what the game is about, where the idea came from, how it works and the prizes on offer. Sign up now, challenge your pals and have fun while you get to learn about the share market, the greatest game on earth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stafford Masie, technology entrepreneur, former Google Africa Chief and advocate for emerging technologies, discusses the rapid growth of ChatGPT and its potential to transform businesses and society, stressing the implications of AI and the necessity for businesses to be focused on these areas for future planning. Masie also shares his concern for South Africa’s lack of focus on artificial intelligence compared to other countries, which could lead to irrelevance in the tech industry. Finally advocating for Bitcoin as an undervalued asset class, which he believes will predictably grow over the next 20-30 years, comparing it to gold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the success stories of land that was transferred back to the community is Makhoba Farms, a 10,000-hectare farm at the foothills of the Maluti Mountains. Makhoba Farms, assisted by Nestlé, is currently producing four and a half million litres of milk for the country every year. To equip the young people in the area with agricultural skills, Nyosi Empowerment has been offering training to 100 youths every year. The training spans agripreneurship tasks including alien clearing, feed production, vegetable production, fencing, security, construction, ICT, and first aid. Nyosi CEO Evan Jones told BizNews that 400 Youth Employment Services (YES) interns have so far successfully graduated from the course. Jones said 24% of the interns in 2022 were employed by Makhoba farms and the majority of the remaining graduates found jobs elsewhere due to their enhanced skills training and experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the fifth BizNews Conference in March, BizNews founder Alec Hoff facilitated a COVID panel discussion between consultant cardiologist and public health advocate Dr Aseem Malhotra, world-renowned sports scientist Professor Tim Noakes and PANDA (Pandemics ~ Data & Analysis) Chairman and co-founder Nick Hudson. Neither of these prolific individuals is a stranger to the near-aggressive condemnation they've been subjected to for standing up and fighting against the establishment and the frightening list of false narratives it has deployed at the expense of human health. In Part 1 of their panel discussion on COVID, and the pervading censorship, cancellation, and propaganda ushered in during the COVID era, they relay their respective backgrounds and how these armed them to bravely go head to head with governments and corrupt institutions in the unprecedented and distorted reality imposed upon the public during COVID. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nelson Mandela Bay's 10-party coalition is now seven months old and, according to executive mayor Retief Odendaal, has already notched up some remarkable wins. Apart from keeping all partners onside in reputably the largest governing coalition on earth; focused maintenance and fast-tracking of existing projects has removed the very real threat of the city's taps running dry. Although the Democratic Alliance, with 48 seats, dwarves the next most prominent coalition member's three seats, Odendaal says a partnership approach was adopted from the get-go and is reaping dividends. This is a template which may be applied to address instability elsewhere, especially Gauteng, where smaller members of coalitions complain about not being adequately respected. Odendaal spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SA/Russia expert Prof Irina Filatova sees many parallels in the way people in the two countries are disconnected from economic reality by outdated ideology. The Russian-born and educated historian, academic and author says this fact, along with possible support from Moscow, will ensure the ANC retains political power after SA’s 2024 National Election. In her sobering interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, she also throws a proverbial bucket of icy Siberian water on hopes for Western Cape independence, warning that Pretoria’s support of the supposed multi-polar world is a fantasy - the future is unipolar and SA is taking a huge economic risk by aligning with China against the West. Brilliant analysis of the dark and too often ignored consequences of South Africa's alignment with the Putin Regime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of today's early morning interview, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie offers his insights on critical by-election results in South Africa, including the key message from the Swellendam vote where the PA/DA split vote opened the door for an unlikely ANC win, despite a 20% drop in its support compared with 2021. He also shares insights about his friendship with Rob Hersov, the outspoken businessman/activist who has been standing up for him through all the recent controversy generated by what McKenzie brands as disinformation. The PA leader spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part One of an extended early morning interview with the leader of the Patriotic Front, Gayton McKenzie explains why his kingmaking party is set to switch sides (again) in Gauteng - and why this time it’s likely to be for keeps. A central personality in South Africa’s edge-of-the-seat political arena, McKenzie ’fesses up to mistakes, especially in the Johannesburg Metro. And explains how this has helped the top team in his party conclude that DA leader John Steenhuisen’s Moonshot Pact is worth a full shot. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Consultant cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra made waves in September 2022 when he published a two-part paper titled 'Curing the pandemic of misinformation on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines through real evidence-based medicine' in the Journal of Insulin Resistance. Although Malhotra had been a public health advocate for a decade before the publication of his groundbreaking paper, it's unlikely that it would have sufficiently prepared him, or anyone, for the character assassination and condemnation that would follow his courageous and outspoken campaign against the mRNA COVID vaccines. Following his BNC#5 presentation, which astutely contextualised COVID as the by-product of a complete healthcare system failure, institutional corruption and gross overreach by the pharmaceutical industry, Malhotra sat down for a Q&A with BizNews founder Alec Hogg and delegates at the BizNews Conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Action South Africa, a member of the anti-ANC/EFF Rainbow Coalition, today threw down the gauntlet for other members to bring the Patriotic Alliance back into the fold - and immediately take back control of the Johannesburg Metro. ASA's leader Herman Mashaba served notice of a vote-by-raised-hands motion of no confidence on April 25 in office bearing puppets appointed by the ANC/EFF councillors, setting April 25. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the entrepreneur turned political disruptor says the content in social media messages postings by PA leader Gayton McKenzie encouraged him to take this gamble. He expects it to spark a new maturity by Rainbow Coalition members - with destructive bickering replaced by mutual respect among its members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past three years, the Cape Independence Advocacy Group has firmly put the topic of Western Cape secession onto the agenda in the SA province that's succeeding where the rest are failing. According to the CIAG's Phil Craig, the separation process is about to be another huge step forward with the tabling of a self-determination Bill in the provincial parliament. In this fascinating interview, Craig explains why he is 100% certain this landmark Bill will be presented and passed - and how it promises to transform the South African political and geographical landscape. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COVID saw an influx of irrational and baseless lockdown restrictions and public health regulations, the devastating effects of which will be felt for decades to come. The unprecedented nature of these measures also signified a radical departure from health guidelines established prior to COVID's arrival. The trap, however, is to believe that COVID occurred in a vacuum. In Dr Aseem Malhotra's presentation at the BizNews Conference in March, the world-renowned consultant cardiologist chronicled the decay of the value and reliability of public health institutions and modern medicine. Malhotra’s meticulous delivery astutely contextualised COVID as the by-product of a complete healthcare system failure, institutional corruption and gross overreach by the pharmaceutical industry, and abandonment of evidence-based medicine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's just over two decades since accountant Wendy Addison tipped off SA's Exchange Control authorities that something smelly was happening at Leisurenet, owner of 87 gyms and a darling of the JSE. As a result of her whistleblowing, Addison, a CA (SA), was forced to flee to the UK, accompanied by hard evidence of the massive fraud. But her dream job with high-profile entrepreneur Richard Branson ended when the Virgin chief opted to do a deal with the fraudsters and marched his recently appointed group treasurer out of the building - and literally into the begging lane. SA's first high-profile commercial whistleblower reflects on life-changing years when her testimony and subsequent pressure eventually put the company's joint MDs Rod Mitchell and Peter Gardiner behind bars, explaining how she applied those experiences to shape a different life. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s three years since the Constitutional Court instructed Parliament to approve a new Electoral Act that will transform SA’s polity and encourage its best citizens to become MPs. Political parties, including president Cyril Ramaphosa, want none of it, and have applied ‘Stalingrad’ tactics to delay the end of a system which prevents independents from standing for election to Parliament. Dr Michael Louis’s One SA Movement is leading a group of 77 civic society bodies working to replace what was always supposed to be a temporary system. They are determined to overcome the stalling and change the system before the 2024 National Election. Dr Louis explains how to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic Alliance's 'Governance Prospectus' is flourishing. The Western Cape province, the only one of nine run by South Africa's official opposition, is already well established as an economic growth and security outlier. Of the 169 000 net new South African jobs created in 2022, 167 000 were in the Western Cape. Those with the means are 'semigrating' in growing numbers, with a net 129 000 people moving into the province last year. But how sustainable is this oasis of prosperity in a sea of stagnation? Provincial Premier Alan Winde makes a solid case for the Western Cape experiment continuing and being adopted elsewhere, during this in-depth interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The prosperous and peaceful Western Cape resort town of Hermanus was rocked by violent protests in 2018, led by Gcobani Ndzongana, a political activist who helped to create the Economic Freedom Fighters. His LAND Party has grown in the five years since then, a highlight being the victory in a by-election over the ANC. Ndzongana has had a turbulent time since then, experiencing a home invasion and narrowly missing assassination when the bullet meant for him killed his driver. His determination is unbowed as is apparent in this interview with Hermanus-based investigative journalist and author Chris Steyn, he shares the party's intentions and explains how he sees the 2024 Election panning out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a bumpy March for investment markets, especially on the JSE, where share prices followed the rest of the world lower - but did not participate in the late bounce. However, Corion's David Bacher reckons that divergence opens up a buying opportunity for active investors, and his house has gone overweight SA stocks to take advantage. In this monthly recap, Bacher also shares which money managers are hot (and not) by performance and flow of funds. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2018, parliamentarian Bantu Holomisa went public with a slew of allegations against Harith founder Tshepo Mahloele - accusing him of being the kingpin in a network of corruption and worse than the Guptas. After being cleared by a fifth successive investigation, this time by the PIC and GEPF, Mahloele is moving onto the offensive, launching a campaign for South Africa to introduce US-style punitive damages - starting with the politician. Mahloele says the cost to his businesses of these baseless allegations runs into hundreds of millions of rand, including the aborting of numerous business opportunities caused by what has now been proved to be Holomisa’s lies. He says a proper deterrent is needed to force appropriate consequences onto those who destroy through propagating falsehoods. Mahloele spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steinhoff's management and board were given a bloody nose at December's Annual General Meeting when all the important proposals were voted down because of the opposition of Germany's leading Shareholder Protection association SDK. The investment activist body, established in the 1950s, boasts numerous coups including imploded multinational Wirecard. It speaks for shareholders representing 23% of Steinhoff's equity - and board member Dr Marc Liebscher says it wants to add South Africans to the 1800 German shareholders who have already proved to be the Nemesis of Steinhoff's managers. By voting against the proposals, SDK says it stopped a board proposal that would have seen already in-the-money financial speculators profiting further while shareholders would lose virtually everything. Berlin-based lawyer Liebscher says SDK is well-funded and up for a fight. Among its options is calling a meeting to replace the Steinhoff board and its well-paid (R50m a year) managers who, he believes, appear to be acting for hedge funds and other creditors rather than in the interests of shareholders. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Tim Noakes' presentation at the BizNews Conference in March detailed the failures of medical science and the imitation scientists who fervently serve at the behest of "The Science". Noakes' grasp of the complexities of the ongoing yet unseen pandemics of diabetes and obesity exemplified a perfect marriage between incontrovertible comprehension and the kind of simplicity only critical thought and accuracy could inform. Noakes also shared his unfiltered and uniquely qualified views on the parallels between the false COVID narrative and mainstream media's rejection and suppression of evidence refuting previously untouchable dictums. The combination of higher-order thinking questions posed by delegates and Noakes' discerning and informative responses prompted a profoundly valuable discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s much to digest from this interview with Jay Naidoo, a now 68-year-old who grew up as the last-born of eight children - and whose life was overturned when Apartheid’s Group Areas Act collided with the location of a modest family home. The social engineering system switched him from medical student to trade unionist; but it was intellect and passion that propelled the iconic activist into the top rank of anti-Apartheid warriors. In this moving, reflective discussion, Naidoo explains why he still refuses to accept the obvious, and continues to publicly pose thorny questions in a personal quest to leave the world a better place. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Steven’s life changed drastically at the age of 12 when he became a double amputee after being electrocuted at the Vaaldam. After years in hospital, he could return to school, but it was in a wheelchair. Prosthetics changed his life and by the time he finished high school Stevens told BizNews he was “fully adapted, mobile and wanted to do things.” A period when Stevens could not afford his own prosthetics made him realise what other amputees, especially children go through, and he joined Jumping Kids, a non-profit organisation that provides access to prosthetic equipment for children. Stevens always enjoyed sport and being able to participate at a competitive level, he rowed, sailed and kite-surfed but the tricky Paralympic categories prevented him from following in the footsteps of his father, Geoff Stevens who was an Olympian sailor in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic. A chance meeting with another para athlete led to a path down an icy track at speeds of over 120km/h and Stevens became one of the few para bobsledders in Africa. Stevens told BizNews of his hope to include bobsleigh as a Paralympic event, where his ‘vasbyt’ comes from and how he wants to turn Jumping Kids into a social enterprise. South Africa, he said, could be a leader in Africa in providing prosthetics for the growing number of amputees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 35, it's tempting to make parallels between Tshwane's new executive mayor Cilliers Brink and his counterparts in Cape Town and uMngeni, better exposed Young Lions of the Democratic Alliance. If anything, though, the legally-trained Pretoria lad faces an even more formidable challenge than counterparts Geordin Hill-Lewis and Chris Pappas. While they run local governments where the DA enjoys an outright majority, Brink leads a fragile political coalition recently embarrassed by a handful of members who secretly voted with the ANC/EFF rivals. But Brink sees his glass as half full. In this interview, he explains what is being done to overcome recent setbacks, including a missed opportunity to tackle load-shedding and an appalling audit report. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another sublime contribution from South Africa's foremost political scientist RW Johnson. The historian, author and former Oxford Don expands on a BizNews Premium column where he called out SA presidential myopia with the looming "nightmare" scenario of an ANC/EFF coalition running the country after the 2024 Election. Johnson looks at Rob Hersov's efforts to get the Rainbow Coalition back on track - and explains in some detail why South Africans should be prepared for interference by Moscow. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After many years deliberately spent out of the public eye, Professor Tim Noakes returned to the public platform as a keynote speaker at the fifth BizNews Conference in March 2023. His presentation exceeded all expectations as he delivered hard truths about medical science failures he termed "crime scenes". In a manner only someone capable of publicly admitting that the beliefs upon which they had built their entire careers had, in fact, been completely wrong, Noakes proceeded to fundamentally shatter longstanding and dangerously widespread misconceptions about critical topics like cholesterol, statin drugs, diabetes and nutrition. This presentation is truly a MUST-LISTEN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Financial advisor Magnus Heystek has described investment into property in South Africa, as a destroyer of wealth. Heystek told BizNews at the beginning of 2023 that his advisors at Brenthurst “have been actively reducing direct exposure to listed property since 2017, where possible”. In contrast, he said, “offshore listed property over the same time had soared by more than 60%.” But, with rising interest rates and inflation over 10% in the United Kingdom, are overseas property markets still a good investment for South Africans? The Director: Offshore Real Estate Investment at Sable International says inflation has actually been good for property investments in the UK as it drove up rents by 20-30% and ”your annual yield can far exceed interest rates.” She said muted property growth takes pressure off buyers in a market that is often characterised by bidding wars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UK-based global money manager Sean Peche returned to his homeland last week to offer his thoughts on the European Banking panic (which isn't a crisis) and the stalling of support for SA's Rainbow Coalition (which is). Peche, whose fund is currently among the top 1% performers in its category, applies his rational mind to both challenges. The proposed solutions appear to be both rational and workable. He spoke to Alec Hogg in the BizNews Cape Town studio at the Latitude Aparthotel in Sea Point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During BNC#5, Ranmore founder Sean Peche was quizzed on a variety of topics, starting off with how he intends keeping his fund among the top 1% performers globally. He was in conversation with Alec Hogg and members of the BizNews tribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this recording of his keynote to the 5th BizNews Conference, a global investment specialist poses a question that's quickly answered but rarely acted upon. With a few notable exceptions, financial advisors tend to steer their clients towards the 'safety' of portfolios managed by big management houses - but as Peche argues here, that security is primarily for the advisor themselves. As the world's most quoted investor Warren Buffett continuously reminds us, the size of a portfolio is an anchor to its growth. In this excellent presentation, Peche uses rationality and data to argue why Buffett is right, explaining why better returns will flow from re-assessing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freedom under law has expressed deep concern about the killing of well-known insolvency practitioner Cloete Murray and his son Thomas. Board member, Judge Johann Krieger said the apparent assassination of the Bosasa liquidator poses a threat to the rule of law and to South Africa’s constitutional democracy. The former Constitutional Court Judge weighs in on whether South Africa has become a mafia state and he does not mince his words for the Legal Practice Council that he calls "feckless" for failing to act against Adv Dali Mpofu. Judge Kriegler also offers solutions to the Stalingrad delaying tactics employed in the defences of former President Jacob Zuma, Judge John Hlope and suspended Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane which is costing the taxpayer millions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since global entrepreneur Rob Hersov spoke out at BNC#2 in September 2021, only a trickle of business leaders have joined him in openly questioning the ANC misrule of South Africa. The public, however, has been overwhelmingly supportive - taking a lead from someone who had the courage to call out SA’s naked emperors. In this typically candid interview with BizNews founder Alec Hogg, Hersov addresses how to break the logjam that’s stalled the Rainbow Coalition - and why he’ll be fully behind Cape Independence should an ANC/EFF alliance rule SA after the 2024 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past four years, 21-year-old independent airline Cemair has trebled in size to now sit snugly in SA’s number three spot behind Safair and Airlink - a position that is comfortable for founder and CEO Miles vd Molen. In this update on the SA aviation sector, vd Molen shares his insights into the best (and worst) days for price-conscious flyers; retaining the culture in a fast-growing business; and how Cemair is coping in SA’s turbulent sector where global players Swissport and Air BP are in the process of divesting. Message editorial Shift + Return to add a new line Profile Nadya Swart Active 2:53 PM local time Message Huddle Contact information Email Address [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

University of Pretoria's Vukosi Marivate, the holder of the ABSA Chair of Data Science, has been chosen for the 2023 World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders Programme. Prof Maravati wears many hats, including heading a Data Science for Social Impact research group focusing on Artificial Intelligence and languages, especially African languages. He is the Chief Technology Officer at Lelapa.ai, a start-up with Big Tech investors. Prof Marivate also helped launch the Deep Learning Indaba that brings the African AI community together. He has received recognition for his Covid-19 ZA Dashboard, which is still the only source of aggregated data on Covid-19 in South Africa. He told BizNews why he moved back to South Africa from the US and how he wants to solve some of the African continent's significant challenges with machine learning.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest polling data from the Social Research Foundation, shared here by chair Dr Frans Cronje, shows that SA’s opposition political parties wasted a golden opportunity to punish the ruling ANC when it was most vulnerable. With the notable exception of the IFP (especially in KZN) Cronje says the ANC’s other competitors dropped the ball when the tryline beckoned. Biggest loser, research shows, is the radical EFF whose share of the vote has almost halved to a modest 6% in recent months. Cronje believes the ANC’s fortunes will be further boosted ahead of the 2024 National Election by a virtual end to loadshedding as long-term plans start to have an impact. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transaction Capital's position as South Africa's second-best wealth creator for shareholders (behind Capitec) over the past decade fell in a heap this month as the share price collapsed from R30 to under R10. A pre-results profit warning last Monday (13 March) triggered selling that accelerated as rumours took hold, resulting in the shares falling precipitously to a low of R8 on Thursday. The fact that CEO David Hurwitz sold a large chunk of his shareholding in December fuelled Mr Market's righteous indignation. In this candid interview with BizNews founder Alec Hogg, the embattled company's bruised CEO cuts to the chase, providing context and explaining why the company has aborted a significant stock issue (to buy more of WeBuyCars) because it believes the shares have fallen too far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Half an hour of Magnus Heystek being quizzed at BNC#5 by members of the BizNews community. Here’s his response to the curveballs, penetrating and tough questions on the hot financial topics of the moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this recording, Ian Cameron of Action Society engages with BizNews Community members who attended the conference at Drakensberg Sports Resort in March 2023. The crimefighting activist is typically forthright in his responses, sharing an untold story which explains so much about the country's decline into a nation where criminals fear no consequences. BizNews founder Alec Hogg hosted him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is the recording of crimefighting activist Ian Cameron's keynote, the most powerful of all presentations at the fifth BizNews Conference. That's saying something, given the impressive lineup. Cameron, who is at the NGO Action Society, uses official data and personal experience to detail how leadership at South Africa's police service was hijacked by criminal elements, resulting in a mere 15% conviction rate for murder and 3% for reported rapes. He details how the law enforcement agency was systematically captured, but concludes there is hope - highlighting early but significant successes achieved through often abrogated devolution of responsibility by provincial structures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past decade, independent financial advisor Magnus Heystek has very publicly delivered a consistent message - Move your money outside of South Africa. He has been spot on. As a result, clients at the company he started, Brenthurst Wealth, have profited as misgovernance hammered the Rand and rising global investment markets also far outperformed the JSE. In this powerful keynote to the 5th BizNews Conference at the Drakensberg Sports Resort, Heystek re-iterated his message, providing fresh evidence to support his argument that it's unlikely there will be a reversal of the trend anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A democratic revolution is underway in South Africa's most populous province of KwaZulu-Natal. In recent by-elections, the IFP has won five previously safe ANC wards, and in those where it fell short, posted massive double-digit gains in its share of the vote and turned the ruling party's majority from comfortable to marginal. The party, founded by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in 1975, is a staunch member of the anti-ANC/EFF Rainbow Coalition. It governed KZN between 1994 and 2004, a project which is regarded as unfinished business. The IFP's newfound momentum is perfectly timed ahead of the watershed 2024 Election, where the IFP expects to regain the right to govern the province - and to share power nationally. Its president Velenkosini Hlabisa, who succeeded Buthelezi in August 2019, explains how the recent surge is part of a long-term plan embarked upon almost ten years ago. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the US's 16th largest, sent shock waves through global markets, knocking banking shares worldwide. In unrelated developments in SA, results from Absa and Transaction Capital disappointed, triggering intense selling pressure on the stocks, both of which are held in the BizNews model portfolio. Our go-to man on financial services, Denker Capital's Kokkie Kooyman, broke into his 'bucket list' holiday in Greenland to explain the relevance of these developments. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cape Town is one of the world’s top tourist destinations famous for its magnificent Table Mountain, white sandy beaches, Waterfront, and its vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere. In recent years, street art has emerged as a new attraction, adding to the appeal of the city. To support the artists behind the city's growing street art scene, Baz-Art was established as a platform to provide a livelihood for their work and regulate the industry. Founder Alex Tilmans told BizNews that Baz-Art hosts an annual international public art conference (IPAC) to select the best street artists to feature on their platform. He said that since its inception, the company has expanded its reach beyond Cape Town to other African cities and even as far as Glasgow for COP26. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of her Nightcap conversation at the 5th BizNews Conference at Champagne Sports Resort, Democratic Alliance chair Helen Zille shares some Second Level thinking on various topics. Starting with why the Patriotic Alliance demanded Joburg's Economic Development portfolio (and why the DA refused), the real reason why the ANC top brass let Eskom CEO Andre' de Ruyter get hung out to dry, and more riveting insights from this veteran of SA politics as she freewheels on a range of topics. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a fortnight that included a 6am start in Parliament's 'lockup' for the National Budget and hosting the four-day BizNews Conference in the Drakensberg, BizNews founder Alec Hogg was invited to provide insights at the Rotary Club of Hermanus. Here is a recording of his informal address to members of the non-profit, where he shared context and the back story to those two events - and offered perspective on the major issues South Africa faces in the lead-up to its watershed 2024 National Election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political coalitions are clearly not working in South Africa. Tshwane had a mayor from a tiny minority party for about six seconds when COPEs’ Murunwa Makwarela was disqualified because of an insolvency issue. Municipal governments have changed hands regularly in other large cities of the country as well, including Johannesburg. It is expected that the ANC, that has been in power since 1994 might not get more than 50% of the vote in the election in mid-2024 – they are currently polling at around 37% - and our history with coalitions on local government level does not bode well for coalition government on national government level. Recognising our inexperience in coalitions, a group of South Africa lawmakers are undertaking a tour to Europe to study how countries have managed to make coalition governments work. Local government specialist Prof Erwin Schwella who is also professor emeritus at the Law School at Tilburg University in the Netherlands and now runs the Hugenote Kollege on Leadership in Wellington has been given the mandate by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to design and design a leadership masterclass in coalition. Prof Schwella told Biznews that he is hoping for a“healthy rush to colleges doors instead of a rush to the court doors." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this sobering but enlightening interview, SA's foremost political scientist RW Johnson shares insights from his latest column which is on BizNews Premium - and delves deeper into the reasons why he believes SA is likely to have an ANC/EFF government after the 2024 election. He doesn't fancy its longevity, however, and explains how this coalition could trigger irresistible pressure for provincial secession, particularly by the Western Cape. He was interviewed by Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After quietly absorbing verbal abuse from Gayton McKenzie during a torrid first morning at BNC#5; DA Federal Chair Helen Zille had her opportunity to respond during the Nightcap session. In this, Part 1 of that discussion with BizNews founder Alec Hogg, Zille exacts her revenge. Brilliantly. We witness a master of her craft at her very best displaying trademark courage, superb storytelling skills and political nous. Zille also shared the back story of what is happening within SA’s newfound political coalitions; and unpacked the DA’s way ahead as the country approaches the watershed 2024 National Elections. Compelling, captivating and enlightening. A must-listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Herman Mashaba is at his best when cruising off-piste, fielding difficult questions. He had quite a few to navigate during the interview and audience engagement section of his keynote at the 5th BizNews Conference in the Drakensberg, held in March 2023. Mashaba began with a glowing endorsement of political rival Gayton McKenzie's 'true and riveting' keynote address before on to a wide range of topics including how his creation, Action SA, intends playing a significant role in South Africa's future - as either its biggest or #2 political party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Herman Mashaba who returned to the Drakensberg to address the fifth BizNews Conference came from a different place to the one whose opening keynote thrilled delegates to the first such event. Mashaba was then planning the creation of a new political entity. Now he heads the country's fastest-growing political party - one that has come from nowhere to poll double figures wherever it contests by-elections. Mashaba explained to BNC#5 attendees why, by size and seats in Parliament, ActionSA is set to be the biggest or a close second of all political parties after the 2024 National Election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patriotic Alliance leader, the 'uncancellable' Gayton McKenzie, answers questions in the Drakensberg in conversation with Alec Hogg and the BizNews community. He takes us into the back rooms of coalition negotiations and why his 'kingmaking' Patriotic Alliance will vote with the ANC for as long as Helen Zille remains chair of the DA. The conversation also covers topics ranging from McKenzie's relationship with global entrepreneur Rob Hersov; the popularity of former president Jacob Zuma; the need for a Rwanda-style benevolent dictatorship in SA; and how personal experiences shape his argument to re-introduce the Death Penalty. Fascinating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his powerful keynote to the 5th BizNews conference earlier this month, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie provided a filter-free delivery. He shared his ambition to become South Africa's 'benevolent dictator' before ranting against Democratic Alliance chair Helen Zille, illegal foreigners, and anyone who opposes the Death Penalty. The former gangster who was sentenced to 12 years in jail, shared his story and provided details of the populist policies of the political party which started as a focal point for the Coloured voters, but now has ambitions to attract supporters from all racial groups. Love him or hate him, McKenzie is a colourful addition to SA's political landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Hain has joined a growing list of struggle icons to urge South Africans to 'Rise Up' against the culture of corruption and misgovernance. The SA-born British Peer, a career politician who served in a Labour Party cabinet, made the call during his his memorial lecture at Kingswood School for its old boy Neil Aggett, murdered by the Apartheid police in 1982. Hain says South Africans must realise the only way to stop the country's slide to disaster is by saying 'No' to everyday corruption, exercising the hard-fought right to vote, and calling 'enough'. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kayamundi in the Western Cape is set to become the country’s first smart township. Ultimately, it is hoped that Kayamundi would be an innovation lab for townships and rural areas across South Africa and the rest of the continent. Closer to Cape Town lies Philippi, one of the country’s neglected townships where technology has been rolled out to create a community and business hub to empower the local residents. CEO, Bushra Razack told Biznews that a multi-purpose business hub like Philippi Village allowed the smart township concept to be accelerated. But, what she had learnt in the process was that technology was not a silver bullet to create a successful smart township, it needs engagement with the broader community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Low-cost, low-entry barrier stockbroker Easy Equities is trying to democratise financial services in South Africa. Including retirement funding, a space dominated by massive institutions whose cost base makes it expensive for retail investors to participate. Easy's subsidiary RISE (Retirement Investment and Savings for Everyone) has been building a presence through offering ultra-low-costs and market-leading transparency - and in this interview, chief investment officer Duane Gilbert explains how it works and why Easy's young client base (average: early 30s) is joining in growing numbers. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westbrooke, an SA/UK financial services company part-owned by the Enthoven family (of Nando's and Hollard fame), is extending its high-yield, low-risk private debt offering into the retail market. In this interview, Westbrooke's UK MD Richard Asherson and SA-based Jonti Osher explain how the product works - and how it delivers a consistent 9% in Sterling for UK investors; and 14% for those investing in Rand. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this summary of the latest Corion Report, the company's co-founder David Bacher explains why resources shares took such a paddling in February - and warns that the worst may not yet be over. He also guides the savvy investor toward areas with exciting prospects and offers some insights into the new Fantasy Fund Manager game that will launch next month. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Padel, a sport that blends elements of tennis and squash, has taken the world by storm, particularly in Spain, Sweden, and Portugal, where it has gained more players than traditional tennis. Some have likened the sport that originated in Mexico in the 1960s to "squash in the sun," while others call it "tennis with training wheels." Despite only a few years of development, padel has already amassed a big following, leading to significant demand for equipment such as rackets, balls, and accessories. Footballers, high-profile tennis champions like Serena Williams and Andy Murray, along with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, have become fans of the game. Around 25 million people worldwide play padel, with Spain boasting six million players. In South Africa, the sport is also rapidly taking off. James Baber and Craig Ireland from Africa Padel told Biznews that the sport was virtually unknown in South Africa until 2020 when the first court arrived and now corporates are starting to organise padel days instead of golf days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this series on South Africans who have massively outperformed and done great things, South African Professor Jonathan Jansen delves into his background, passion for his profession and the power of education in our nation - all of which have charted his path to becoming an Outlier. This is a story of a man who serves our country as an academic, a teacher, a leader, and an inspiration to many. Jansen spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews in an interview that Alec has dubbed as ‘one of the best interviews of his career to date.’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Business in the United Kingdom have been experiencing a shortage of workers with 1.19 million vacancies in the country. This is according to statistics released in November 2022 by the UK Parliament and a business survey by the country’s Office for National Statistics indicate that 13.3% of British businesses experienced a shortage of workers. The shortages are a result of the country’s decision to leave the European Union. While the door has closed for Europeans; it has opened more opportunities for South Africans to live and work in the UK, which could lead to settlement. Saskia Johnston from Immigration specialists Sable International told BizNews the new post-Brexit rules has opened up the door for more labour-intensive roles such as plumbers and bricklayers and there are many positions open for workers in the healthcare sector. Johnston has however warned that half-truths are circulating about the self-sponsorship route for business owners and mistakes could be costly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world is in the grip of a global energy crisis. This much is true. However, the real reason for this is shrouded by our fundamentally flawed thinking of fossil fuels and the mass of deeply ingrained misconceptions about renewable energy sources as remotely capable of replacing the energy output generated by fossil fuels. In a superbly eye-opening interview with energy expert Alex Epstein, author of the New York Times bestseller The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels and Fossil Future, Epstein astutely summarises the undeniable benefits of fossil fuels, the timeline of their demonisation and the moral monopoly that exists on the case for eliminating fossil fuels. Epstein's unique understanding of energy and arguments advocating in favour of energy freedom and human flourishing, both balanced and compelling, are sure to give pause to critical thinkers about their own misconceptions in what has become one of the most contentious topics of our time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this wide-ranging interview with Brenthurst Wealth founder Magnus Heystek, he shares some history that shaped his forthright approach - and explains why the near record Rand weakness of R18:50 to the US Dollar may be far from the end. Heystek takes a closer look at some of shocking news items for SA investors that have emerged recently and concludes that this supports his long-term bearish view of South Africa. Heystek will be elaborating on his perspectives at BNC#5 next week. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa has been placed on a global financial watchdog’s so-called grey list denoting nations with shortcomings in tackling illicit financial flows, a move that will, according to Bloomberg, scar the country’s international reputation and may raise costs for banks and asset managers. The decision was announced by the Financial Action Task Force. Nigeria was also added to the list. It places South Africa in the same category as Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, and Syria. Denker Capital co-founder, Kokkie Kooyman, said it would not affect the man in the street, and even the banks would hardly notice it, but there would be more scrutiny on other avenues by which money left or entered the country. Reacting to the 2023 budget, Kooyman said there had been a government mind shift on the privatisation of electricity. The increase in South Africa's debt-to-GDP ratio meant the country was slowly moving towards Ghana, Zambia, or Egypt. He also weighed in on the sudden exit of André de Ruyter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the publication of his peer-reviewed two-part research paper calling for the suspension of all COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in September 2021, Dr Aseem Malhotra became a household name among vaccine sceptics. Malhotra's COVID-19 journey has been particularly transformative. As one of the UK's most eminent cardiologists and a fierce public health advocate, he was among the first to get the double-dose Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in January 2021 – not thinking or even comprehending the possibility of a vaccine doing any harm. The premature death of his father in July 2021, six months after he had received the second Pfizer shot, was the catalyst which precipitated Malhotra's examination of the mRNA vaccines and subsequent exposure of unprecedented and horrific harm. In anticipation of his keynote address at the upcoming BizNews Conference, Malhotra sat down with BizNews in Cape Town to discuss his findings and insight into Big Pharma, public health and his campaign to cure the pandemic of misinformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa’s stricken power utility will get debt relief to the tune of R254 billion over the next three years year, but economist Dawie Roodt says the indication by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and President Ramaphosa that municipalities debt may be written off and that the power utiity should not implement Nersa increases meant that the Eskom problem would not be solved. Reacting to the Minister's 2023 budget, Roodt said he did not think that the Minister’s economic growth estimate will be achievable; judging from the South African Reserve Bank’s leading indicator that predicts what economic growth is likely to look like over the next couple of quarters, South Africa is probably in a recession. He also believes the Minister had inside-info that South Africa will be gray listed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a week that has seen another round of Stage 6 loadshedding with whispers of a dreaded Stage 8, Finance Minister Godongwana faces the task of incorporating a credible debt-relief plan for Eskom, while stabilising government finances in his annual budget, to be presented on Wednesday, 22nd February. Nezo Sobekwa from S&P Global told Biznews that investors would be looking at how the finance minister would be spending more money on Eskom debt, how he dealt with the public sector wage bill and what the country's GDP growth prospects were. Sobekwa said there were positives in terms of revenue collection and the number of jobs that had been created but said that the budget deficit would have to be revised. Eskom was not the minister's only headache, he said, problems with water supply and fuel costs were expected to impact growth. He expected the minister to say that he would not dish out more money to SOEs or salary increase, but that resolve could disappear down the road. And while the timing of a naval exercise with Russia and China was unfortunate while Ukraine marked a year since the Russian invasion, Sobekwa did not expect it to damage relations with the West. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Agri Sa has urged Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to announce measures for farmers in his budget speech to help them to protect the country’s food security. An agricultural economist at Agri SA, Kulani Siweya told Biznews that loadshedding is the most urgent threat to the nation’s farmers and they should be allocated resources to buttress them against its wors effects. Siweya said Agri SA is deeply concerned about the confluence of challenges that have come together to make food production in South African especially difficult at this time and although he did not want to create panic about food security, loadshedding is causing significant disruption. KFC and chicken farmers are an example of the effect it has had. He called on the government not to increase sin taxes as it has a dire effect on farmers and to assist farmers with funding to enable the agricultural sector to be one of the solutions to the energy crisis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the January Jump, fans of US Big Tech stocks have been calling the end of their slump. However, Ranmore Funds founder Sean Peche is having none of it, and in this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, he explains why in detail. He also offers some specific examples of where investors can buy stocks at a significant discount - demonstrating why this is preferable to following the crowd into FAANGS, which he reckons have run out of growth so are now cannibalizing each other's markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many South Africans take our abundant bird species for granted. Driving through Kruger looking for animals and ticking off the Big Five while our parents are more excited about the featured beauties in the trees is likely to be something familiar to most of us. As we get a bit older and travel elsewhere, we often start appreciating the avian treasures South Africa has been blessed with. In fact, South Africa boasts almost 900 of the world's 10,906 bird species, as recorded by Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. Armed with this knowledge and the realisation that there are millions of very keen birdwatchers across the world, one estimate puts the number at 45 million in the USA, John White, originally from Kwazulu-Natal, and his wife, Natalie, launched an app called Birda to bring the birdwatching or “twitchers'' as they are commonly known together in a shared community. White told BizNews that he drew inspiration from apps like Strava, which caters to the cycling community, and Fishbrain, a platform that connects avid fishermen and his team are building an online space where bird enthusiasts from around the world can connect with one another, share their sightings, and explore the best birdwatching spots. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ahead of the November 2021 Local Government elections, Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA's mayoral candidate for Cape Town, campaigned to end electricity outages within three years. Now installed as mayor, the energetic 36-year-old says he is about to unveil the most significant step in achieving that goal for a city that consumes 2 200MW during peak demand. In this wide-ranging interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, GHL says, "we're crossing the t's and dotting the i's" on an agreement that will bring an additional 500MW supply into the city's power grid. He anticipates making a formal announcement before the end of March. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa's annual Budget, to be presented on Wednesday, comes at a crucial time in the electoral cycle for the ruling ANC. A watershed National election is penciled in for May 2024, at which the ANC looks sure to lose its control of Parliament. Adding to the pressure to dispense vote-catching gifts by an embattled political party is an unexpected income overrun of between R80bn and R90bn in mining sector taxes via a commodities price boom. Stanlib chief economist Kevin Lings outlines the significant issues facing SA finance minister Enoch Godongwana, warning that investment markets will punish any short-term profligacy, especially given the fragile nature of the income windfalls. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The founder and leader of Action SA is confident his party will benefit hugely from a silent revolution among 'gatvol' South Africans who had previously never bothered to become registered voters. Herman Mashaba says his party's army of volunteers is helping thousands of previously apathetic citizens sign up - a factor he says is ignored in recent polls which rates the party's national support in low single digits. As evidence, he cites the 10% ActionSA polled in a recent by-election in rural Limpopo despite only entering the contest two months before the vote. The successful entrepreneur turned politician says the party has spread nationwide by drawing on the distribution strategy used to build his hugely successful BlackLikeMe business. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ETF specialist Mark Perchtold shines a spotlight on often startling differences between the nameplate of an Exchange Traded Fund and what’s actually under the hood - i.e., the shares it invests in. He offers some thoughts on the ETFs held in the BizNews portfolios (spoiler alert - he doesn’t agree with all of them) and shares how OMBA is positioning its investments for clients as we move deeper into 2023. Perchtold, who is a chartered accountant and CFA, spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa is a fresh example of how the invisible hand of free enterprise steps in when socialist fantasies collapse. Denker Capital co-founder Kokkie Kooyman uses the latest bank lending data to illustrate the point - SA businesses and, to some extent, citizens have been investing in new infrastructure to replace collapsing infrastructure previously provided by State monopolies. Kooyman also shares expert insights into the investment case for the listed shares of local and European banks - and insurers - offering some specific examples. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fairytale story of Peregrine Capital's pioneering hedge funds translated into unicorn-type returns for early investors, delivering a return of more than 100 times their capital. In this interview, the company's CEO and portfolio manager Jacques Conradie lifted the veil (a little) and even shared some specific examples. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jaundiced Eye by William Saunderson-Meyer has been dissecting SA politics for three decades, making it the longest-running column of its kind. WSM's insights are applied to good use in this interview, where he picks up on his friend RW Johnson's warning about Russian influence in SA's watershed 2024 election and shares thoughts on the Eskom disaster; the SA president's long-delayed but still pending cabinet reshuffle; and chances of the country avoiding a "disastrous" ANC/EFF coalition after next year's poll. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The BizNews tagline of "Get context. Know more" is appropriate in this brilliant summation by SA's premier political analyst, RW Johnson. He expands on a column he wrote for BN Premium members, where the former Oxford Don admits being baffled by the DA's flip-flop on the State of Disaster over Eskom. Johnson also applies Level Two thinking on SA's watershed 2024 Election, warning how Russian president Vladimir Putin will have a massive influence on both the result and post-poll coalitions. He spoke to BizNews founder Alec Hogg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Activist group Solidarity is determined to expose president Cyril Ramaphosa's "State of Disaster" proposal as an ill-conceived and unnecessary power play that has everything to do with ANC politics and will do nothing to address SA's energy crisis. Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute, explains why the organization is determined to prevent the action by approaching the courts. In this rational discussion with Alec Hogg of BizNews, he expresses shock at Ramaphosa's contradictory State of the Nation address. He argues that instead of playing politics and costing taxpayers money with another unnecessary cabinet appointment, the president should act logically and fire his incompetent lieutenants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Value investor Piet Viljoen applies Second Level Thinking to SA's electricity crisis - and shares some fresh twigs in hos bundles of riskier but potentially high-performing stocks. The way Counterpoint's money manager sees it, fixing the problem is a not-negotiable. And as investments are made to address it, some JSE-listed companies are sure to enjoy strong demand for their products. A check-list for the far-sighted investor. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Virtual health has been heralded for the past 10-15 years as the next disrupter of healthcare, but the uptake was slow until Covid-19. The pandemic served as an accelerator for healthcare providers and patients to adopt telemedicine. In a 2022 report, McKinsey concluded that, “the opportunity for technology and life sciences companies to address health equity challenges with digital innovation is immense.” In South Africa, health-tech founder, Alex Schmidt saw an opportunity when he realised that the process of accessing the contraceptive pill could be lengthy and embarrassing and he launched a sexual health platform, called Contro in 2021. Schmidt told BizNews that they have treated more than 3000 patients and that 30% of them are in townships and rural areas. He said that Contro, which he described as ‘Uber for the Pill’, wants to expand its services and it has attracted the interest of large corporate entities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CNN editor-at-large Richard Quest is among a handful of news industry personalities whose influence transcends national boundaries. So, impressions gathered during his latest visit to SA by this globally-respected 60-year-old really matter. While Quest diplomatically avoids commenting on the 2024 Election and admires SA's entrepreneurial spirit, his main takeaway from this week's visit to Cape Town is the shock of experiencing regular power outages. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the globe-trotting journalist urges SA policy-makers to urgently apply lessons from countries that have successfully tackled similar challenges. He reckons for any country with First World aspirations, the electricity blackouts which are becoming endemic in SA are simply "unimaginable". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen shares his thoughts on a range of subjects in this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews.com. He provides straight answers to the questions many South Africans want answered. Like: Will the DA enter a coalition with the ANC after the 2024 Election; Did Mpho Phalatse's challenge for DA Leadership trigger the end of her Joburg Mayorship; Can Eskom be rescued from seemingly inevitable collapse; After being twice let down, will the DA still strike a deal with Gayton McKenzie's Patriotic Alliance; and will his party to turn successful provincial governance into winning votes nationally. Good politicians must be peddlers of hope. From the evidence in this interview, Steenhuisen is a very good politician. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Momint is known for selling digital assets or non fungible tokens (NFTs). The most famous is probably the auction of a NFT of Nelson Mandela's arrest warrant sold for $310,000. And then there are the well-known bored ape NFTs, which are sort-after items for tech billionaires. But now, Momint CEO Aram Posthumus is turning to solar energy and has launched a blockchain offering called SunCash. It allows anyone to invest in solar power and resell it to institutions like schools. Posthumous told BizNews that investors would essentially become Eskom and earn the revenue that the power utility would typically get. He said that the country’s electricity problem could become “a massive positive and South Africa can actually become a world leader in renewable energy,” and it is an opportunity to attract foreign direct investment to the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just shy of 13 years ago, Schalk Malan, Suzanne Stevens, and Sean Hanlon gave up executive jobs at Discovery Holdings to launch an insurance startup. This week their business, now SA's preferred life insurance company for independent financial advisors, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Bellville-based giant Sanlam. Alec Hogg of BizNews asked CEO Schalk Malan the obvious - and not such apparent questions. For his part, Malan reckons access to Sanlam's large capital base will accelerate Brightrock's impressive growth trajectory. This suggests that competitors, like the Brightrock trio's former employer Discovery, best pay attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Globally respected academic Prof. Jonathan Jansen addresses some key questions – should young people leave the country; will the 2024 Election usher in a new dawn; are our politicians learning from the Metro coalitions; is Elon Musk a suitable custodian for Twitter – in this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews. In conclusion, despite its well-documented challenges, Jansen still regards SA as a half-full glass. Its people and resilience are not to be underestimated. They have enabled the country to beat the odds in the past, and the Stanford PhD and Stellenbosch University professor maintains they will do so again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rupert Finnemore, head of Easy Properties and a 20-year veteran in the sector, offers a counter to Magnus Heystek’s warning to stay away from real estate. He explains that the sizable discounts Easy can negotiate through its crowd-funded chequebook and a low price entry point (investing from R1) provides unique advantages. Its highly niched focus, he adds, makes this a very appealing prospect for all investors. Rupert spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What most South Africans would agree on is that urgent intervention is needed to solve the country’s energy crisis. President Cyril Ramaphosa has received support from the ANC National Executive that a state of disaster on energy could be declared but many South Africans are concerned that it would be another opportunity to loot and bypass laws. Professor William Gumede from the Wits School of Governance says a state of emergency on the energy crisis is not needed. Eskom’s problems could be solved with shock therapy. He told BizNews that South Africa’s dilemma is however that it is very difficult for the ‘ANC party state’ to implement the effective measures at Eskom that he presented last year to managers of Eskom power stations as it will have an impact on ANC leaders and they fear it could turn away voters from the ruling party. Prof Gumede believes that the positive outcome of the energy crisis could be a new manufacturing industry around renewables. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every time the investigation into climate change – which has quickly emerged as one of the most contentious issues of our time – has reached a new depth, the complexity of the matter has intensified, with numerous factors crawling out of the woodwork. Gaining knowledge on the subject has been akin to peeling a proverbial knowledge onion with unlimited layers. A quote by Albert Einstein sums it up beautifully, "The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don't know." Across the board, a deeper look into the climate change debate saw climate engineering – otherwise referred to as geoengineering – prop up as a factor that could not be ignored when discussing climate change. To explore the concept of geoengineering, BizNews spoke to Dane Wigington, the lead researcher at GeoengineeringWatch.org and executive producer of the groundbreaking documentary The Dimming. Wigington astutely broke down the timeline of climate engineering, how it has been used as a weapon in weather warfare, and how these operations are decimating the planet's life support systems and its ability to respond to any changes that are occurring. An incredibly revelatory interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corion Capital's David Bacher says the stock market's rollicking start to 2023 made this the 9th best January since 1960. But he has a word of caution for those piling back into shares: Corion itself has been selling into the strength on the view that US markets, in particular, are fragile. In this regular monthly recap with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Bacher outlines the reasons behind the January Jump and shares insights into the best way to play the volatile markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa's latest experience with coalition politics resulted in a significant elevation into Executive Mayorship of the country's richest Metro. Previously invisible Thapelo Amad, whose splinter political party received under 10 000 of the 933 000 votes cast in the 2021 election, has been engineered by 'Kingmaker' Gayton McKenzie into the position of overseeing the city's R73bn Budget. McKenzie, whose 8 Patriotic Alliance members hold the swing vote in Joburg's 270-seat Council, swapped sides for the second time to bring down the DA-run coalition. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, he shares the 'back story' and his perspectives on what awaits the young democracy as it follows a chaotic path to post-ANC rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Under his leadership, Tony Leon witnessed the Democratic Alliance mushroom from a tiny 1.7% of the national vote in the 1994 election to become Parliament's Official Opposition at 15x that number - and potentially a leading player in Government after the watershed election in May 2024. Leon retired from Parliament in 2007 and from public life entirely in 2012 after a three-year stint as SA's Ambassador to Argentina. But the legally trained son of a High Court Judge from an anti-apartheid family remains plugged into SA's political story. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews he shares some of his own experiences; offers a perspective on how the careers of the DA's other young achievers in politics may develop - and provides insights into how the Democratic Alliance is likely to approach the 2024 National Election, with some sobering post-poll scenarios. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 2017, Magnus Heystek-founded Brenthurst Wealth clients have owned no South African property investments. It’s been an excellent call, with asset values falling sharply in the past six years. Heystek explains in this interview why he regards SA property as the most destructive asset class, even though there are always exceptions (think migration to the Western Cape) - the reasons for remaining ultra bearish. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loadshedding and the deterioration of services and infrastructure in South Africa are leading to a general feeling of despair in the country. Last week, the South African Reserve Bank highlighted the dire effect of power blackouts on our economy. In his first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) statement of the year, Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago estimated that 'extreme loadshedding' will lead to more than a 2% reduction in GDP growth this year. According to his GDP forecast, the South African economy would shrink by  R100 billion this year. Loadshedding is wiping out projected growth and is estimated to be only 0.3% in 2023. PWC paints an even darker picture asserting that blackouts will knock five percentage points off GDP growth this year. It is hard to find silver linings in this dark cloud. Still, Simon Maritz, the founder of Fine Fragrance Collection, points out that South Africa's manufacturing sector appears resilient and has found ingenious ways to mitigate loadshedding. Proof of this, he told BizNews, is that there are no empty shelves as we experienced during the Covid pandemic lockdowns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Wilkes, VP of Risk at Easy Equities, has deep experience in global investment markets, having operating trading desks at major institutions in London, Amsterdam, and Johannesburg. His advice to the hundreds of thousands of Easy’s retail investors who own US shares is to be cautious: keep faith with your own processes but stay conservative despite the excitement of the last month. He reckons investors should stick with broad-based ETFs like those tracking the S&P500 Index rather than buying into individual shares. The market veteran shared his insights with Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PC Ferreira, a Karoo farmer and owner of the Karoo Gariep Conservancy between Colesberg and Hanover, embodies the Afrikaans expression, ‘‘n Boer maak ‘n plan.’ In his case, the Boer or sustainable farmer who re-introduced hippos in the Northern Cape is making several plans - and his next big project is to establish rhinos on his farm and to invite tourists to spend a day with a rhino. Ferreira is also the driver of the Karoo Seekoei River Nature Reserve initiative, a conservation plan including 450,000 hectares of land belonging to 57 owners along the river in a reserve. For Ferreira it is not only about nature conservation and tourism, however. He has also established three non-profit organisations in a project melding 16 towns around Hanover into a tourism route. He is working on a safe house for troubled ‘fallen stars’, a skills training facility, a heritage hub for the San people… and a plan to use beehives to help street kids. Ferreira told BizNews that he believed that the Karoo is one of the last safe havens for rhinos and that you could give him a list of reasons why things shouldn’t work, but “there is always the possibility that it can work”. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, BizNews founder Alec Hogg participated at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland for the 18th time. He shared his insights at a fundraising breakfast in Hermanus, providing context on the state of the world economy, dramatic innovations currently affecting us and how a global wave of creative destruction is impacting South Africa. Here is a recording of his address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although he has no interest in becoming a politician, SA-born global entrepreneur Rob Hersov continues to tap into the zeitgeist and attract massive public attention through outspoken statements on South African politics. His latest contribution, complete with fist-pumps and provocative words, was delivered yesterday from the podium outside of the ANC headquarters. After being handed the microphone, Hersov launched into the ANC, calling it a criminal organisation and demanding that SA's president and national cabinet members immediately resign. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Hersov explains why he joined the march organised by the Democratic Alliance which attracted 4 500 people - and shares what he believes will happen next as the country heads for a watershed election in May 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews founder Alec Hogg spoke to South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week. Godongwana, who led the SA delegation in President Cyril Ramaphosa's absence, spoke about the issues our country faces that need to be addressed with collective efforts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helium start-up Renergen has delivered its first gas, overcoming production problems which had knocked the confidence of investors. In this interview, CEO Stefano Marani explains why this is a game-changing for the company, potentially unlocking a $750m new plant for the JSE-listed company whose stock is much beloved by South African retail investors. However, he is unable to resist ranting against 'short-sighted' institutional investors. Marani, whose company has been awarded South Africa's first and to date only onshore petroleum production licence, also weighs in on the Karoo fracking debate, supporting the regulator's view that exploratory drilling needs to be conducted as soon as possible. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Davos Direct with Absa Group Financial Director Jason Quinn. The cost of living crisis could pull attention from shared global risks such as climate change. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks report highlights that two out of three households in the US are battling to pay their bills every month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nedbank CEO Mike Brown speaks to Bronwyn Nielsen on the ground at WEF 2023 in Davos, where he is attending his 10th WEF gathering. Brown explains how the focus has shifted from everything banking-related to ESG, sustainability and climate change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen caught up with Old Mutual CEO Iain Williamson on the ground at the World Economic Forum 2023 in Davos. Williamson summarised the event from his perspective, focusing on how Africa and how this may be the continent's century stood out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen virtually spoke to Arvana Singh, who leads Sustainable Finance Solutions at Nedbank CIB and holds extensive investment banking and sustainable finance experience, at WEF 2023 in Davos. Arvana explains how sustainable finance solutions are playing a key role in mitigating climate change risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita speaks to Bronwyn Nielsen at WEF 2023 in Davos about the respective challenges that markets in developed and developing countries will face in the short term and globalisation, which he believes is here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen and BizNews founder Alec Hogg look back at the week's meetings held at the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos. The theme that keeps surfacing is that every country has its problems with solutions being hard to come by. Joining the dots, the duo says, is facilitated at the WEF gatherings in Davos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa’s decision to welcome Russian and Chinese warships into its territorial waters for a naval exercise in February has been criticised both in South Africa and in Western countries. The Democratic Alliance’s international relations spokesperson, Darren Bergman said in a statement that, “It is becoming increasingly clear that the South African government was openly siding with Russia.” BBC’s foreign affairs veteran John Simpson also tweeted, “South Africa which says it remains neutral over Russia's invasion of Ukraine has announced it will welcome 2 Russian warships to Durban next month for a series of war games together with ships of the Chinese navy.' Foreign Affairs analyst and journalist, Peter Fabricius told Biznews the timing of the exercise is insensitive, to put it mildly, there is signs of wear-and-tear in South Africa’s diplomatic relations and investors may say, why would they invest in a country that’s so friendly with Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen caught up virtually with Peter van Kerckhoven, co-head of Debt Finance at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Bank, at WEF 2023 in Davos. Van Kerckhoven expressed relief that, even with the abundance of crises the world is currently facing, climate change and sustainability are still at the top of the agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Dames, CEO at African Rainbow Energy & Power, speaks to Bronwyn Nielsen at WEF 2023 in Davos. Dames tells of his experience so far and how it has stood out that the crises we face as a country are the same as the rest of the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naspers CEO Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa speaks to Bronwyn Nielsen at WEF 2023 in Davos about the opportunity to showcase what South Africa has to offer. Phuti expresses sincere belief in international investors' commitment to SA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the BizNews interviews with Dr Judith Curry, Professor William Happer and Dr John Christy, all of whom share the conviction that the Earth is, in fact, not in the throes of a climate crisis, BizNews sought out a voice on the opposing side of the climate change debate. Professor Guy McPherson, professor emeritus of natural resources and ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona and a leading global voice on abrupt climate change leading to near-term human extinction, believes humans will be extinct by 2026. In this interview, he explains the basis of this damning prediction and discusses why and how the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are too conservative and diluted. Climate science is anything but settled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Development Bank of South Africa balances bilateral meetings and knowledge accumulation sessions at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South African entrepreneur Lindiwe Matlali in 2020 won the Schwab Foundation Social Innovation Award in 2020 and now she is having bilaterals with Queen Matilda of Belgium. Africa Teen Geeks is on an unstoppable upward trajectory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alec Hogg and Bronwyn Nielsen bring you an overview of Day 4 at the World Economic Forum - Direct from Davos. A deep dive into Africa, Pfizer and Africa Teen Geeks a South African Company that is soaring on the back of winning the Schwab Foundations Social Innovation Award in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen and Alec Hogg of BizNews discuss the events of day 3 at WEF 2023 in Davos, with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, standing out as one of the event's most exceptional figures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multichoice CEO Calvo Mawela tells Bronwyn Nielsen how South Africa's presence at WEF 2023 in Davos is an opportunity to show the world that SA is a solid country to invest in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen speaks to Acting CEO of Brand SA Sithembile Ntombela who shares her excitement at showcasing South Africa's value proposition and the identity of our country at WEF 2023, Davos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until his acquisition ten years ago of the South African assets of Irish Group Independent Media, Iqbal Survé was best known as the entrepreneur who had created the successful JSE-listed empowerment group Sekunjalo. Media ownership, however, has turned his reputation on its head. Even though Survé says the media business is only 3% of his group's assets, it delivers 99% of the reputational headaches. In this in-depth interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Survé gives his side of a story that has taken on a life of its own - explaining why he is ready to hand over the baton of South Africa's leading newspaper group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bronwyn Nielsen speaks to SA Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana who is leading team SA at the 2023 WEF in Davos. Godongwana says team SA is being warmly received. Godongwana explains how there are four critical things to be done to put loadshedding in the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Standard Bank chair Nonkululeko Nyembezi says "Africa is our play, we want to gather support for Africa. The key issues we are keenly following in Davos with regards to the African Continent are growth, climate change and the enormous opportunities that surround The African Continental Free Trade Area." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brown Nielsen speaks to Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank about the state of the country's economy which he says is, despite its issues and historical vulnerability, quite resilient. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been a massive uptick in applications to study abroad and overseas universities are getting hundreds of thousands of applications. That is according to Brent Morris, managing director: Study Abroad of Sable International. Morris told BizNews that parents, and students who are thinking of studying elsewhere, should however not panic and advised parents not to overload their offspring with additional programmes. He said it was a lot simpler than you would think to get South African students into overseas universities. South Africans are popular because of the diversity they provide and Sable International has a 99% success rate with students they put forward. They don’t charge students for the service. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A grateful nation will always be indebted to South Africa's former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas, whose whistleblowing proved the catalyst that turned the tide against the Gupta-plundering Zuma Administration. He started the Zupta collapse by rejecting the now fugitive Indian family's massive offer to join the dark side - and then despite huge personal risk, going public with the details. Now chairman of the R250bn mobile phone business MTN, Jonas is at the WEF meeting in Davos. He shared his thoughts with on how South Africa can be pulled out of its current quagmire providing some clear insights into what's wrong with the political system and how to fix it. Jonas spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MultiChoice CEO Imtiaz Patel shares insights on why he values attending The World Economic Forum as a Business Leader. An interesting discussion on the value of knowledge and why no expense should be shared as we navigate the highly unpredictable world we live in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi saysThe World Economic Forum was started by Professor Klaus Schwab as an academic to collate different views on the future. Zeblon will be attending the Expert Forum on Higher Education a think tank focused on jobs and the economy of the future, themes every parent with young children desperately wants some insight into. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reporting from the annual WEF meeting in Davos, BizNews founder Alec Hogg provides a wrap of the day as he prepares to attend the first round of discussions. Under the theme of “Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” this year’s event will focus on solution-driven discussions on topics deemed to present the most pressing issues facing the world today. Of these, the cost of living crisis is at the top of the agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cape Town-based professional photographer Greg Beadle is one of the ultimate insiders at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting - a man whose badge that gets him into literally every meeting room in the Davos confab. In this fascinating inerview, Beadle shares his insights of the event and its true purpose with another long-time WEF attendee, fellow Saffer Alec Hogg of BizNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the best things about being at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos is you never know who you'll bump into. Sometimes, as Alec Hogg shares here, a really special someone like the "done great" daughter of a good friend. Pretoria lass Bryonie Guthrie is managing the Ice Village at Davos 2023 - and in this interview explains what she is doing here; life as a WEF staffer; how she deals with misguided critics of her employer; and, even though her role is global, how she is doing her part in helping her homeland tackle its toughest biggest challenges (Hint: if you thought education was expensive, try ignorance). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the World Economic Forum set to commence in Davos, Switzerland on Monday, 16 January, Bronwyn Nielsen checks in with Iain Williamson, CEO of Old Mutual, to discuss the expectations for South Africa and Africa from Davos, 2023. In focus: energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SA’s energy resources regulator Dr Phindile Masangane says the Petrloeum Agency SA will soon be sharing its updated models of the Karoo Shale Gas reserves with the scientific community - and is storngly recommending a drilling programme to confirm the exciting findings. PASA’s model puts the SA’s shale gas reserves at a massive 200tcf which for context is 66 times the total gas feedstock for Sasol; and is just under a third of the reserves which have transformed the energy equation in the US, the world’s biggest economy. A chemistry PhD from Imperial College, London (with a Wits MBA), in this interview Dr Masangane applies science to address concerns articulated on BizNews earlier this week by Graaff Reinet attorney Derek Light, who represents hundreds of sceptical Karoo landowners including business tycoon Johann Rupert. The regulator’s model, conclusions and recommendations supports a thesis proposed by outspoken entrepreneur Rob Hersov, which sparked Light’s response. Dr Masangane, who has considerable experience with energy projects from development to feasibility, spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graaff-Reinet attorney Derek Light, who has been intimately involved in the Karoo Shale Gas saga since 2009, dispels what he refers to as “myths” that Rob Hersov is so excited about. Light reckons popular assumptions around the size and value of the alleged gas deposits in central South Africa are massively exaggerated - and those like Hersov who are lobbying for their rapid exploitation are irresponsible. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good rankings across the board in 2022's performance tables by Fairtree and PSG illustrates once more how money managers are not all equal. In this review of the year that's just past, Corion's David Bacher explains how these two houses were able to buck what for most investors was one of the worst years on record - particularly for those those who piled into offshore stocks and specifically Big Tech. He also looks ahead the the challenges that lie ahead in 2023. Bacher spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A comment under an RW Johnson contribution to BizNews describes South Africa's former Oxford Don as "the most astute political analyst we have". Johnson's level-headed, rational assessment of SA politics is evident in this fascinating discussion on two of his articles recently published on the website - the first on the ANC Conference; the second about Eskom. Johnson's conclusion: both are examples of chaos which is accompanying the ending of the ANC's "catastropic" era - together with hope that its replacement will herald a significant improvement for the country's citizens. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Hersov has a habit of saying the unfashionable truths that others lack the courage to voice. He did so at BNC#2 and again at BNC#4 when calling out timid South African business leaders, unleashing a torrent after addressing politically-correct. Hersov has started the new year in a similar vein, standing 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with SA's much criticised energy minister Gwede Mantashe, encouraging him to double down against the foreign promoted Green Agenda. He urges Mantashe and his boss, SA president Cyril Ramaphosa, to reject the hypocritical Western agenda that demands SA ignores its endowed fossil fuel assets while the EU's imports of those same resources are up 400% in the past year. The way Hersov sees it, SA has been stopped by self-interested "Colonialists" from using massive shale and offshore gas reserves whose exploitation would transform the energy situation, directly create over a million new jobs and turbo-charge the economy. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As South Africans are increasingly faced with loadshedding, potholes and the deterioration of so many services; the penny has dropped that it is no use waiting for the government to fix it. In his New Year’s message, Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said he believed that fixing the country does not belong to the government, but to all of us. Well, this is exactly what South Africans are doing as they start providing their own electricity, while communities are coming together to fix potholes and clean streets. Frans Rautenbach, a labour lawyer from Cape Town, believes that the process of helping ourselves can be taken a step further. He has written the book, Help Yourself South Africa. Rautenbach told Biznews about his blueprint to fix education, health, housing and other functions of government and suggests that some of the labour laws in the country could be challenged constitutionally. He looks at where regulation was shackling South Africans and suggests a way around them. Rautenbach even has ideas about a new currency and hopes his ideas will be tested in a model 'dorpie'. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2022 was a decidedly volatile year in the field of psychiatry. In July, a study led by Dr Joanna Moncrieff found that there was no convincing evidence that depression is connected with low serotonin, let alone caused by it. In November, while the psychiatric profession and, perhaps more significantly, the millions of people taking antidepressants were still reeling from Moncrieff’s findings, a study co-authored by Dr David Erritzoe was published which provided the first direct evidence that serotonin release is blunted in the brains of people with depression. BizNews spoke to Erritzoe who explained the findings of the brain imaging study which is sparking debate within psychiatry about the so-called serotonin hypothesis of depression and challenging the findings of Moncrieff’s controversial study. Erritzoe, who is the Clinical Director in Centre for Psychedelic Research and Clinical Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at Imperial College London, also provided fascinating insight into Imperial’s novel studies investigating the brain mechanisms and therapeutic potential of MDMA, ketamine and classic psychedelics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The local currency, banking stocks and local sovereign bonds gained after the re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa was confirmed. The outlook for South Africa, says Nezo Sobekwa, African risk analyst at S& P Global Market Intelligence, is “cautiously optimistic”, but he did not foresee that things were going to turn around in the short term. Electricity, water shortages, reliance on imported fuel and Transnet remain a concern. Energy policy inconsistency is also likely to remain in the short term. Sobekwa said he expected that President Ramaphosa will, with his new mandate, start tightening the screws on corruption, but it remains to be seen “if the buffalo can gain some momentum”. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged from the African National Congress’ 55th conference more confident and he has managed to tighten his grip on power. Instead of hostile members of the RET faction, that were hampering his drive to clean up corruption, the majority of members in the Top 7 of the ANC of the organisation, are now allies of Mr Ramaphosa. In his closing speech the president said the ANC was able to pull back and managed to prove to those that said the ANC will stumble forever, that they were wrong. He re-commited himself to cleaning up government and his party and said the 55th conference which will conclude in hybrid in January have ‘united’ the ANC. But will Mr Ramaphosa be able to abandon his cautious style and speed up the economic reforms he has repeatedly promised and can we expect a Cabinet reshuffle in the New Year. Prof Theo Venter told Biznews that he was expecting a Cabinet reshuffle in the New Year with several Minister being dropped. and, that the Phala Phala investigation will with Ramaphosa firmly back as ANC President, “slowly but surely wither away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ruling ANC has elected its top 7 officials, with President Cyril Ramaphosa being given the top position again with a bigger margin than he had achieved in 2017. His appointment has been welcomed by financial markets with the local currency strengthening against the dollar, pound and euro. Mteto Nyati, who is currently the CEO of BSG, a business and technology consulting company told BizNews he welcomed the continuity, stability and policy certainty that the re-election of President Ramaphosa is brought about. A change at presidential level within the ANC, he said, could have have destabilised the efforts that have kind of being driven to turn around or recover Eskom. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With 17 000 trucks now on its platform, Linebooker’s momentum continued to accelerate helped by its system’s smooth management during SA’s peak freight moving quarter. CEO and co-founder Naude Rademan explains to Alec Hogg of BizNews that month-on-month growth accelerating from 10% to 20%, the “Uber for trucks” has proved to be fully scalable - with many new clients attracted in recent months as their traditional processes were disrupted by weather and other unique issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Cyril Ramaphosa managed to secure a second term as President of the ANC beating his rival Zweli Mkhize with 579 votes. His slate did however not have a complete victory. The position of deputy-president went to Paul Mashatile. A Ramaphosa ally, Gwede Mantashe was re-election as chair of the ANC, while the current Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula, who has also pledge support to Ramaphosa took the position of secretary-general. A thorn in Ramaphosa side could be Nomvula Mokonyana, who secure the position as one of the positions of first deputy secretary of the ANC. Markets reacted favourably to Mr Ramaphosa appointment with the rand strengthening and market uncertainty appears to have been eased. Dr TK Pooe from Wits’s School of Governance told Biznews that the margin in which Ramaphosa has won means he does not have any excuses any more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two nominees have emerged for the top position of President of the ANC at Nasrec in Johannesburg where the party is electing its new leaders. They are President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zweli Mkhize. After a delay in balloting as the party struggled to complete the registration of more than 4,500 delegates, several candidates were nominated from the floor for what is now the top 7 of the ANC, with a new position of a second secretary-general. Prof Richard Calland, political analyst and law professor at the University of Cape Town, told BizNews that Ramaphosa and Mkize appear to be neck-and-neck in the race for President and that horse trading was taking place behind the scenes to persuade candidates not to split the votes of the Ramaphosa camp. He also gave a glimpse of what a Mkhize presidency could look like should he manage to pip Ramaphosa to the post. Calland says whoever wins: the ANC is tired and unable to grapple with the country’s challenges. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linda van Tilburg interviewed political analyst Dr Piet Croucamp about his take on the 55th ANC elective conference and reports on an interesting angle: the party is so divided and perceived as so untrustworthy by many South Africans that it may be lucky even to garner 50% of the votes in the 2024 national election. Given that realisation, ANC stalwarts realise that Ramaphosa will still be their best bet to try to prop up the ailing structure – but the threat from the alienated RET faction and Ace Magashule still remains. Read the fascinating opinions below to find out more. – Sandra Laurence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa’s 55th national conference is being closely watched from outside our shores. Chris Vandome, a senior political analyst from Chatham House in London says President Cyril Ramaphosa is generally regarded as ‘the least worst option’ and overseas leaders are, like many South Africans frustrated with his slow pace of economic reform. Vandome told BizNews the international community would like that pace to accelerate and the donors of the Just Energy Transition who have committed $8.5 billion to the project and have chosen South Africa as a test case, are keen to see a continuation of a commitment to a green energy transition. Describing Gwede Mantashe, as the ‘last stand on coal the coal industry,' he said it remained to be seen whether Mantashe still had enough support in the ANC to be politically important to President Ramaphosa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Embattled Western Cape High Court Judge President John Hlophe has been suspended pending impeachment proceedings against him for gross misconduct. The suspension has been welcomed by Freedom under Law (FUL) which has previously expressed serious concern that the suspension of Judge Hlope has been delayed despite complaints that go back more than 14 years. Advocate Jeremy Gauntlett who is also a KC at Brick Court Chambers told Biznews that expected that there could be more 'law fare' from the embattled High Court Judge President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ranmore Funds founder Sean Peche is warning us to expect the unexpected in the New Year, offering “Surprises” that could shake up the performance of investment portfolios. Leading the pack is the warning of a 50% drop in the share prices of Apple, Amazon and Tesla - with Putin pulling out of Ukraine and European shares beating the pants off Americans also on the list. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ANC caucus in Parliament managed to ward off a rebellion against President Cyril Ramaphosa with only 5 of its members of parliament voting for the adoption of the Section 89 panel report on the Phala Phala theft that found that he may have violated the Constitution. Notably voting in favour of proceeding with impeachment was his arch-rival for top positions in the ANC, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Conspicuously absent from voting was Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and the man who plans to challenge Ramaphosa for the ANC leadership, Zweli Mkhize.  It means the obstacles have been cleared  for him to stand as president of the ANC for another 5 years when the organisation convenes at Nasrec, near Soweto for its 55th National Conference on Friday.  At his election in December 2017, Ramaphosa said he would focus on tackling corruption and that he was the unity candidate. Ramaphosa essentially made a deal to hold the ANC together, but the deal prevented him from making big decisions that he needed to make to take the country forward - and his decision to keep his friends close and his enemies closer almost cost him the presidency.  Political analyst Prof Theo Venter from the University of Johannesburg told Biznews he believes President Ramaphosa will emerge victorious to lead the ANC for a second term. Venter expects the biggest battle to be for the position of deputy president of the ANC, as the candidate would become president should Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala theft force him to fall on his sword.  - Linda van Tilburg   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The uMgungunglovu District has emerged as the surprise leader among SA regions battling to engineer solutions to loadshedding. The region, which includes PMB, Howick and Mooi River, is launching massive battery plants to serve business hubs. James Martin, who heads Economic Recovery in the district says the batteries will be charged by Independent Power Producers and within a year electricity will be flowing to businesses to ensure they are unaffected during Eskom blackouts. Memories of last year’s KZN riots and the way loadshedding is hitting employment provided the stimulus to sweep aside red tape - and launch a pragmatic solution which could provide a template for other parts of the country. Martin spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many South Africans uMngeni’s hard-working Mayor Christopher Pappas (31) personifies what the country could become. Young, smart, multi-lingual and hard working, Pappas and his Democratic Alliance team have achieved a great lot since taking power a year ago - serving as a template for the DA’s alternative to the increasingly destructive example of governance by the ANC. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Pappas provides an update on the municipality which was the feature of party leader John Steenhuisen’s latest weekly newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scenario planner Jakkie Cilliers, founder of the ISS and author of the 2017 book Fate of the Nation, shares updated perspectives on SA’s political future. It’s a sobering message for those hoping for change, and points to a binary consequence after the 2024 Election. Two big events in the next week, however, will provide some clear milestones. Cilliers spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The number of students interested in accounting and auditing has been falling worldwide. A member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Christina Ho, recently called the shortage a “crisis”. This has also been the case in South Africa where the profession is facing the same challenge. The CEO of the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), Shahied Daniels, told BizNews that a reason for the decline is digital transformation and the lack of skills thereof. He reveals the professional accountancy organisation (PAO) is upskilling its members with digital tools to ride the Fourth Industrial Revolution wave, sustainably and ethically. According to him, the days of bean counters as well as the title chief financial officer, are over, as they have evolved to much more. The era of the chief value officer and Professional Accountant (SA)– who plays a much bigger role in business and society, and contributes to the sustainability of the economy of the country – has arrived. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any South African who has spent an extended period abroad soon realizes that relative to the First World, their country’s needs are great. Even modest “do-good” efforts which are likely to go unnoticed in the rich North, can make a significant difference in SA. Hollard picked up on this reality by introducing a cash-back incentive – providing a discount of up to 20% on premiums for those volunteers serving an hour a week at charitable causes. In this uplifting interview, Hollard’s Warwick Bloom explains how it works, the reaction from clients and why the innovation also makes good business sense. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week DA Federal Chair Helen Zille spent three days campaigning in the rural North West province ahead of a forced re-run of the 2021 Local Election for the Ditsobotla municipality. This is a major test for South Africa’s young democracy, as it is scarcely imaginable how local voters could have been more obviously abused by those they put into power. How voters react will be a useful gauge of the state of voter education in SA - and whether citizens really understand that they alone have the power to effect change in the potentially watershed 2024 National Election. Zille spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Perchtold of OMBA tells us that the current era of volatility is far from over, with a significant correction in equities a distinct possibility in the first half of 2023. But there are ways to protect against these drawdowns - and he explains why European stocks (and especially Autos) and those in China are appealing. And offered some advice on how to structure investments in a way that protects against whatever the new year may bring. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Mileham, the Shadow Minister of Minerals and Energy, explains how the ANC blundered when appointing Gwede Mantashe to the portfolio responsible for SA’s electricity supply. The record shows that in under four years since taking charge, Mantashe has made one mistake after the other, his deliberate actions contributing greatly to the country’s current loadshedding crisis. Mileham says Mantashe’s obsession for coal and nuclear solutions reflect a man who is badly out of touch with reality - while his obstruction of private sector solutions is based purely on the ideological ground of a hard boiled communist. There is hope, however. Mileham says the ANC Elective Conference may well force Ramaphosa’s hand and force him to fire his long-time political ally. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr John Christy, distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, has been a compelling voice on the other side of the climate change debate for decades. Christy, a self-proclaimed “climate nerd”, developed an unwavering desire to understand weather and climate at the tender age of 10, and remains as devoted to understanding the climate system to this day. By using data sets built from scratch, Christy, with other scientists including NASA scientist Roy Spencer, have been testing the theories generated by climate models to see how well they hold up to reality. Their findings? On average, the latest models for the deep layer of the atmosphere are warming about twice too fast, presenting a deeply flawed and unrealistic representation of the actual climate. In this long-form interview, Christy – who receives no funding from the fossil fuel industry – provides data-substantiated clarity on a host of issues, further refuting the climate crisis narrative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A scheme using street art, theatre and song that is aimed at reducing the open dumping and burning of waste and to increase plastic recycling has been introduced in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga by a team from WasteAid, a leading international development organisation and the University of Portsmouth in the UK. Rebecca Henderson from WasteAid told BizNews that the response to the project was phenomenal and they wanted to show communities they had the skills and power to create change. Dr Cressida Bowyer from the University of Portsmouth, who has successfully launched similar campaigns in Kenya, said it was a creative way of tackling the issue of plastic waste. A study in Mountain View, KwaMhlanga has found that 85% of the area’s population are open dumping or burning waste. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview, Westbrooke Alternative Asset management’s product development head Dino Zuccollo explains how South African investors now have access to a high yielding alternative to fixed deposits. Westbrooke offers a portfolio of loans it has made to top rated private companies, playing in a space that highly regulated banks don’t. Diversification reduces the risk of these 12-month- plus loans, which yield returns (14% is common) that are vastly superior to better known alternatives. Zuccollo unpacked the opportunity for Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Action SA’s founder won’t hear any mitigating evidence in favour of SA’s beleaguered president – for him the events at Phala Phala are simply a reflection of a leader who needs to be put out to pasture. In this powerful interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, businessman-turned-politician Herman Mashaba makes the case for ejecting both the ANC and its leader and explains why he ignores labels of “EFF lover” and “House Nigger” slung at him by opponents. There’s good news, too, about Action SA’s rapid expansion in rural areas and normalising of its relationship with the Democratic Alliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a sense of deja vu as the ANC laagers around its president ahead of next week’s Phala Phala impeachment debate. The DA, and most other opposition parties, will be voting to support the establishment of an impeachment inquiry. It’s a motion that only requires a simple majority (50% plus one), but that isn’t as simple as the name denotes. Not when the ANC holds 57% of parliamentary seats. The ANC caucus in Parliament has been instructed to quash next week’s debate on the Phala Phala report in a posture incredibly reminiscent of its protection of former President Jacob Zuma. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke with DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube (before Eskom so rudely cut our conversation short) about the potential outcomes and complexities of the matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many South Africans who are able to afford it, are re-locating to the Western Cape which the official opposition political party, the Democratic Alliance, has been using as something of a template. In this interview, the province’s Premier Alan Winde explains why the DA continues to encourage ‘semigration’, a direct consequence of clean governance - despite the numerous challenges which the flood of new arrivals presents. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 15 years Fred Daniel has faced unthinkable intimidation, destruction of property, obstruction of justice, and even death threats by a criminal cabal in Mpumalanga. The entrepreneur and conservationist, turned whistleblower, built the Nkomazi Wilderness Reserve, a collection of 89 farms he painstakingly amalgamated in the area between Badplaas and Barbeton - a UNESCO world heritage site. His conservation mission was scuppered by a “criminal enterprise targeting the public purse”, exploiting the land reform process in order to loot. In an extensive interview with BizNews correspondent Michael Appel, he explains the personal and professional cost involved in standing in the way of grand scale corruption. It’s graft that Daniel believes involves Deputy President David Mabuza as the “strongman” of Mpumalanga. Earlier this week, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse referred several criminal complaints related to Mabuza’s tenure as both MEC for Agriculture and Land Administration, as well as Premier of Mpumalanga, to the NPA’s Investigating Directorate. In a statement, the Deputy President’s office said: “This complaint is a regurgitation of old allegations by Fred Daniel, which have been and continue to be litigated in other courts, including the High Court. Every application that Mr. Daniel has filed against the Deputy President has been rejected with punitive costs. The judicial system has found him to be a dishonest litigant who takes advantage of the system.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa's membership of BRICS presents economic opportunities for our development, as well as the rest of the African continent. Join Busi Mabuza, Chairperson - South Africa Chapter of the BRICS Business Council, Isaah Mhlanga, Chief Economist of Alexander Forbes, Willem Van Der Spuy - Chief Director, Trade and Investment South Africa and Pranjal Sharma, geo-economic analyst and author based in New Delhi, India, in conversation with Bronwyn Nielsen for exclusive insights into leveraging South Africa's chairship of BRICS to fuel growth, as well as the 10-year celebration of the BRICS Business Council and South Africa's role going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Good party is one of the lone voices among opposition parties that isn't calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign based on the preliminary findings of the independent panel's report on Phala Phala. The party's secretary general, Brett Herron, spoke to BizNews correspondent Michael Appel about Good's perspective on the "untested findings” and the precedent it would set should anyone be required to step down based on prima facie findings without thoroughly interrogating their veracity. Herron wouldn't commit to how Good would vote in the motion being debated on Tuesday to establish a more substantial impeachment inquiry, but left the door open to the possibility of voting in the affirmative. He made the point that while the media may be playing the numbers game on how many ANC MPs would be required to vote with opposition parties to pass the motion with the required 50% plus one, opposition parties are not united on the stance that will be taken on Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Family-focused restaurant, Bambanani, has entertained children and their parents in Melville, Johannesburg for the past 14 years. The owner, Caryn Cohen, is now ready to take her concept of pairing sophisticated dining with a safe space for children elsewhere and to raise money, she has partnered with Altvest to look for co-investors via the Cape Town Stock Exchange. Cohen told BizNews about her ambitious plans to expand in the country and overseas. She says her biggest backers are her clientele and is looking forward to the company being run by savvy women who create opportunities for themselves. Akshay Karan from Altvest said the company became involved because they loved the story and there has been "incredible interest" so far. The company listed on the Cape Town Stock Exchange on 12 December. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan says the entire Phala Phala scandal threatening SA’s President is a setup engineered by disgraced former cabinet minister Arthur Fraser, his ‘sleeper’ inside the Ramaphosa household and ‘flexible’ journalists. He says there is no case for Ramaphosa to answer as Fraser’s affidavit, which sparked the controversy, is long on hearsay and short on fact. O’Sullivan urges Ramaphosa to display backbone and reject calls for his departure, saying he must not abandon the country in its hour of need. To resign now, the Forensics for Justice founder adds, would be an admission of guilt. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this new series on South Africans who have massively outperformed, mechanical engineer Mteto Nyati explains how his family’s obsession with education put him onto a road to becoming an Outlier. It’s a story of discipline and dedication, faith and application – and an appreciation that fancy plans are worth nothing without execution. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cyril Ramaphosa’s continued future as president of the republic and the ANC has been thrown into disarray after an independent panel found he has a case to answer to on Phala Phala. The panel was established to conduct a preliminary enquiry into circumstances surrounding the theft of an undisclosed amount of foreign currency “stored” or “concealed” in a couch at the president’s Limpopo farm in February 2020. The independent panel consisted of former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, former judge Thokozile Masipa, and Advocate Mahlape Sello. The panel officially handed over its findings and recommendations to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, on Wednesday morning. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel took a closer look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this month’s recap of the Corion Report with David Bacher, we take a look at the rebound in markets in October as they regained some of the substantial losses that historic market volatility brought to 2022. He takes us through the drivers of the rebound and why local was lekker, as SA equities saw bullish recoveries on the back of ructions in global markets and an interesting bump from Asia. Bacher and Lucy Ferreira of BizNews also touch on whether or not 2023 is expected to be as hair-raising for investors, and a warning around crypto currencies after the carnage we’ve seen this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If your parent or grandparent served the British government in the Crown Service, you might now be entitled to a British passport. That is one of the routes open to South Africans, or Zimbabweans for British nationality. Mishal Patel, Director of Sable International’s Citizenship and Immigration division, told BizNews that this category does not only include Policemen and men who served in the army, it also includes teachers, nurses, and postmasters. Patel said proving eligibility could however be another beast as original paperwork is needed for an application. Patel warned those who might want to pursue this route, “Don't leave it too late before things change again and it becomes more difficult as it usually becomes every other year.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author Jacques Pauw received the perfect gift just days after the launch of Our Poisoned Land, when EFF leader Julius Malema demanded its removal from the shelves. The ensuing publicity turbocharged sales, sending the title to the top of SA’s bestseller list, six times above that of its nearest competitor. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Pauw talks about the book, some of those implicated by it, the “hugely disappointing” Cyril Ramaphosa, investigative journalism and his 2017 blockbuster, The President’s Keepers, which sold over 200 000 copies – more than any other locally produced book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Mann, chairman and CEO of ASP Isotopes, shares the inside story of the Pretoria-based company whose ground-breaking technology puts it at the global forefront of a rapidly expanding sector. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the US-based chemical engineer-turned-investment banker Mann explains what attracted him to the SA company; how its scientists reversed a longstanding global practice and why demand far exceeds the supply of his high-value products. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Bank estimates that climate change could push 86 million Africans to migrate within their countries by 2050 - and the April 2022 floods in Kwazulu-Natal that caused 450 deaths and damaged infrastructure and thousands of homes highlighted the vulnerability of displaced people. To address the needs of migrants and those affected by events like the KZN floods, the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF) has promised a new $1.2 million funding commitment to provide financial and technical support to six African cities. eThekwini (Durban) has been selected as one of them. The fund was launched by C40 Cities and the Mayors Migration Council, a global network of mayors who are taking action to confront the climate crisis, backed by the Ikea Foundation. Samer Saliba, the head of practice on the Mayor’s Migration Council, told Biznews that eThekwini is the second South African city to receive funds, Johannesburg being one of the previous recipients. Salima said the Council made “sure that the money is actually going directly into the accounts of city governments. There's no in-between from the national government or from third parties who are receiving this money and then channelling it down”. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freedom Under Law (FUL) has raised several concerns about the composition, operation, and performance of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The JSC is the body constitutionally mandated to assist in making judicial appointments and must deal with disputes lodged against judges. FUL’s report titled: A review of the activities of the South African Judicial Service Commission 2009 to 2022, found key deficiencies in the body that has for years been prone to political interference. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to Calli Solik, lead researcher on the report, to get a better understanding of the systemic issues identified by FUL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freedom Front Plus, the political party which champions minorities and Cape Independence, is credited with being ‘the adult in the room’ during fractious coalition discussions in Gauteng Metros. The electorate is paying attention, with the FF+ on the right side of seismic swings in two recent by-elections. Reasons why become apparent during this interview with party stalwart Dr Corné Mulder, a member of the National Assembly since 1988. Mulder, a fourth-generation South African politician, explains how coalition governments are the natural consequence of SA’s proportional representation electoral system introduced in 1994. He reaches a hopeful conclusion – positing that a ‘Rainbow Coalition’ of political parties outside of the economically destructive ANC/EFF can and will win the 2024 national election. That result, he believes, will usher in a new era of prosperity for the country. Mulder spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week DA leader John Steenhuisen’s proposed oversight trip to the disastrous Kusile power station was blocked by security guards on the instruction of ANC cabinet member Pravin Gordhan. Kusile was approved in 2007 as an eight-year project slated to cost R80bn. Now, 15 years later, it has cost over R200bn and only two of its six generation units are actually working. In this fascinating interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the SA’s Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition shares the back story of the oversight visit that never was, offers some suggestions to his political opponents (hint: Thailand) – and explains what a DA government would be doing about Eskom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Western Cape High Court has interdicted an ANC-led coalition in Knysna from continuing to pay salaries to eight unlawfully employed cadres. The court ruled that the municipality - currently in the hands of the ANC/EFF/Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners coalition - illegally altered the organigram of the entity in order to make the political appointments, without following due process. The DA calls the leadership of Knysna the “coalition of corruption” and has won their first victory in a two-part court process. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke with DA constituency head in Knysna, Dr Dion George, to get background on the case and the precarious state of coalition politics in the 21-seat council he believes is a “microcosm of South Africa”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Mann, chairman and CEO of ASP Isotopes, shares the inside story of the Pretoria-based company whose ground-breaking technology puts it at the global forefront of a rapidly expanding sector. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the US-based chemical engineer-turned-investment banker Mann explains what attracted him to the SA company; how its scientists reversed a longstanding global practice and why demand far exceeds the supply of his high-value products. - Alec Hogg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re 20% into the five-year Local v Offshore investment Challenge and Counterpoint’s Piet Viljoen is off to a fast start. His SA-focused half of the R1m stake has appreciated to R550 239 – a superb achievement considering substantial ‘drawdowns’ (ie price drops) reported by asset managers worldwide. Offshore-focused Magnus Heystek of Brenthurst Wealth is absorbing the full brunt of the market meltdown, with his half dropping in value to R365 470. Between the two of them, however, the R1m has depreciated by a modest 8.5%, reflecting the power of diversification as it is a significant outperformance against most asset portfolios. On the one-year anniversary of the challenge, Piet and Magnus look back at the past year and ahead to the next four. Both will be keynote speakers at BNC#5 in the Drakensberg at the end of February. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of us, running water and a nice hot shower is something we take for granted, but for the many homeless people in South Africa this is not the case. It robs them of their dignity and confidence to pursue work and a livelihood. To address this issue, Viva Con Agua launched a Wash Bus in Cape Town suburbs to support the unsheltered homeless and give them the opportunity to have a shower and toilet facilities. Sisanda Henda, the Project manager of the Wash Bus that has been dubbed Nina Manzi, told Linda van Tilburghow the number of homeless people in Cape town had grown to more than 14000 post-Covid. In a study of people living on the streets; they indicated that access to water was the main challenge they faced. Henda said the reaction to the project had been ‘phenomenal’ and has led to employment for some of Cape Town’s homeless people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of CrypTalk, BizNew’s Ross Sinclair and Jaltech’s Gaurav Nair discuss the collapse of one of the largest crypto exchanges, FTX, how the company got away with limited liquidity for so long, and the broader implications for the crypto market as a whole.  For more information about Jaltech:  https://www.biznews.com/jaltech-cryptocurrency-notes  Jaltech’s Safety Deposit Box: https://jaltech.co.za/portfolio_type/crypto-safety-deposit-box/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Google Africa chief and Bitcoin ‘maximalist’ Stafford Masie provides some practical insights into how crypto currency fans can protect their investments in the wake of the FTX implosion - and explains the connection between the Bahama-based fraudsters and SA’s leading exchanges Luno and ValR. Masie also tells us why this is a watershed moment for Bitcoin, an event which will differentiate it from worthless ‘shitcoin’ copies that proliferate the crypto currency space. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Cyril Ramaphosa was met with pomp and ceremony in the United Kingdom as the first world leader received by the new King Charles III. Few in the world can replicate how the Brits pull out the stops when it comes to state visits. There were 1,000 soldiers in a parade, inspection of the guard, a ride in a state carriage, a state banquet with tiaras, a meeting with the Prime Minister, and an address to the Houses of Parliament. Before the meeting he met South Africans at the High Commission on Trafalgar Square in London.Geoff Johnson, the founder of Nedbank’s Charity Golf Day, was one of the SA expats invited and reported that Ramaphosa had admitted that Eskom had failed, and that South Africa has “got to move to more natural resources”. Johnson gave BizNews his impression of the reception of Mr Ramaphosa in London and why he, as  a life-long supporter of the ANC, is confident that Ramaphosa is the leader who can accelerate reform. He said if Ramaphosa got the mandate to rule for another term, “he will proceed with more vigour” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Referred to by the media as the “right-to-die activist”, Professor Sean Davison made headlines in June 2019 when he pleaded guilty to three counts of murder for assisting three men, all of whom were physically incapable of ending their own unbearable suffering, to die. It wasn’t long ago, however, that the DignitySA founder and committed campaigner for a change in  the law to allow for voluntary euthanasia in South Africa was a family man who enjoyed his work as a UWC biotechnology professor and had no thoughts on euthanasia. In 2006, Davison’s terminally ill mother reached the end of her tether and begged him to help her die. A more unthinkable situation doesn’t come to mind. It was then that Davison realised that it was not his choice – it was his mother’s choice to die and he agreed to help her while she still had a little bit of dignity. This event shaped the rest of Davison’s life. BizNews spoke to Davison to find out more about a man who has accepted triple murder convictions in his fight to decriminalise voluntary euthanasia. What followed was an in-depth, raw and detailed discussion of his experience and the radical flaws in SA law that have undoubtedly left many people with an impossible choice between doing what is right and doing what is legal. The only real conviction when it comes to Davison is his realisation that it is fundamentally moral to have the option of an assisted death and to choose your own time of dying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are now more than half a million people living over the age of 100 or older living in the world according to figures of the World Economic Forum. Every generation is living three years longer than the previous generation. The aging world population is presenting challenges to most of the developed world and in South Africa it is often associated with health-related issues. So, if we are all becoming older and reaching 100 is becoming more of a reality – consider how many of our grannies are now reaching a ripe old age of 90 and more – how should we make sure that our wealth lasts until that magic number. Wealth Migrate Chief Marketing Officer, Mariken Jansen van Vuuren who has done research on life until we clock a century says, “living longer means you need to invest earlier” and for younger people it could start with not buying two lattes a day. Riaan van der Vyfer, Chief Investment Officer of the company told Linda van Tilburg it is going to take a new mindset and that retirement should not be the end goal of financial plans. Van den Vyfer also believes there is a structural problem in the financial services industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our go-to guy on all things digital, Stafford Masie, believes the FTX collapse and associated contagion will once and for all highlight the vast difference between Bitcoin and its many imitators - so called ‘shitcoins’. In this fascinating interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, he discusses FTX and its fraudster founder Sam Bankman-Fried, explains how the FTX collapse was inevitable and why what happened proves that in direct contrast to other crypto currencies, Bitcoin is ’a fundamental, technological gift to humanity that redefines value exchange on a global basis”. A Bitcoin maximalist, he reckons Cathie Wood’s updated forecast this week that Bitcoin’s price will hit $1m by 2030 “is conservative”. Sceptical? Keep an open mind, invest half an hour, and chances are you’ll change that opinion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the fourth and final episode in the series which unpacks crypto currency for would-be investors, Luno’s Johan Hetzel and Robyn Berger of Bowmans provide key considerations for those starting out. Hetzel, a forensic accountant, offers some excellent tips on how to avoid being scammed. Tax expert Berger shares her insights on what the taxman will demand – with the good news that losses can be offset against other income (up to a limit). In this episode we also cover critical homework required before making that first investment in a digital asset, the role of financial advisors and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western medicine has largely failed to appreciate the complexity of how the brain, gut, and more recently, the gut microbiota—the microorganisms that live inside our digestive tract—communicate with one another. Though many people have had “gut feelings” or “gut instincts”, the scientific basis of these terms and how they form part of the hidden conversation in our bodies falls far outside the perimeters of our understanding. Medical research, however, is increasingly uncovering stunning new information about the extraordinary brain gut connection. To explore the brain gut microbiome system and its implications on human health and disease, BizNews spoke to Dr Emeran Mayer, a world renowned gastroenterologist and neuroscientist and a pioneer of medical research into brain gut interactions. The degree to which the microbiome is insinuated into virtually every aspect of our health, and the opportunities this presents in terms of disease management, is astounding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Institute for Race Relations (IRR) believes the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment means Jacob Zuma must go back to prison. This after the SCA upheld a decision of the High Court in Pretoria that Zuma's release on medical parole by former Correctional Services commissioner Arthur Fraser was illegal, invalid and unconstitutional. Zuma was jailed for contempt for 15 months for refusing to testify before the Zondo Commission. But he was released on medical parole after just two months. The Medical Parole Advisory Board did not find Zuma was permanently incapacitated nor was he suffering from a terminal illness, one of which must be present for placement on medical parole. Fraser, instead, overruled the panel of medical experts and approved Zuma's release. The IRR was an amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the matter. IRR head of campaigns Gabriel Crouse joined BizNews correspondent Michael Appel for an expansive discussion on what the judgment means for the embattled former president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld a decision of the High Court in Pretoria that Jacob Zuma's release on medical parole by former Correctional Services commissioner Arthur Fraser was illegal, invalid and unconstitutional. Zuma was jailed for contempt for 15 months for refusing to testify before the Zondo Commission. But he was released on medical parole after just two months. The Medical Parole Advisory Board did not find Zuma was permanently incapacitated nor was he suffering from a terminal illness, one of which must be present for placement on medical parole. Fraser, instead, overruled the panel of medical experts and approved Zuma's release. The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) was a respondent in the appeal filed by Fraser and Zuma with the SCA. HSF director Nicole Fritz explained to BizNews correspondent Michael Appel the significance of the judgment, as well as what this spells for Zuma. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among healthcare professionals across a broad spectrum of expertise in the field of medicine, there are comparatively few doctors who came closer to the practical reality of COVID-19 than Dr EV Rapiti, who had his finger on the pulse of the virus since its arrival. Though Rapiti’s more than 45 years of experience as a general practitioner in Mitchell’s Plain couldn’t prepare him for the pandemic, for various reasons beyond the virus itself, he ate, breathed and slept COVID-19. While most of the medical fraternity, at the behest of regulatory authorities, shirked their basic duty to care for their patients, Rapiti refused to buy into the narrative that there was no available treatment. Instead, he humbly accepted the answer would not be found in old medical textbooks and fine-tuned a protocol with which he treated over 3,000 patients with a success rate of 99.95%. Before the COVID-19 era, that this kind of dedication to duty could be met with anything other than respect would have been laughed off as absurd but this has not been the case. Rapiti was shunned by the medical community for diverging from the recommended ‘treatment’ regimen and utilising alternative treatment options to care for his patients. Almost three years later, even as the writing is on the wall and the official coronavirus narrative is riddled with gaping holes, doctors who stood by their Hippocratic Oath to ‘first, do no harm’ are still being persecuted. BizNews spoke to Rapiti about his COVID-19 journey and the recent proposal for ‘pandemic amnesty’ for the enforcers of the devastating pandemic policies that have eroded the fibre of societies across the world. This in-depth interview is definitely worth the time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are the ones that have infused the word "Just" into the phrase "Just Transition". There is a huge element of justice to be considered as we didn't cause the climate crisis. Africa cannot leapfrog to Net Zero, we have to have something to transition from and right now we know that more than half a billion people do not have access to any form of energy. Africa must continue to develop with its God-given resources while it transitions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The sheer number of people in attendance at COP27 shows you just how important this climate summit is to the world. This COP has something very specific as it is the implementation COP. We have enough knowledge, we have enough will, we have enough promises and enough speeches. It is time for action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank, believes that it has been a successful Africa COP as the AfDB has launched two transformative climate initiatives, namely the Climate Action window and the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa. Kevin adds that the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa is an idea that’s time has firmly come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many external observers, airline veteran Gidon Novick personified the best chance of a turnaround for teetering South African Airways and saving at least some of the billions injected by taxpayers. But the former CEO of Comair and co-founder of Lift this week announced his resignation as a director of the Takatso consortium which is negotiating to acquire 51% of SAA. Forthright as ever, Novick says his team brought airline expertise to the consortium and invested heavily over 18 months in compiling a project plan – but despite its 20% shareholding was “kept in the dark”. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a return to the BizNews studio after spending much of the past four months on the road, Dr Frans Cronje of the Social Research Foundation provides an update on optimism he exuded last time. Bottom line: Cronje is still upbeat and hasn’t changed his view that the 2024 Election will be a positive watershed for the nation. In this interview he shares perspectives shaped by both on-the-ground research with voters and some uncharacteristic reform-minded actions by South Africa’s ruling political party. Cronje’s long-range forecast: A possible Parliamentary coalition between the ANC and its closest rival, the DA – rather than the more popularly predicted ANC/EFF combine. Fascinating and topical with SA’s Watershed election little over 500 days away. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though the uptake of COVID-19 boosters remains low in South Africa, with a mere 3.6 million booster shots reportedly administered by August, the South African Government and international health authorities continue to urge citizens to join the conga line of “responsible” people queuing to get boosted. Given the significantly high seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among the South African population, there is no justification for boosters, even less the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorisation thereof. In this long-form interview with Dr David Wiseman, a PhD research bioscientist with a background in pharmacy, pharmacology and immunology, the significant risks associated with continued boosting were meticulously examined. Wiseman’s ability to simplify technical knowledge and his explanation of the dangers associated with boosters were second to none. According to Wiseman, attempting to boost our way out of the pandemic is the immunological equivalent of heroin addiction. Wiseman furthermore provided critical insight into the FDA and CDC’s egregious abandonment of once well-established standards, evidenced by the EUA issued for the new untested BA4/5 bivalent boosters. Note that Wiseman referred to several slides during the interview which have been embedded in the article on BizNews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naspers’ businesses are low carbon intense as they are underpinned by digital transition which is the future of the green economy. For example, there are a billion unbanked people in the world and if we had to bring these unbanked people onto the financial grid via traditional brick and mortar, old style financial services it would be devastating for the environment. By bringing them onto the grid via digital services we are able to reduce the impact on the environment of the delivery part of the service and reduce the environmental impact of every end consumer that is able to access their financial needs online. Prajna Khanna, Global Head of Sustainability - Vice President at Prosus Group and Naspers Limited, at COP27. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Savage was back in the BizNews studio after the release of the Purple Group's full year earnings. In the interview with founder Alec Hogg, looking in his crystal ball Savage said the future has never been brighter despite it being a tricky time in the market for growth stocks, echoed by the demure movements in the group’s share price in spite of a stellar performance over the last 12 months. Noteworthy metrics from the annual report include a 50% increase in customers and the completion of 4 acquisitions, a feat not to be scoffed at coming from a relatively small team of operators. The team are pleased to have executed against their goals for the year and simply view investor’s subdued reactions as an indication of a tricky macro environment as opposed to doubts about future growth, especially when considering the intrinsic value that will be harvested from its recent investment in the Philippines, which Charles expects to be much bigger than its South African market. Considering that the team has come from a R20 million income statement 8 years ago, to a company of R2.5 billion today, it’s difficult to argue that investors won’t be richly rewarded by a global product offering and a sound strategy that is on track to realise local and international expansion. An exciting space to watch indeed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposition to the electoral amendment bill, in its current form, continues to grow, with Ramaphosa under increasing pressure to act before the 10 December deadline. In June 2020, the Constitutional Court ordered Parliament to make the necessary legislative changes to the existing electoral law, which makes it impossible for an independent candidate to stand for office without being part of a political party. This provision is at odds with the country’s Bill of Rights. Parliament was given 24 months to make the changes but that deadline lapsed in June this year and Parliament was granted an extension until December. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke with the chairperson of the Independent Candidate Association, Dr Michael Louis, about the continuing shenanigans that bedevil the constitutionality of the bill and what options remain on the table ahead of the 2024 national elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The African Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF) represents 10 African Sovereign Wealth Funds that have sustainability at the core of their investment mandates. ASIF is partnering with the Alliance on Green Infrastructure in Africa to help drive green infrastructure projects at scale across the African continent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California-based founder of ETF provider Ginsglobal, Anthony Ginsberg, makes some powerful points in this interview on the Tech Wreck and what lies ahead for Wall Street’s fallen angels. Ginsberg, a South African now in Los Angeles, says smart American money is picking up shares in downtrodden tech companies, especially those with high exposure to exponentially growing sectors like the Cloud (think Amazon, Apple, Alphabet) and Cyber Security (think Cloudflare). He shares insights with Alec Hogg of BizNews on the US market’s positive reaction to last week’s inflation surprise; explains why Wall Street is happy about the Mid Term election results; and now that Donald Trump’s bolt is shot, the prospect of a Ron de Santis-led, business-friendly US government in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ActionSA’s withdrawal from the Ekurhuleni coalition agreement on Monday is the latest setback for multi-party mergers trying to bring a semblance of stability to municipalities. ActionSA’s national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party had decided to withdraw and opted to become a constructive and robust opposition party. This is just the latest blow to the stability of the minority government currently leading the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality after Tania Campbell’s removal and then reinstatement as mayor in a short time. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke with Dr Corné Mulder, the Western Cape leader of the Freedom Front Plus, but in his capacity as the chairperson of the coalition technical committee. He is candid about the difficulties they’ve faced in bringing together so many different parties to form minority governments, as is the case in Ekurhuleni. Mulder admits that the continuous in-fighting between parties is robbing the alliance of valuable energy it should be expending on service delivery, never mind tarnishing the image of the workability of coalitions as an alternative to one-party rule come 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egypt's COP27 Summit could unlock the rise of renewable energy in Africa and worldwide if leaders are able to strengthen their commitment to phase out fossil fuels and begin to act on that promise. Francois Dao, Vice President EDF Renewables, Middle East and Africa, speaks to us at the global climate conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

London-based South African money manager Sean Peche is flying right now, with a value-based approach elevating his Randmore Funds into the top one percentile according to performance monitoring company Morningside. Peche has shared some of the love with the BizNews tribe – recommending two stocks that shot the lights out since being including in our model portfolios. In-form Peche explains to BizNews’s Alec Hogg how his process of seeking value and ignoring fashion helped him dodge performance-killing bullets – and a warning that the next shoe to drop could be a downrating of shares in top-quality multinational companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may well have been a case of buy on rumour, sell on fact for traders as Transaction Capital’s share price fell 5% in the wake of the release of its financial results for the year to end September – that despite a 24% earnings rise and a 35% hike in the dividend payment. CEO David Hurwitz is unperturbed, projecting 20% plus growth into the forseeable future, the exponential expansion driven by exceptionally performing WeBuyCars (now 43% of group profit) and the debt collection and BPO division Nutun. In this results day interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Hurwitz multi-tasks his way to explaining why the future remains bright for the highly rated group – despite Mr Market’s negative initial reaction to the published figures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

oneer swimmer Lewis Pugh takes on endurance swims in the most endangered parts of the world to highlight global warming. It included swims in the Arctic and Antarctic. In the run-up to COP27, the climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Pugh became the first swimmer ever to cross the Red Sea, from Saudi Arabia to Egypt. He swam over some of the most precious coral in the world and invited world leaders to put their heads in the water to see what would be lost if the world continues on its track of global warming. Pugh told BizNews that the planet has warmed by 1.2 degrees Celsius, which resulted in devastating floods, wildfires and displacement. If it warms to 1.5 degrees Celsius, “We lose 70% of the world’s coral.” Pugh, who spent most of his formative years in South Africa, also speaks about the waves in the Red Sea that “twisted him like a koeksister”, the shark that appeared, how the man nicknamed ‘the Polar Bear’ doesn’t really like to swim in icy water, and about the day that he met former British Prime Minister Tony Blair… wearing a ‘sopping’ Speedo. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A theme that has stood out for Peter van Kerckhoven, Co-Head: Debt Finance, Nedbank Corporate Investment Banking ,at COP27 is that of carbon credit trading which appears to be gaining some real momentum. Peter believes that given the robust conversations he's heard at COP27, we may see concrete steps on carbon credit training trading sooner than anticipated. Peter also gives his views on South Africa's Just Energy Transition Plan which was launched at COP27 by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third episode of our four-part series unpacking Crypto, Luno’s GM Marius Reitz and Bowman’s partner Joshua Janks have the perfect platform for discussing SA’s digital currency regulation. The multi-billion-dollar collapse of Bahamas-based FTX, which went into bankruptcy over the weekend, supports the wisdom of the slow-but-thorough approach by SA’s regulators. The duo discusses the current state of regulation in SA, providing context on the October 19 declaration by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority that crypto assets are a financial product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Communities have to be part of the conversation in driving energy solutions with Eskom incapable of meeting the country’s base demand. The Afrikaner Africa Initiative (AAI) has concluded an energy indaba, which brought together industry heavyweights, municipalities, venture capitalists, and current and former Eskom executives. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel sat down with Chris Opperman, convener of the AAI, for a broad-ranging discussion on what possible solutions came out of the conference. Opperman is resolute that civil society and local government need to be talking to one another. The conference wasn’t about deliberating the merits or otherwise of particular technologies, but was simply about creating the platform to showcase what is out there as South Africa continues to languish under the worst year of load shedding since it was first introduced in 2007. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thiago Almeida – Divisional Executive-Client Coverage, Nedbank Corporate Investment Banking – weighs in on Water Day at COP27, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joanne Bate, COO of the Industrial Development Corporation, is leading conversations around green hydrogen and new energy with regards to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Plan. We caught up with her at COP27. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renergen’s story about turning a Free State helium and natural gas deposit into a massive profit generator attracted a horde of retail investor fans. But in recent months, Renergen’s share price has fallen 34% and at its current R27, is a world away from respected small cap analyst Keith McLachlan’s R67 valuation. The stock returned to earth after its pilot plant’s production deadline was missed - first because of Covid-lockdown related delays, then by a faulty oil heating system. CEO Stefano Marani has also had to deal with a cold shoulder from controversial mining company Ivanhoe, and leaks in Australia that aborted a capital raising exercise. On the upside, he reckons the glitches have all been dealt with and expects the pilot plant to produce its first helium soon (“not months”) - triggering funding of a massive $1bn commercial plant (half via the US government) which will potentially transform the company. Stefano spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having attended COP27 in Durban in 2011, Portia believes that so much progress has been made on issues of climate finance and how the conversation is framed. As a sustainability practitioner she is also acutely aware of the fact that we don't have much time left in order to address the climate emergency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adaptation and Agriculture Day at COP27. The theme highlights efforts to adapt to climate change and promote climate resilient agriculture. The agricultural industry is under pressure to reduce demand for livestock while harvesting more efficiently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alongside other NGOs, we at WWF want to keep nature on the agenda at COP27 and build on the political will that came out of Glasgow. It’s good to see that the political will and the narrative around forests continues but we need more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nedbank’s Africa Head of global commodity finance at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking Zhann Meyer talks to us on Adaptation and Agriculture Day at COP27. Meyer believes that banks cannot only be good weather partners to our farmers, they need to run with them throughout the cycle. Meyer adds that banks and farmers need to hold hands to overcome the challenges facing agriculture and ensure that the Agri sector stays stable and sustainable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Agriculture and Adaptation Day here at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Agriculture is one of the largest users of water and land globally and farmers are under pressure to adapt to climate change. John Hudson, National Head of Agriculture at Nedbank, joins us to talk about how farmers must adapt in the face of the climate emergency. Ultimately, they need to produce more with less on less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy at COP27 makes it very clear that she doesn't want to see developed nations back peddling on the ambitious mitigation targets that they tabled at COP26. The Minister is firm on the fact that the countries that created the climate crisis have no room to retrace their commitments at this stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are edging towards the end of the first week of COP27 with Friday the 11th focusing on decarbonisation as the overriding theme. The decarbonisation opening session was attended by top global energy and climate officials. A very bright light was shone on the oil and gas industries efforts towards decarbonisation and the huge challenges they face in achieving carbon neutral. Other key conversations involved the built environment which, depending on what source you consult, emit up to 40% of the world’s greenhouse emissions. A key highlight of the day was President Joe Biden attending COP27 after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Green building Finance is critical to the successful decarbonisation of South Africa's building environment. Nedbank's green residential housing bond provides Nedbank's client's who are developers and investors in the affordable housing segment with a compelling funding solution for green accredited homes in residential developments aimed at mainly low to middle income earners. Khayise Mashifane Executive Head Property Finance Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking talks to the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

London-based founding director of OMBA, Mark Perchtold, shares his insights into how those investing offshore can avoid getting palpitations each time they see whipsaws in investment markets. His specialist asset manager defrays risk through only investing client money into low cost Exchange Traded Funds – and by diversifying across numerous geographies. While the strategy cannot completely avoid the impact of sharp daily market moves, it is the best wealth creation strategy for those taking a longer view. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alain Ebobisse CEO says the recently launched Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA) is an initiative that is results oriented, rapidly scaling projects from the concept stage to bankability. Ebobisse is looking forward to partnering with more development institutions and private sector players within Africa and globally, to leverage additional resources, so that AGIA we can deploy the $10 billion that has been set as target for AGIA’s green, sustainable infrastructure investments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DA in the Cederberg municipality is accusing the ANC-PA coalition of blocking a motion of no confidence that would remove it from office. Following a recent by-election win in October, a coalition of the DA, Cederberg Eerste, and the Freedom Front Plus, now controls six of the 11 seats in council. It’s a tiny margin but it gives them the majority to remove the ANC-PA from office. In an interview with BizNews correspondent Michael Appel, DA constituency head in Cederburg, Andricus van der Westhuizen, expanded on the state of the “bankrupt” municipality that has changed hands often in recent years. The majority of councillors in the Cederberg council have written to Local Government MEC Anton Bredell requesting his intervention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a dynamic the Roundtable 'Passing the Baton', youth climate activists and practitioners from across the world engaged in a deep dive discussions about adaptation, resilience and loss and damage. At a science focused session entitled "The Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda: An Opportunity to Accelerate the Transformation to Resilience", Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt, stressed the importance of the role of science in reaching solutions to major challenges such as debt reduction and debt swap for investment in nature as well as adaptation and resilience problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Alliance aims to raise up to $500 million of early-stage project preparation and development capital. Goal: boost project bankability and generate up to $10 billion in investment opportunities for the private sector. The African Union, the African Development Bank Group and Africa50—in partnership with several global partners—have launched the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA), an initiative to help scale and accelerate financing for green infrastructure projects in Africa. The collaborating global partners working with the African Union, African Development Bank and Africa50 are the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the French Development Agency, The Rockefeller Foundation, the US Trade and Development Agency, the Global Center on Adaptation, the Private Infrastructure Development Group, and the African Sovereign Investors Forum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imperial understands that in order to become a purpose driven organisation that creates sustainable long term value for all stakeholders the company must prioritise people, planet and profit. The company is increasing its investment in sustainable integrated ESG practices across their operations as a strategic pillar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this sobering yet hopeful discussion, DA leader John Steenhuisen explains why his party is redoubling its efforts to secure devolution of power from Pretoria to provincial governments - what it will mean in practical ways and how it differs from the approach of Cape secessionists. In this wide ranging interview he also looks ahead to December's ANC Elective Conference; shares the back story of Thabo Mbeki's re-entry onto the political stage; explains lessons learnt by political parties in the "coalition school"; and provides insight into the DA's plan for 2024 which aims at ensuring the ANC is ejected from power in Gauteng, KZN, the Free State - and Parliament itself. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The transformation of agri-food systems is a key focus at COP27. The climate convention will see local, national and global actors including farmers and youth convening to seek solutions on transforming agri-food systems to make them more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable and make sure that no one is left behind in the efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition. Climate change cannot be fully addressed without building food systems that nourish both people and planet. Infarm provides a sustainable solution to feed a growing population in a way that is far more flexible in the face of climate uncertainty, food insecurity and supply chain disruption. Suds Sarronwala is the Chief Impact Officer at Infarm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capetonian barista Phuti Mmotla has scooped the top prize in this year’s Starbucks best barista in EMEA competition held in Milan in Italy. It was Kenyan coffee, his skill in latte art and a signature cold brew that impressed the judges. Mmotla told BizNews about the experience of going to Starbucks Milano Roastery and how childhood memories of cookies and milk gave him the idea for his signature cold brew. From a background where he mostly drank tea, Mmotla fell in love with coffee when he started working in Cape Town for Rand Capital Coffee, the Starbucks licensee for sub-Saharan Africa, as a partner. And if you ever wondered how baristas draw those nifty little pictures in your latte, he reveals how it is done. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Woode-Smith recently wrote an opinion piece questioning whether a future ANC-DA coalition isn't only possible but pragmatic, considering the recent instability in multi-party coalitions. In a broad-ranging interview with BizNews correspondent Michael Appel, the author, political analyst and economic historian expands on the state of the ANC, DA, EFF, and ActionSA, in contemporary politics with a view towards the 2024 national elections. Woode-Smith says the future political landscape of the country hinges a lot on the internal dynamics of the ANC as Ramaphosa fights for a second term as party president, while former president Thabo Mbeki seems to have found his voice. Meanwhile, the ANC's radical economic transformation faction is readying for a fight come December's elective conference. The failure of the ANC to come to some agreement with the EFF around the mayoral position in Ekurhuleni - which saw the DA's Tania Campbell return as mayor - spells good things for those South Africans perturbed by the possibility of that "unholy alliance". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The level of attendance here at COP27 really talks to the serious commitment that is being put on the table from both the private and public sector. We are also seeing substantial financial commitments being made. Shameel Joosub joins us on Day 5 of COP27. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 175 000 people having viewed the recording of his keynote address at BNC#4, political scientist RW Johnson has become something of a YouTube 'rock star'. His unique brand of considered, rational analysis is prized among those South Africans prefer brutal honesty about those who govern them. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, he provides perspective on 80 year old Thabo Mbeki's political comeback; next month's crucial ANC Elective Conference; and likely coalitions after South Africa's watershed National Election in 2024. As expected, it's another RWJ tour de force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As leading funder of renewable energy in South Africa, Nedbank is focused on delivering positive change through the products and services it offers to it's clients. Arvana Singh Head of Sustainable Finance Solutions at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking joins us on Finance Day at COP27 in Egypt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was really revealing to me as I listened to the different country finance discussions today is that they all point to the scale of financing needed to deliver on a just transition. It’s a massive challenge. Finance needs to be mobilised at scale and then that finance needs to be implemented. Big difference between mobilising finance and actually implementing transactions on the ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The key question from this cracking interview with forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan is whether Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of SA’s “very high risk” Police Commissioner was the result of neglect, incompetence or wilful deceit. Despite being provided by O’Sullivan with hard evidence that Fannie Masemola spends much more than he earns, overlaid by concerns that he’d spent six years as deputy to a corrupt former boss, SA’s president still appointed him Police Chief. His endorsement was included in Ramaphosa’s Nation Address where spoke of his confidence that Masemola was “more than up to this task and responsibility”. In this powerful interview O’Sullivan explains his detailed investigation ahead of the appointment revealed six of eight candidates were unsuitable, Masemola among them having been described as “very high risk”. He says a Sunday World report over the weekend that reveals Masemola’s corrupt practices should spur Ramaphosa into action as “this has the potential to be much more damaging to him than Phala Phala.” O’Sullivan spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President and CFO of the New Development Bank Leslie Maasdorp says the collective 100 billion dollar annual pledge made by the developed world to the developing world many years ago in Copenhagen to help fight climate change has not yet left the developed world. If not now, then when? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second of our four part introduction to crypto currencies, Luno’s Carin Bowman and lawyer Bright Tibane of Bowmans offer some practical steps to acquire your first digital money. It’s easy (click a button) and with fractionalization ensuring a low barrier to entry (R100), this new investment class is available for all. The duo also share more of the basics including advice on which crypto currencies are safest for investment; how to safely store them in a digital wallet; and practical pointers to ensure you avoid any crypto scam. Caron and Bright were interviewed by Alec Hogg of Biznews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Accelerating Adaptation in Africa aims to support the international community to make Sharm El-Sheikh a keystone moment to deliver a big win for Africa with international partnerships at COP27 really helping to drive adaptation action in Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DBSA Boss Patrick Dlamini says the right energy is certainly here at COP27 but he hopes that there is also clarity of mind on how to move forward on implementation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking Head Arvana Singh is at COP27, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt discussing Nedbank's commitment to the global climate convention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a five-year court battle, Sakeliga is welcoming a new Treasury regulation for public procurement that completely omits BEE and local content requirements when tendering to do business with the state. Sakeliga CEO Piet le Roux says it marks the end of "compulsory BEE and local content requirements in state procurement. That's a very harmful arm of the octopus [state] that has now been cut off." In 2017 Sakeliga went to court to challenge regulations put out by then Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan making it possible for state entities to preemptively exclude bidders based on their BEE or local content status. In February this year, the ConCourt ultimately found the minister had no powers to prescribe to entities of the state what their preferential procurement policies should be. That discretion resides with entities themselves. But, while Treasury may no longer mandate, prescriptively, that BEE or local content requirements must be taken into account in a tender, a municipality or SOE could still insist on it - as long as the tender process doesn't fall foul of section 217 (1) of the Constitution. That particular section states: "When an organ of state in the national, provincial or local sphere of government, or any other institution identified in national legislation, contracts for goods or services, it must do so in accordance with a system which is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The developed world must take responsibility and lead in terms of climate financing, but the developing world must also act responsibly in terms of their own stance towards combatting climate change. Simon Angombe is Associate Dean at the School and Agriculture and Fisheries at the University of Namibia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WWF is working to tackle the climate crisis in a variety of ways. From encouraging governments to implement more ambitious climate policies, to supporting the shift to renewable energy, to working with cities, businesses, and communities to create a climate resilient, net-zero future. We caught up with Laurent Magloire Some, Head of Policy and Partnership for the Africa Region at WWF International. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ocean Basket has been fishing in other waters since 2008 and when everybody battened down the hatches and pulled in the lines during the Covid-19 pandemic, the advice of the company’s founder was: it’s time to think about growing. The seafood restaurant, loved by South Africans, has just opened its second branch in London – a notoriously difficult market for restaurateurs. Ocean Basket CEO Grace Harding gave Linda van Tilburg the recipe for success in overseas markets, told her how Saffers in the UK are coming from far to eat at their favourite seafood restaurant, and how they are battling to find staff in London after Brexit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a rugged, remote stretch of coast east of Stilbaai in the Southern Cape, palaeoscientists Charles Helm and Jan de Vynck have discovered a rock believed to contain one of the oldest examples of our human ancestors drawing symbolic expressions in the sand. This important find was about to fall into the ocean, but they set out to save it. Drs De Vynck and Helm told BizNews about the importance of this rock in humans’ cognitive growth as a species. It is also fascinating story about how a South African medical doctor who stumbled onto dinosaur footprints in Canada turned into a palaeoscientist and then discovered 326 track sites in the Southern Cape – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Namibia is one of the climate change vulnerability hotspots in the Southern African region. Adaptation is of primary importance to the country and high on the government's agenda to guarantee the welfare of Namibia's people while reducing risks and building resilience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Innovative Corion Prime Equity unit trust keeps delivering the goods with the fund, and the best ideas of its four external fund managers, comfortably beating their benchmark this year. Corion's hand-picked money managers remain bullish about South African shares, believing them to have fully discounted all of the bad news enveloping the SA economy right now. In this fascinating interview, Corion's Garreth Montano also explains why top money manager Andrew Vintcent has added Kaap Agri to his half dozen 'best ideas' shares - news sure to trigger deeper investigation by those looking to ride on this highly regarded stock picker's coattails. Montano spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this African COP for the first time since the adoption of the UN climate Convention parties have agreed to introduce loss and damage funding as an agenda item at the climate conference. The bottom line is that developing nations want to be compensated for the loss and damage inflicted upon them as a result of the climate crisis that Developed nations are responsible for causing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year's climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt sees four pavilions dedicated to food and farming. Theo de Jager former President of The World Farmers’ Organisation says every farmer knows what he or she can do better on their farms. Farmers need to produce more with less on less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s safe to assume no one consciously sets out to challenge a narrative as deeply entrenched and emotionally charged as climate change. Dr William Happer, an American physicist and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics at Princeton University, certainly didn’t. It was only in 1991, upon Happer’s appointment by President George W Bush as director of Energy Research in the US Department of Energy, that his interaction with climate change authorities – and their refusal to engage in customary scientific debate on climate change – piqued his interest. Thereafter, Happer was dismissed for his contrarian views and ‘head butting’ with climate change luminary Al Gore, only to be brought back to Washington by former president Donald Trump in 2018. BizNews spoke to Happer (83) about his prodigious career and discovery that the burgeoning climate change hysteria had no scientific basis. Happer meticulously detailed why and how CO2, the “demon gas”, is not a pollutant but is essential to mankind’s prosperity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mosebenzi Zwane is one of 16 accused in the state’s case against a coterie of Gupta acolytes and hangers-on. It’s the state versus seven individuals and nine companies. Among them, the former MEC (also former minister) Zwane, the former head of department Peter Thabethe, the former CFO Seipati Dhlamini, and former chief director Takisi Masiteng, all from within the Free State Agriculture Department. Zwane was arrested in late September this year and released on R10,000 bail. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel takes a look at the history of the failed project and the indictment the NPA has served on the accused. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September’s Corion Report was aptly titled ‘A Nightmare on All Streets’ after record market downturns, the report did however end on a high note, with the cheery notion that the ‘sun will come out tomorrow’ and it did exactly that in October. The Dow Jones rebounded with returns of 14%, a record not seen since 1976, and the MSCI All Countries Index saw gains of 6%. In this interview Bacher explains why ‘local is still lekker’ with strong value to be found in South African stocks, and why, despite the certainty that we will continue to see volatility within equity markets on the back of geopolitical upheaval it is important to keep a cool head and stick to your long-term investing strategy. Hedge funds also get the nod of approval as an aspect of an investment portfolio, that to date have not been fully taken advantage of in South Africa. Investors shouldn’t be too pessimistic when approaching equity markets and rather focus on first principles to derive lasting gains, it’s better to be in the game than not at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An overall feeling of dismay is probably the best way to describe how transport operators are processing the latest diesel price hike on Wednesday. While petrol increased by 51c/l, it's the continuing hike in diesel - this month by R1.40/l - that will be straining the economic lifeblood of our economy. From crime and looting, to road blockages and a dysfunctional ports system, the road freight industry has been licking its wounds for some time now. Gavin Kelly, chief executive at the Road Freight Association (RFA) tells BizNews correspondent Michael Appel that operators can't keep on absorbing these increasing costs so it will, inevitably, filter down to an already overstretched consumer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As far back as March 2020, Dr Meryl Nass, a board-certified internist and a biological warfare epidemiologist and anthrax expert, proposed that the pathogen we know today as “SARS-CoV-2” was likely made in the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab. BizNews spoke to Nass to discuss the basis of her lab origin theory and whether the virus escaped or was deliberately engineered and released as a biological warfare weapon. In January, after over 40 years as a practising internist with a stellar reputation, Nass’ medical licence was suspended without a hearing and she was ordered to submit to a neuropsychological evaluation by the state medical board in Maine for “spreading misinformation” and prescribing ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Nass, however, has not backed down. In this long-form interview, Nass, who studied anthrax and bioterrorism for the past 26 years, drew parallels between the Ebola and anthrax outbreaks and Covid-19 and explained the fascinating but frightening concept of original antigenic sin and the disastrous way in which it could manifest as more and more people continue to get Covid-19 boosters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alec Hogg of BizNews is joined by country head of Luno, Christo de Wit, and Ashleigh Hale, co-head of Corporate at Bowmans in the first episode of this four-part series which demystifies the complicated world of crypto currencies, what exactly they are, their various utilities and how to get involved in the market. The series seeks to simplify questions around the digital asset, the tangibility of its value and the role it it will play in the future. In this educational interview the trio unpack the burgeoning role of crypto currencies as the future of finance. Cryptos and the blockchain that supports them are relatively new technologies and the average joe is often left scratching his head when trying to wrap his mind around exactly what crypto is, and how to access the market, which is known for its volatility. Chris and Ashleigh take us through the regulatory environment of crypto, which has recently been classified as a financial product to protect the consumer. There has been a significant uptake of crypto currencies in South Africa, and as an investor it makes sense to do the research and look to crypto as an investable asset vehicle in your portfolio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) is concerned by two pieces of legislation the government is aiming to push through as it seeks to comply with recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to avoid greylisting. The HSF has made submissions to Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance, taking issue with aspects of both the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill, as well as the Draft Non-Profit Organisation Amendment Bill. In an interview with BizNews correspondent Michael Appel, director of the HSF, Nicole Fritz, says: "We're concerned for freedom of civil society, NPOs generally, and we would point to the fact that the FATF itself maintains that any reforms or amendments undertaken by governments should be consistent with international law obligations, and this requirement of mandatory registration is concerning in that it provides for the potential of government interference, [and] politicisation." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As humanity demands space to continue to grow and prosper, they increasingly interact and compete for resources with wildlife. Conservationist Jonathan Oppenheimer described it as humanity being like an ocean that erodes the spaces of wilderness, which is “terrifying”. To promote research for the preservation of the continent’s natural environment, Oppenheimer has established a grant, the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant in memory of his late wife that has been awarded for the past 4 years to boost African researchers. This year’s winner is Dr Elizabeth le Roux, research fellow at the University of Pretoria and an assistant professor at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. Dr Le Roux’s work was chosen from over 300 applicants from 29 African countries. Dr Le Roux told BizNews she is seeking ways to link isolated conservation areas in Africa but stressed the importance of making it work for pastoralists. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When co-founding 36ONE almost two decades ago, top SA money manager Cy Jacobs used the opportunity to launch a long/short hedge fund. Initially only for big clients, this massive out performer was made available to retail investors six years ago. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Jacobs explains how a classic hedge funds enjoy major risk and reward advantages over traditional unit trusts – and shares his latest perspectives on which parts of the investment markets are most likely to deliver superior returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa's business sector needs to stand together in denouncing the race-based employment ideology government is seeking to implement if pending legislation is signed into law in its current form. So believes Sakeliga CEO Piet le Roux, in conversation with BizNews correspondent Michael Appel. Dis-Chem-gate has shone a light on the impending Employment Equity Amendment Bill, recently passed by the National Assembly. Le Roux has written to Sakeliga members decrying what he calls the "state's harmful ideology" as a "road that leads to ruin". Sakeliga has made public its intention to legally challenge the legislation should the president sign it. Le Roux says, as state failure accelerates, the government has less and less ability to enforce it's own harmful policies, and believes the business sector shouldn't be too eager to apply them either. In fact, he says "we should resist". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that the ANC government has finally admitted defeat on Eskom by ending its monopoly and last week promising to assume up to ⅔ of its massive debt burden, the facade is being stripped from SA's teetering electricity provider. Global energy turnaround specialist KW Miller, who calls Eskom an "operationally dysfunctional, financially insolvent, unreliable and corrupt entity" says the path forward will be determined by the actions of creditors which own a large chunk of mostly SA government-guaranteed Eskom debt that he says is far higher than the official number of R400bn. Eskom has tapped global bond markets for decades - and according to Miller those who own the debt are now insisting the disaster be urgently addressed. In this powerful interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews.com, media-shy Miller says the only route now open for SA's State-owned electricity provider is for the private sector to take over the productive assets to cut off third-party leeches and criminal syndicates that continue to bleed the utility. Abu Dhabi-based Miller, who rarely grants interviews, says he "made an exception given the importance of the Eskom restructuring to SA citizens." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fighting talk! The challenger to the Supreme Limelight Taker and Gucci’s Favourite Customer – the yacht-cruising Mr Julius Malema – is none other than the DA’s Ms Natasha Mazzone, who is gloves off and ready to go. It’s the metaphorical equivalent of Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard; one all mouth and insult and the other usually more discreet but determined to be equally menacing. Natasha Mazzone, the DA Shadow Minister of State Security is shouldering her way into the public spotlight, hitting Malema in all his vulnerable spots and hoping to elicit a response, ideally a public debate. I’d buy a ticket tomorrow. She’s reporting Malema to the South African Security Agency for subversion, terrorism, sabotage and organised crime while challenging him to a debate to clear up what he means by his threats and utterances. You could say she’s the archetype of the privileged white madam; the kind that this privileged black diamond detests. Should be fun! C’mon Julius. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although evidence is mounting to show mRNA Covid vaccines may have done more harm than good, the popular narrative is so deeply entrenched that it still takes courage to publicly question it. Mindful of the risk she will be labelled a Conspiracy Theorist, Adv Erin Richards wants truth on Covid vaccines to be exposed by the courts. The activist lawyer spent weeks doing research before agreeing to spearhead a High Court action to prove Pfizer jabs given to millions of South Africans were neither "safe" nor "effective" as the nation was continuously told. In this powerful interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Richards points to the smoking gun of Pfizer's own data which, she maintains, reveals those jabbed have a 36% higher chance than the unvaccinated of a serious adverse medical event, especially heart-related. With what she claims is compelling evidence of the long-term damage of mRNA vaccines, Richards wants the court to force SA's government to revise its approach. Adv Richards has also called on anyone who witnessed skulduggery by officialdom to blow the whistle by emailing [email protected]; those who suffered adverse personal health events after being vaccinated to email [email protected]; and for those whose family members were affected (or died) after getting the vaccine to email [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cabinet has officially "ditched" cadre deployment in favour of merit-based appointments throughout the public service. Officially the policy is called the National Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector and was - quite silently, one might add - adopted by cabinet on 19 October. The DA's shadow minister for public service and administration Dr Leon Schreiber, believes quite emphatically, that this is the most significant policy shift in this country's democratic history. It's a battle he and his party have been fighting for years. Adoption of a policy versus implementation remains a sticking point. For this reason, Schreiber tells BizNews correspondent Michael Appel, the court battle to abolish cadre deployment must continue because the ANC cannot defend such a policy when cabinet has already rejected it. The two are mutually exclusive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With uncertainty in equity markets, rising interest rates and inflation, investors are looking to diversify their portfolios. Wealth Migrate’s Scott Picken and Riaan van der Vyfer, and their US partner Judd Dunning, who is the president of DWG Capital Partners, believe that investing in industrial property is a good hedge against the economic cycle. Those buildings on the way to the airport might be labelled as the not-sexy sector of the property market but they say industrial property could provide a very good, predictable income for investors in volatile times, especially if they are situated in the “radically powerful” free market of the United States. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The organic improvement of human health as a priority has been sidelined, with the predominant focus having shifted to, more often than not, medical interventions that treat symptoms but not core issues. However, there are still a handful of organisations working tirelessly to shift the paradigm around human health. BizNews spoke to Jayne Bullen, the COO of The Noakes Foundation, MD of the Nutrition Network and Co-Founder of Eat Better South Africa – three organisations aiming to fix the future outlook of human health, by changing the way people eat and the food policies to enable this. Bullen’s genuine belief in the work that these organisations are doing was a breath of fresh air and a real sign of hope that the obstacle of dietary disease facing both national and international populations can be overcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Motorists in Gauteng will be breathing a collective sigh of relief after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed "we are now ready to start a new life without e-tolls in Gauteng". This clarity comes in the wake of pronouncements made by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in his mid-term budget policy statement. Godongwana announced National Treasury will on board 70% of SANRAL's debt while the Gauteng provincial government will cover the remaining 30%. Godongwana said "...the costs of maintaining the 201 kilometres and associated interchanges of the roads and any additional investment in road will be funded through either the existing electronic toll infrastructure or new toll plazas, or any other revenue source within their area of responsibility." But any confusion over whether future funding models would include e-tolling has been put to bed by Lesufi. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to Automobile Association spokesperson Layton Beard in the wake of the announcement. Meanwhile, Wayne Duvenage from the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse - OUTA - says this is the culmination of the biggest civil disobedience campaign in the country's democratic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Excerpts from the Mid Term Budget Speech presser in which SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago and (DG) of the National Treasury, Ismail Momoniat answer questions related to the possibility of greylisting, SANRAL and the wage bill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More and more South Africans of all ages see no future for themselves in the country, according to Andrew Rissik from Sable International, the immigration specialists. However, he warns that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – inflation, and high energy and living costs are a problem everywhere. So what should people who want a Plan B take into account to make sure they hedge their bets for an overseas move? Rissik told BizNews about the importance of having a strategy and choosing a destination where your skills are needed. He also highlighted that a Caribbean passport allows for business travel across the Schengen region, China and Russia and where the over 60s can move after retirement. Sable International is holding a Global Citizenship and Emigration Expo from October 27 to November 9 where those looking for an offshore strategy can discuss options with Sable migration specialists. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The One South Africa (OSA) Movement believes there is no way President Cyril Ramaphosa can sign the Electoral Amendment Bill into law in its current form. Dr Michael Louis, director of OSA, as well as founder of the Independent Candidates Association, told BizNews correspondent Michael Appel that there's ardent opposition to the recently-passed Bill, with stinging criticism even coming from none other than former president's Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. In June 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that our Electoral Act was unconstitutional. The Bill of Rights - which gives any individual the right to stand for public office - is at odds with current legislation stating anyone contesting elections must belong to a political party. The ConCourt ordered parliament to remedy the situation within 24 months, but that deadline expired in June 2022. An extension until 10 December this year was granted. Louis predicts that due to the flawed and defective process by which the Bill, in its current form was crafted, it simply won't pass constitutional muster. Ramaphosa is likely, he believes, going to have to approach the ConCourt with yet another condonation application in order to make changes to the Bill so that it equals out the skewed playing field currently working in favour of political parties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernard Mostert shines his searchlight on the furore around the R75.4m mortgage loan on Markus Jooste’s property assets registered in the name of his mentor and business partner Braam van Huyssteen’s trust. He explains how the mortgage came into the trust’s possession - and implications of last week’s preservation order on Jooste’s assets, including his Hermanus home, by the SA Reserve Bank. Mostert also voices concerns over media sensationalism and offers his thoughts on the blockbuster documentary Steinheist in which he featured prominently. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our president has laid out his implementation plan to “forever bring an end to state capture in our country”. Cyril Ramaphosa calls the caboodle of corruption perpetrated in South Africa over many years a crime against its people. He addressed the nation on Sunday evening just a day after former head of state Jacob Zuma launched a pre-emptive and rather conveniently timed attack on the embattled Ramaphosa calling him corrupt and guilty of treason. Strong words from Zuma, a convicted criminal who faces a host of corruption charges in a trial, which has been almost two decades in the making. A trial he has thrown everything – including the Nkandla sink at – to make sure it never gets off the ground. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel takes a look at some of the measures contained in Ramaphosa's implementation plan to battle state capture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran VAERS (the US’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) analyst Dr Jessica Rose, who has been rigorously following the data since week one of VAERS, is uniquely privy to harmful effects of Covid-19 vaccines. Rose, a computational biologist who specialises in biomathematics and molecular research, is also part of the international team of SA VAERS. In an attempt to get a better understanding of the findings gathered from VAERS data and the harmful effects of the vaccines on pregnancy, the coverage of which is contemptibly absent, BizNews spoke to Rose, whose insights were valuable and indicative of an insidious trend, given that the available data is, due to underreporting and missing data, only a fraction of the realistic statistics. The discussion of data revealed by VAERS in respect of pregnancy prompted Rose to highlight that, “the regulatory bodies that serve as the stopgap between a product developed by a pharmaceutical industry, whose methodologies are questionable at best, and whose business model is to profit, and the people are not functioning anymore.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As electricity and now even water supply issues do not appear to abate in the country, the chat around the dinner table often turns to emigration. Fortunately, vat jou goed en trek is now not the only option. There are many opportunities besides semigration to the Western Cape and leaving for good. The pandemic has opened our eyes to alternatives to being in the office day in and day out. Andrew Rissik from Sable International told BizNews about prospects in Portugal for South Africans considering options to internationalise themselves. According to Rissik, Portugal can be regarded as the Western Cape of Europe and, if you are looking for a city with vibes, Lisbon is Cape Town on steroids. There are also interesting possibilities just down the coast for digital nomads who want to combine coffee culture with surfing and an opportunity to invest in a development in Porto that opens the door to a Golden Visa. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Francis Boyle was one of the first individuals who openly claimed that SARS-CoV-2 is a genetically engineered bioweapon that escaped from a high-level lab in Wuhan. Boyle, a human rights lawyer and professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, has advocated against the development and use of bioweapons for decades and drafted the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act, which was signed into law by George Bush, Sr. in 1989. President Joe Biden’s recent signing of the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation, the purpose of which is to “develop and work and promote and implement … dual-use research of concern, and research involving potentially pandemic and other high-consequence pathogens.” BizNews spoke to Dr Boyle who explained why the very wording of this Executive Order, which is a blatantly unlawful violation of Boyle’s Bioweapons Act, together with the guidelines contained in the World Health Organisation Pandemic Treaty, basically promises that more man-made pandemics are coming. Boyle’s experience and research into bioweapons is unmatched. One of the revelations discussed in the interview, which hit home, literally, was the role of South Africa in the development of bioweapons – which began with the Apartheid regime’s CIA assisted research, development, and stockpiling of biological warfare weapons and the country’s BSL-4 lab currently continuing with  “reprehensible biological warfare weapons work”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melanie Veness and Denise van Huyssteen, CEOs of the PMB and NMB Business Chambers, ventured where few in the private sector have the courage to tread by taking on the practical impact of the ANC's ruinous cadre deployment system in the High Court. They are today celebrating a massive victory after winning what their legal advisor MC Botha describes as "an emphatic judgement". At issue is the long-time practice of municipalities loading electricity tariffs to fund incompetent management. The consequence of the High Court's finding will be to prevent all municipalities from using their monopoly over electricity supply - and what their tariffs - as a bottomless slush fund financed by ratepayers. Veness spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ANC Youth League members – who travelled to Ukraine at the invitation of Russia to oversee so-called referendums – deny they’re Russian puppets. On 12 October, 143 nations of the world voted in favour of condemning the referendums that took place in Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. They concluded it was a sham and an illegal land grab by the Russian Federation. South Africa chose to abstain from voting on that particular resolution and has consistently refused to condemn Russia’s invasion; instead, positioning itself as a non-aligned country interested only in peace. Subsequent to the outcome of those referendums, Russia has officially annexed the four areas that make up 15% of Ukraine. North Korea is the only UN member state that recognises Russia’s annexation of the partially occupied regions. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to ANCYL chairperson of the International Relations Committee, Khulekani Skosana, about its mission as election observers. He refuses to divulge who exactly invited them and paid for the trip. Skosana is adamant what Russia did on 24 February “is in response to the permeation of Nazi extremism that targets a particular ethnic group. Ukraine has also been responsible for killing Ukrainian citizens of Russian descent”. This is a wide-ranging interview with Skosana expressing his views on everything from the war in Ukraine to political issues in South Africa, including the idea of Cape independence. He says, “Settlers cannot come and tell us they want [Cape] independence in our country.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this no-holds-barred interview Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie opens a window into what South Africans can expect from coalition rule after the 2024 National Election. At the very least, it promises to be exciting. The PA’s co-founder says his ‘kingmaking’ moves that reinstated power for the ANC in Johannesburg and Knysna, are deliberate lessons for erstwhile allies – especially the Democratic Alliance whose leader he again meets with tomorrow. Arguing the end justifies his means, McKenzie maintains if allowed to continue, current bickering between anti-ANC parties threatens to snatch defeat from the jaws of 2024’s probable victory. He maintains the PA’s switching sides will prove the point that coalitions must be run as true partnerships – and is confirmation he will always follow through on what he promises. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, McKenzie also explains the reasons why the PA rejected formal offers of funding from ‘my friend’ Rob Hersov and like-minded tycoons. At BNC#4, when sharing the people he believed would serve SA well in a post-2024 cabinet, Hersov proposed McKenzie should be appointed SA’s President. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And the blurb: The subject of this interview, Rian du Plessis, says he remains close to ostracised former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste and is well known in SA business circles, as a former executive at RMB, and CEO of two JSE-listed groups Comparex and Phumelela. Du Plessis also serves as one of two external trustees on the Jooste family trust Silveroak, in which capacity he was named in the Anton Pillar court order requested by and granted to the SA Reserve Bank, resulting in this week’s raid on Jooste’s assets. He explains to Alec Hogg of BizNews why the SARB’s raid was such a surprise, what the attachment of Jooste-owned properties, motor vehicles, art, furniture and Mrs J’s jewellery actually means - and what comes next. Du Plessis also shares his perspective after watching the Steinheist mini-series, currently airing on Showmax. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SA businessman Gary Harlow, named in High Court papers which sanctioned yesterday’s seizure of Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste’s assets, says he will help the authorities in anyway possible. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Harlow explains how shortly after the Steinhoff implosion in 2017 he agreed to become a trustee of Silveroak, Jooste’s family trust. He also unpacks the history of his relationship with SA’s biggest corporate fraudster - and shares what happened at Silveroak during the past four years of his trusteeship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DA will be laying a complaint with the Public Protector against President Cyril Ramaphosa over his use of defence force resources while out on the campaign trail. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to the DA's spokesperson on security and justice in the NCOP, George Michalakis, about the flight to Welkom in the Free State which took place on 8 October under the ANC's Letsema campaign. Ramaphosa, as president of the ANC, faces a battle on two fronts. In December he'll square off against party rivals in an attempt to hold on to the reins of the ANC, while in about 18 months time, his party faces an uphill battle in the 2024 national elections. Michalakis says this isn't the first time the ANC has blurred the lines between party and state describing it as a move "that has serious consequences for our democracy". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DA's Joburg leader Dr Mpho Phalatse has gone from medic to politician and from leading the opposition in SA's biggest city to becoming its Mayor - and then being controversially deposed after an ally with 8 seats in the 270 seat Council switched sides. In this frank interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the reluctant politician explains why she is now fighting tooth and nail to prevent a return of the 'corrupt' ANC to its old ways, but fears the plundering of Joburg has already started. Phalatse unpacks events of a turbulent year and explains that she's still working behind the scenes to get back the Mayoral chains. In the process, she also provides insights into the kind of challenges SA is likely to face after the 2024 National Election when political coalitions will become the norm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OUTA’s latest oversight report finds parliament continues to flounder in its responsibilities to hold the executive to account or to properly scrutinise how taxpayers’ money is spent or, in many cases wasted. The report titled ‘Kicking the can down the road’ – the fourth annual report of its kind from OUTA – paints a grim picture of an institution that has not sought to revamp its tattered reputation in the wake of state capture. In his state capture report, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo pointed fingers at parliament for utterly failing in its duties to perform oversight and haul before it those members of the executive who are doing the bidding of the Guptas. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel approached OUTA’s Parliamentary Engagement and Research Manager, Rachel Fischer, for some insight into parliament’s continued malaise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a public outcry after the discovery that President Cyril Ramaphosa was about to give cabinet members and its deputies unlimited free electricity and water plus a couple of extra aides when he amended the Ministerial Handbook, the president has made a U-turn and withdrew the amendments. The Democratic Alliance has claimed it as a victory for the party and people. The DA’s Dr Leon Schreiber told BizNews it is a promising sign that the DA and public can force the hand of the president on wasteful expenditure and corruption. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former President Zuma continues to employ his infamous Stalingrad legal strategy, using every available avenue to stall the start of his arms deal corruption trial. Whether it’s seeking to privately prosecute state prosecutor Adv. Billy Downer or News24’s legal writer Karyn Maughan, it is clear Zuma will stop at nothing to thwart facing a litany of bribery, fraud, money-laundering and corruption charges. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel sat down with Accountability Now’s Adv. Paul Hoffman to peer – ever so cautiously – into the crystal ball, only to find the likelihood of even more appeals from Zuma brewing on the horizon. This while he’s currently appealing to the highest court in the land, the Constitutional Court, for a lifeline in his attempts to have Downer removed as the prosecutor on his impending case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a decade in the wilderness, South African banking shares are coming back into their own with positive winds now filling their sails. In this podcast, world class financial services analyst Kokkie Kooyman shares his best ideas - offering strong recommendations for three JSE-listed banking stocks and some even cheaper names from Europe, including a wild card from Greece. He also addresses concerns about the impact of SA's potential grey-listing. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ideology behind the ANC's 'Developmental State' fantasy is in tatters as another of the State monopolies - this time over South African ports - has been horribly exposed by the current Transnet strike. Justin Mudge, chairman of the umbrella body for SA's berry producers, says his industry's 40 000 jobs are on a knife edge with the Transnet strike hitting at the height of the blueberry picking season. With SA's ports closed because the State monopoly has zero contingency plan for perishable exports, the producers' only economically viable route to their global customers has been shut. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South African farmers are pleading for intervention as products destined for the export market are rotting at ports besieged by Transnet’s incompetence and a continuing wage dispute. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to the former president of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Dr Theo de Jager, about the current state of the country’s agri sector in light of the war in Ukraine and the mounting pressure on input costs such as diesel and fertiliser. In terms of land reform, De Jager says what usually takes “six weeks in the private sector takes more than six years in government” with every layer created by the state that “wants a bribe, who wants a cut of the pie”. The land reform agenda continues to be scuppered by the very party – the government – meant to implement it. De Jager adds that while we may have land beneficiaries, we don’t have enough black farmers in the country. He also touches on the insidious ‘kill the farmer, kill the boer’ song that was ruled not to constitute hate speech by the High Court in Johannesburg. This judgment is being appealed by AfriForum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Africa holds the majority of the world’s rhino and it is the country hardest hit by poaching, with more than 200 rhinos killed each year between 2013 and 2017. That is according to Save the Rhino. In 2021, 451 rhinos were killed in South Africa. Rhino population in key strongholds like the Kruger National Park have fallen dramatically with a drop of 59% since 2013. Save the Rhino believes that a mix of tools, including: trained and well-equipped rangers, education in areas where rhinos live and in Asia where consumer demand for rhino horn is highest, making sure that communities living near rhino habitats feel the benefit of conversation and captive breeding, are the solutions to prevent the species dying out. There are however private game farmers like South African John Hume who are pushing for legal trade in live rhinos and horns. Businessman and conservationist, Jonathan Oppenheimer has weighed in on this debate and in an interview with BizNews, said he would like to have an honest debate on whether rhinos would not be better protected “if farmers can create value out of rhinos.” - Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When local businesses in a small community at the foot of the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal called Nottingham Road realised that some members of their communities could not feed their families during lockdown, they jumped in and started a feeding scheme. But it did not stop there: it grew into a non-profit company called LOVE NOTTIES, that is involved in adult education and environmental projects while maintaining its primary humanitarian function. Missy Hughes from Love Notties told BizNews that the July riots, in which some members of their community participated, was a blow for their organisation as it resulted in some businesses withdrawing support, but they are slowly mending relations again. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A common trait among successful entrepreneurs is their good fortune in having started early. Few, however, kicked off as five year olds - the age at which Nthabiseng Sejake began helping in her mother's spaza shop and tavern. Sejake honed used skills acquired as a pre-teen to develop B Evolusion, a fast-growing 'backroom' renting business in Soweto. She was identified by informal economy guru GG Alcock as epitomising this much misunderstood R20bn area which succeeds despite being starved of capital by SA's formal banking sector. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the budding property mogul shares her story - and dreams - and how, in four years, she has built a portfolio with dozens of quality apartments on three sites in Soweto. An inspirational story of a woman for whom the sky is surely the limit once scales lift from the collective eyes of SA's financial institutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of CrypTalk, BizNews’ Ross Sinclair and Jaltech’s Gaurav Nair discuss the Binance Bridge hacks, the Celsius Network’s data leaks, miners moving from the Ethereum chain to Bitcoin after the merge, the likelihood that Bitcoin will be more volatile in the future, and more about the tokens in the Jaltech Cryptocurrency basket.  For more information about Jaltech: https://www.biznews.com/jaltech-cryptocurrency-notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over 220 South African students, furthering their education in Russia, face expulsion and eviction from residences after a funding debacle back home. The students are supposed to be fully funded by the Mpumalanga Education Department with costs covered for living expenses, tuition and accommodation. But the contract for the implementing agent the department was working with has lapsed leaving the students stranded. The department has vowed to make all outstanding payments to tertiary institutions in Russia by 14 October. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to Sizwe Mkhatshwa - a fifth year medical student - who faces not only eviction from his residence but also automatically being failed on several modules should payment not be forthcoming. The department said in a statement that: "Everything humanly possible is being done by the Department to ensure that the academic and plight of students is not compromised." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SA's shadow mining minister James Lorimer had his hopes of a breakthrough in the war against organised mining criminals dashed when ANC and EFF members of Parliament's task force refused to visit an illegally-worked open pit coal mine. This was the second site scheduled for observation during Saturday's visit to Emalahleni (Witbank), unusual in that it avoided typical Potemkin-village staging by bureaucrats. But as Lorimer explains in this podcast, the risk of getting their shoes muddied apparently took precedence for the R95k a month taxpayer-funded ANC and EFF deployees. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the DA veteran unpacks how illegal mining has become big business in SA's coal mining epicentre with criminal syndicates leasing heavy duty diggers and dump trucks to illegally strip-mine hundreds of tons of coal sold wholesale into the system at massive profits. Lorimer explains how this crime is facilitated through deliberately blind eyes of those paid to protect society against such abuse. Including, it appears, some Parliamentarians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outspoken billionaire, viral sensation and vehement critic of the ANC, Rob Hersov, joined Alec Hogg of BizNews to share his practical solution “to save South Africa from the ANC,” as he puts it. Aside from extreme praise and death threats, Hersov has also received criticism for being “all talk and no action” following his latest scathing accusations against the corrupt ANC. In response and because of his own passion to see South Africa succeed, he has launched a decentralised autonomous organisation called New South Africa.org which has already gained 12,000 members in the four days since the blockchain-supported platform was launched. The initiative already has over 30 volunteers and sees endless possibilities to raise funds and support the projects that government should be spearheading, like getting Wi-Fi into townships or developing homeless settlements. New South Africa.org is a libertarian, free-market, non-racial, apolitical organisation, that through decentralised blockchain technology, can raise funds and allow members to vote for investment proposals without bureaucracy, ensuring the transparent and accountable allocation of funds, powered by the blockchain ecosystem. An inspiring project that could yield real results with the groundswell support of South Africans, we wish Rob and the New South Africa.org team the very best in their vision to, “support fellow members and organisations … to create and endorse investment activities that will add value to our country, giving ownership of decisions back to the people and to restore our reputation and the dignity of the people.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DearSA chairman Rob Hutchinson is encouraging South Africans to make their voices heard in opposition to certain worrying elements contained within amendments to anti-terrorism legislation he believes "is a threat to constitutional democracy". DearSA is a non-profit organisation which created a platform through which citizens could participate directly in influencing policy, legislative amendments and proposals. Hutchinson says if the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Amendment Bill passes as is, it could see organisations like DearSA being labelled as a terrorist organisation under incredibly vague definitions of seeking to undermine the state. He told BizNews correspondent Michael Appel there is a danger of creeping authoritarianism as existing legislation is almost perfectly adequate but simply lacks implementation by the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State prosecutor Adv Billy Downer, SC and New24 journalist Karyn Maughan will potentially face their criminal prosecution by Jacob Zuma on 2 February 2023. The date was agreed by the parties during a brief appearance in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday. Downer is accused of contravening sections of the National Prosecuting Authority Act related to unauthorised disclosure of information, while Maughan, as an “accomplice”, is charged with unauthorised disclosure of the contents of a document. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel explains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the worst of the insanity in SA's airline sector, Miles vd Molen's Cemair stopped servicing the industry's Joburg/CT/Durban 'golden triangle' as it realised how first taxpayer (SAA) and then creditor's capital (Comair) was used to subsidise travellers in an attempt to bludgeon competitors into bankruptcy. Now that those market's distortions are over, Cemair has invested heavily and with a significantly increased fleer recently returned to servicing SA's three biggest airports. Its capacity has risen four-fold (1m passengers annually) from the pre-Covid number of 250 000. And there is lots more growth to come, not just in SA, but also in neighbouring countries as it secures licences to expand flights into neighbouring countries. Entrepreneur Van der Molen, a pilot himself, explains how Cemair waited seven years for the market to normalise and is now expanding aggressively (but he says sustainably) into the vacuum left by the demise of Comair and dramatic down-sizing of SAA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fiercely independent financial advisor Magnus Heystek has turned even more bearish on SA assets after taking a deep dive into researching implications of a threatened 'Grey Listing' of the country's financial system in February 2023. Heystek says such action has never before been applied to a country of South Africa's size and consequences are likely to be dire. He reckons it could be similar to the massive fallout experienced in December 2015 with Nenegate which, he says, started the slide into SA's precarious position. In this sobering interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, Heystek says the likely Grey Listing trumps all other factors for investors weighing up their options - and urges them to adopt an even higher offshore weighting for their savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite having stepped down as DA Leader three years ago, Mmusi Maimane remains popular among South Africans, second only to Cyril Ramaphosa as their most popular leader. After realising promised Electoral Reform will take much longer than anticipated, on Heritage Day (Sept 24) Maimane re-entered the fray with the launch of Build One South Africa (BOSA), the country's newest political party. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the former Leader of the Opposition explains why he identifies with Teddy Rooseveld's 'Man in the Arena', shares his dreams for SA and unveils plans for BOSA to secure a significant share of the vote in the 2024 National Election. These include applying an Obama-style digital approach in targeting 5m voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Q&A session off the back of his presentation at BNC#4, Sean Peche of Ranmore funds answers questions regarding the performance fee debate, the switch from growth investing to value investing and his hope that money leaves the big institutions and makes its way to smaller fund managers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, dentistry has been regarded as one of the better paid professions. However, this assumption, largely maintained with reference to rising costs for dental work, is inaccurate. Even a cursory glance at the distribution of healthcare benefits paid in 2020 (see graph below) refutes this assumption. In 2020, of the total amount paid by South African medical schemes to service providers, a mere 2% was paid to dentists. To discuss the medical scheme set-up in South Africa and the way in which this unique 3rd party funder system has marginalised the dental profession, BizNews spoke to Dr Pieter van Rooyen, a dental surgeon and co-owner of Patheodent. With particular reference to Discovery Health’s exorbitant administrative and managed care fees, Van Rooyen shed light on the drastic decline in the dental profession’s standing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A must watch investment debate between master fund managers Cy Jacobs of 36ONE and Piet Viljoen of Counterpoint at the BizNews Conference #4. Topics under the hammer included differing investment principles, performance fees and how to position your portfolio post-2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investor in banking stocks ask first about the prospects of the country where the institution operates, then about the company itself. Having just arrived back home after a post-results roadshow to US and UK investors, FirstRand CEO Alan Pullinger has been thinking a lot about their questions around the likely future for the SA economy. His conclusions - positive results of economic reforms; optimism about the country's latent potential - may come as a surprise for many of his fellow citizens. Rational, insightful and balanced, Pullinger delivers hope without varnishing reality. He spoke to Alec Hogg at BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many observers of SA's banking sector, Absa has been the sleeping giant that somehow never manages to fulfil its huge potential. After numerous of false starts, however, under new CEO Arrie Rautenbach, this time may indeed be different. The banking group's new leader started at the very bottom of the pile (in collections) a quarter century ago and has packed his Executive Committee with other Absa 'lifers'. He appeared an unlikely candidate for the top job, but since his appointment in late March Rautenbach has accelerated the "reimagining" of a group emerging from a three year process of extricating itself from former parent Barclays Plc. This interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews goes some way to confirm why so many JSE investors, including financial services investing guru Kokkie Kooyman, are tipping a resurgent Absa as the bank most likely to challenge SA's long-time market leader FirstRand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Panga-wielding communities on routes serving as alternatives to the N2 in KZN have been blocking roads and looting trucks. This isn’t necessarily new, as protests are an everyday occurrence in the country but it’s stifling the ability of businesses to cost-effectively get products and commodities to market. Parts of the N2 near Pongola are considered off limits for transporters, as communities are refusing to allow trucks to travel the route following a recent deadly crash in which 19 school children were killed when a truck ploughed into a bakkie. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to Vryheid Meatmasters MD Patrick Friend about the most recent looting incident which took place just outside Eshowe. Friend is calling for “greater police presence and a bit more intent from politicians” to resist the economy being held ransom by lawlessness targeting the trucking industry - the very lifeblood of the South African economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are particular fields in which those that stray from the official narrative are instantly shunned as dissidents. Climate change is one of these. Dr Judith Curry, Professor Emeritus and former chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has become known as one of the outspoken scientists who doubt the “scientific consensus” on climate change. As a result, she was “academically, pretty much finished off” and “essentially unhirable”. However, this didn’t slow down the bold climatologist. BizNews spoke to Curry about her views on climate change and the impact that human beings have had on the planet. A delightfully fascinating discussion ensued in which Curry explained her objection to the “manufactured consensus of scientists at the request of policy makers” and how far reality really is from the grim picture painted by environmental activists. Curry made sense of recent extreme weather events and indicated that “Earth has survived far bigger insults than what human beings are doing”. An eye-opening interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The now former mayor of Joburg, Dr Mpho Phalatse, wants her job back and she’s turning to the courts to try and snatch back the reins from what she calls the ANC’s “coalition of corruption”. She was ousted in a motion of no confidence last week in a process she'll be challenging through the courts. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to the DA's deputy caucus leader in Johannesburg, Bongani Nkomo, to unpack Phalatse's ousting in a "coup", the looming court case, the crisis within the multi-party coalition, and the ongoing public spat with ActionSA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Q&A from BNC#4, Cy Jacobs shares his insights into investing, how 36ONE runs multiple funds, on performance fees, Warren Buffet, and crypto currencies. This Q&A was in preparation for Cy’s debate with Piet Viljoen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After September's near double digit average drop in stock prices around the world (including the JSE which lost 9% in Dollar terms), investors are justifiably nervous as the fourth quarter of 2022 begins. Corion's David Bacher, however, offers some positive suggestions - specifically on South African financial and resources shares which he reckons offer value, especially relative to offshore alternatives. A realist, Bacher remains cautious about local economic prospects, but says valuations are just so low that avoiding these stocks would be a mistake. On the other hand, he is staying away from offshore stocks, especially in the US, where the Bear's Grip is tightening. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As trains ground to a halt in South Africa due to loadshedding and cable theft, forcing rail commuters to rely on taxis, students from Soshanguve Technical High School decided to come up with a solution and developed a solar powered train locomotive. It has photovoltaic panels fitted to the roof, moves along an 18-metre test track and can reach speeds of up to 30km an hour. Acting principal of the school, Tladi Mashiane, told BizNews the University of Pretoria had offered to help the school with its innovation drive, while pupils Ronnie Masindi, Princess Nkwana and Lethabo Nkadimeng that we spoke to were surprised by the huge amount of publicity their experiment attracted. The pupils were invited to display their solar train at the Sasol Innovation Expo. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's back to a focus on investments in our regular interview with top performing global fund manager, London-based value investor Sean Peche of Ranmore. The obvious question is whether the chaos currently rocking UK financial markets - and Europe's - presents an opportunity for investors. Peche draws on two of his industry's greatest minds - Warren Buffett and Howard Marks - to explain why it's now opportune to swim against the tide, to think beyond the obvious and get greedy at a time when everyone appears to be fearful. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this question and answer session from BizNews Conference #4, Piet Viljoen discusses his investment portfolio method of tying a number of stocks together to create a stronger bundle. He gives his opinion on funds with performance fees and how his fund is faring in the local vs offshore investment competition with Magnus Heystek.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DA's leader in the Eastern Cape, Nqaba Bhanga, believes the unfolding coalition drama in Johannesburg is perhaps a cautionary tale for managing coalitions in Nelson Mandela Bay where his party's Retief Odendaal has just assumed the mayoral position. The NMB Metropolitan Municipality has been rocked by years of chaos, a lack of services, and corruption. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to Bhanga about the recent arrest of three former DA councillors, along with the acting city manager in the metro, among others, about their alleged involvement in corruption which resulted in former Mayor Athol Trollip being ousted in 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite increasing reports relating to vaccine injuries and deaths and widespread data which has reliably brought the safety of Covid-19 vaccines into question, the DA has continued to push for higher vaccine uptake by the South African population. To find out how the DA justifies their unwavering stance in respect of Covid-19 vaccination, BizNews spoke to DA Shadow Minister of Health Michéle Clarke. In addition, Clarke clarified the DA’s position in respect of the proposed NHI Bill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode BizNews’ Ross Sinclair and Gaurav Nair of Jaltech discuss the outcomes of the Ethereum merge, the adoption of cryptocurrencies, why you should invest in cryptocurrencies, and which crypto exchanges look as though they are going to win. For more information about Jaltech:  https://www.biznews.com/jaltech-cryptocurrency-notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Q&A from BNC#4 Athol Trollip discusses the state of politics in South Africa, how young people should get more involved and much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ukraine's Ambassador to South Africa, Luibov Abravitova, is seeking clarity from DIRCO about whether or not ANC Youth League members travelled to occupied territories in east and southern Ukraine to act as election observers in recent referendums. Four occupied regions of Ukraine - Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk - which make up about 15% of that country, recently held referendums on whether or not to join Russia. The UN, EU, US and Nato-aligned countries regard the referendums as illegitimate, illegal and a sham. Abravitova told BizNews that if ANCYL members are there, "they violated Ukraine's immigration laws by entering into Ukraine". The ambassador refused to be drawn on internal political matters after the DA sought clarity on who funded the trip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interviews with Capitec CEO Gerrie Fourie are usually a treat - and this one is no exception. It kicks off with Fourie's perspective on the stock's R30bn market cap drop after a Trading Update three weeks ago and moves through to Interim Results released today which included details of the latest strategic initiatives. Leading these is a massively disruptive move into the mobile phone market where Capitec this week launched a 50% cheaper alternative to over 8m clients who already buy data and airtime through the bank. Also in the spotlight is the impending relaunch of Mercantile Bank as Capitec Business Bank - spearheaded by a simplified, low cost offering for SMEs. Fourie spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even in progressive, modern society, conversations about sex and porn addiction haven’t managed to escape taboo territory. The ever-increasing availability of porn, however, has escalated the issue to a point where ignorance is no longer excusable and frank conversations are imperative to assisting those who struggle with sex and porn addiction to take steps towards their recovery. To discuss the growing societal problem, BizNews spoke to veteran psychotherapist Dr Paula Hall, widely recognised as the UK’s leading expert in the field of sex and porn addiction, and entrepreneur Jack Jenkins, founder of tech startup Remojo, an app that assists in recovery from porn addiction. Insights from both Dr Hall and Jenkins provided a comprehensive look into the (still) shamed and misunderstood issue of sex and porn addiction. – Nadya Swart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Members of the ANC Youth League are currently acting as "election observers" in occupied territories in Ukraine where referendums were held over five days. Voting took place to decide whether residents of the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia wanted to be incorporated into Russia. It's a move widely viewed as a pretext to the full annexation of that area by Russia. BizNews spoke to Steven Gruzd, head of the Russia/Africa programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs for his take on the truly bizarre involvement of ANCYL members in what many around the world consider a "sham". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prof Zeblon Vilakazi is a nuclear physicist who was employed at CERN, focal point of Europe's nuclear sector and one of the world's most respected centres for scientific research. He also speaks nine languages, including French, German and Russian. In this podcast we neet this much-referenced researcher and academic leader who last January returned to Wits University (where he received a PhD in 1998) to succeed Adam Habib as vice chancellor. Vilakazi is passionate about the role brainpower can and, he believes, will play in developing Africa; unpacks how Wits is replicating the partnership-with-business models pioneered by Oxford University and MIT - and shares how his university is one of only a baker's dozen sites worldwide linking-in to IBM's Quantum Computer project. Fascinating and uplifting. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's two years since the Cape Independence Advocacy Group's Phil Craig was first interviewed on BizNews. Back then his secessionist-focused organisation was viewed as part of the lunatic fringe. No longer. The CIAG is among role-players who coalesced this week to create a Working Group who intend using SA's Constitution to force Pretoria to devolve key centralised responsibilities it has failed to supply - including the critical area of policing. Craig explains why he sees the new body as another step towards secession, and takes us inside the meeting where parties representing 60% of the Western Cape's voters committed to being a group of action - motivated by the prospect of a ANC/EFF alliance ruling SA after the 2024 National Election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this wide ranging interview, political heavyweight Helen Zille unpacks the thinking behind a multi-stakeholder group established this week which intends wresting power away from Pretoria to the Western Cape Government. The group is segments in SA's Constitution to argue that on areas where the State is failing, there's a legal obligation on local government to take over. Leading its brief is police services, but its focus also includes restoring the collapse of rail services - and the ability of the Provincial Premier to call Referendums. Zille spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BizNews last spoke to Action Society's director of community safety, Ian Cameron, three months ago in the wake of his refusal to cower to police minister Bheki Cele at a community meeting - and things have really blown up for Action Society - in a good way. Cameron, who became somewhat of a hero for standing up to Cele, has embraced the attention and used it to focus on sustaining momentum around battling social ills that continue to bedevil South African communities. A South African is murdered every three hours and 120 rapes are reported daily (a crime likely under-reported by 90%). These stats come directly from the SAPS quarterly crime statistics. Cameron also expands on Action Society's involvement as one of nine organisations involved in the Western Cape devolution working group seeking to transfer national policing power down to a local level in that province. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fireside chat with former Google exec and technology expert Stafford Masie, he shares his life story - escaping unfortunate circumstances and finding his way to Israel, where he began his journey in computer science, upcoming technologies which are likely to change the world, quantum computing, crypto and which FAANG companies have a promising future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning South African script writer and film director Craig Freimond likes to work in comedy. He is known for films like Gums & Noses, Jozi, Material, Beyond the River, and New Material. When a young actor Freimond had come to know called Sibusiso Khwinana, the star of the movie Matwetwe, was murdered – for a cellphone – Craig tried to come to terms with how this random act of violence caused unimaginable sadness. Although he is a trauma counsellor at his local police station in Johannesburg and has seen the effects of the country’s rampant crime at close range, Freimond was devastated by Sbu’s death and decided to make a documentary film to understand why crime in South Africa is so violent and whether something could be done about it. The result is “57” – a documentary film which tries to answer the why and find solutions to the country’s violent crimes. For those who would rather run for the hills than watch a film about violent crime in South Africa – the subject is handled in an entertaining and informative manner with solutions offered. Freimond told BizNews that he wanted to start a conversation and sees it as a call to action for society to look at the issue of violent crime in a deeper and more meaningful way. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the fourth BizNews Conference Cy Jacobs offers insight into his asset management firm 36ONE. An investment team he has personally built over 18 years. Jacobs also offers his take on the performance fees debate and how they play a part in the group's hedge funds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month's focused KasiPreneur is a former midnight shift cleaner at Woolworths who tossed in her job six years ago to start a KasiKos business that today employs 18 other people with sales of R165 000 a week. Mbali Kubekha personifies the belief of first dreaming it and then seeing the reality. Apart from seven outlets selling thousands of Chicken Dust and Kotas, she has a booming order-in business via Whatsapp and Facebook. Ms Mbali Kubekha was joined in studio with informal market consultant and author GG Alcock. They spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For someone who slept less than two hours last night, new Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor Retief Odendaal was surprisingly gipper in this interview, one of the first interviews from his new office. After a fractious council meeting that ended at 3:30am this morning, he was confirmed as the leader of a 10-party coalition that put their city ahead of egos and ejected a disastrous ANC/EFF combine which has driven the metro beyond the point of disaster. In this interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, the DA's newest mayor explains what happened in NMB, what lies ahead - and what he will be doing to ensure the fragile coalition doesn't collapse like the previous DA-led one did in 2018. Odendaal's group carry a huge responsibility - what happens in NMB will be closely monitored as a test case on whether coalition government is a workable option after the 2024 National Election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the average age of first-time home buyers rising in many countries, co-living has become increasingly popular. For most people it may sound like student digs, but communal living blocks are designed for millennials and young professionals. Occupants or ‘guests’ have a micro flat or apartment and access to luxury communal spaces that could include swimming-pools, gardens and in some, even a chicken coop. The units are also built to be ‘green’, for less of an impact on the environment. Global real estate investment platform, Wealth Migrate has teamed up with Australian co-living developer BNTO, formerly known as Six C, to offer co-living investments as a new asset class. Scott Picken from Wealth Migrate told BizNews that co-living has been one of the most resilient asset classes during the pandemic. Added to this, said Riaan van der Vyver, occupancy rates and yield per square metre is high for co-living investments. Jason Eggleton from BNTO told BizNews Australia is an ideal destination for co-living investments, as Brisbane and Sydney are experiencing a shortfall - and says it’s going to take decades for this to change. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After his controversial speech at BNC#4, Rob Hersov answers questions from BizNews founder Alec Hogg and members of the BizNews community.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Covid-19 became part of our everyday lives, the polarisation of scientists, doctors, families and countless formerly united fraternities has become a staple of ‘the new normal’. Frontline doctors who have served their communities and delivered appropriate medical treatment, always following the all-important principle “first, do no harm” have been sidelined as rogue, even dangerous loose cannons – simply for doing their jobs. Dr Jackie Stone, a veteran primary care physician in Zimbabwe with a profound success rate treating Covid-19, has been put through the wringer for simply doing her job excellently. BizNews spoke to Dr Stone about her stellar track record relating to the early, solution-based treatment of Covid-19 and the consequences she has had to face as a result of diverting from the globally recommended treatment protocol. Dr Stone’s story is nothing short of inspiring, but also shocking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this riveting talk at the fourth BizNews conference, mayor of uMngeni Chris Pappas, speaks about the process of being elected, the incredible things going on in the municipality as well as what they've managed to accomplish in the short time he’s been in office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Cyril Ramaphosa flew back early after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London to deal with the Eskom crisis, but judging from his weekly letter to the nation, he is not announcing anything new to solve the crisis destroying our economy. He reiterates how necessary it is to solve Eskom’s problems to realise the potential of his ambitious investment drive, saying, “We will remain seized with this issue until it is resolved.” This is not what businesses and citizens whose gatvol meters are running into the red want to hear: they want action, immediately. Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen’s solution to Eskom’s myriad problems that has plunged the country into Stage 6 loadshedding is immediate expert outside help. In a YouTube address, Steenhuisen called on the president to “immediately dissolve the National Energy Crisis Committee, and appoint in its place an outside industry expert to oversee the implementation of the Energy Response Plan.” This expert, he said, should be apolitical and an expert in the energy field. Ministers Gwede Mantashe and Pravin Gordhan should be kept as far away from the Energy Response Plan as possible, he said. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two year old ActionSA continues to gather momentum, helped by a laser-like focus on a mission to eject the ANC from ruling South Africa in 2024 - and for it to have no role whatsoever in deciding the country's future path. During this in-depth interview with Alec Hogg of BizNews, ActionSA's leader, former business Herman Mashaba, shares his party's belief that the country's salvation lies in convincing dystopian citizens to regain hope and to participate in the democratic process. To this end it has 180 full-time volunteers pounding the pavements and signing up previously unregistered voters. In this must-listen interview with the man who is among the leader contenders to become SA's president after 2024 national election, Mashaba addresses the Eskom disaster, Knysna, DA "propaganda", being shocked by Carte Blanche's expose' of Agricultural Schools, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fourteen years almost to the day after Paul O'Sullivan orchestrated the arrest of South Africa's then corrupt head of police Jackie Selebi, he has repeated this unlikely achievement. This morning, the SAPS's former Commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane was arrested at his luxury home on charges of siphoning R54m of public money to a "business" associate, one Inbanathan Kistiah, who was arrested last night. In this interview the ace forensic investigator tells Alec Hogg of BizNews that he has been on Phahlane's trail for almost seven years, but has paid a high personal price for exposing the crooked cop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fascinating talk from money manager Piet Viljoen at BNC#4, he suggests methods and principles to think about while managing your money, whether you’re an individual investor or allocating assets to a fund. This talk leads up to his debate with Cy Jacobs of 36ONE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Covid-19 came onto the scene, Dr Peter Breggin, known as the “Conscience of Psychiatry” for fifty years, turned his attention to the pandemic and the misuse of science around it. After an illustrious career challenging the field of psychiatry itself, Dr Breggin and his wife Ginger Breggin, another lifelong reformer, co-authored Covid-19 and the Global Predators: We Are the Prey, a book which Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,  the author of The Real Anthony Fauci, endorsed as “the single most comprehensive analysis of the coalition of global predators behind Covid-19”. To discuss the Breggins’ bestseller, BizNews spoke to Dr Breggin, who concisely unpacked each of the four parts in the book. Breggins' grasp of the corruption and systematic strategising of ‘the global predators’ leading up to Covid-19 is truly distressing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation with Alec Hogg at the fourth BizNews conference, Charles Savage, CEO of Purple Group and founder of EasyEquities, relates the story of how the platform which 'democratises investing' came to be. He also outlines the future plans for the company and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fingers are being pointed at politicians and senior government officials for stoking the fires of anti-immigrant sentiment as a cheap and easy means to deflect from decades of failure. The latest report from the Institute for Security Studies titled: Scapegoating in South Africa – Busting the myths about immigrants, delves deeper into this contentious issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent weeks, the BizNews tribe has been subjected to strong opinions on why 'Value' stocks are about to enjoy a massive re-rating - and high flyers of the past few years set to fall even further after the recent 30% correction. London-based Mark Perchtold presents the counter view, arguing that concerns about inflation running riot are overdone and as a result, that it is time to start accumulating beaten-down Big Tech stocks. The cornerstone of his mindset is a view that technological advances, population growth and benefits of globalisation will continue to exert a powerful influence on price increases. And as a result, that once aberrations like supply chain blockages, interest rate hikes and the Ukraine War are behind us, the world will return to a place where deflation, rather than inflation, is a more likely danger. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his insightful presentation at the fourth BizNews conference, South African politician and provincial chairman of ActionSA in the Eastern Cape, Athol Trollip details his extensive political background from his early days in a new and infant democracy post 1994. Skirmishes with the self-serving, corrupt and inept politicians. His tenure as mayor in 2016 all the way to his resignation in 2020 and eventual comeback under ActionSA in 2022. Trollip believes that well governed and dependable coalitions have a large part to play in the future of South Africa, a future he thinks needs to happen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This interview was ostensibly to unpack Sanlam's recently released interim results - and look at the way ahead for the company whose vision is to the the most admired financial services company in Africa. Both subjects were covered in some depth, but before getting there, Sanlam CEO Paul Hanratty shared how he feels about the lack of progress on his Koos Bekker-type remuneration package (less money, more upside on the share price) and spent time unpacking August's headline-grabbing raid on life offices by Competition Commission officials. And, the critical aspect of public trust, on which companies like his live or die. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On 31 August, the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) announced that they had issued EUAs for BA4/5 bivalent Covid-19 quasi-vaccines. The EUA (emergency use authorisation) of these boosters signalled great cause for concern as it indicated that the FDA had once again undergone a further relaxing of their safety and efficacy standards. To discuss the FDA’s lowering standards and the apparent absence of pharmacovigilance, BizNews spoke to Dr David Wiseman, a PhD research bioscientist with a background in pharmacy, pharmacology, immunology and experimental pathology. Wiseman, with his extensive skill set and experience, having been one of the top 66 research scientists at Johnson & Johnson, provided clarity on confusing concepts and deep insight into the continued drive towards mass Covid-19 vaccination which he said has “become politicised”. The discussion around immunological addiction relating to the increasingly shortened periods between Covid-19 boosters was both fascinating and gravely concerning. – Nadya Swart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of CrypTalk, BizNews’ Ross Sinclair speak to Gaurav Nair of Jaltech about the coming Ethereum merge, its economic implications and the likelihood of success, as well as the recent scandal surrounding an ISIS sympathiser creating an NFT to potentially fund the terrorist organisation.  For more information about Jaltech: https://www.biznews.com/jaltech-cryptocurrency-notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this impassioned speech from the fourth Biznews conference, RW Johnson explores the turbulent history of post 1994 South Africa and some of the decisions taken by the ANC government at the time, which led to the tragic predicament the country now finds itself in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A cracking interview with Sibanye Stillwater's founding and still current CEO Neal Froneman, who believes political correctness is for the insincere - especially in the South African context. In this fascinating half hour he explains why the solution to SA's fraught labour relations lies in "share value" and "stakeholder capitalism" rather than confrontation with "increasingly irrelevant" trades union. Froneman also explains why he supports Rob Hersov's forthright message expressed at BNC#4, shares his view of what is urgently needed for SA Inc to effect a turnaround, and the impact of a sanctioned Russia for platinum and palladium, where Sibanye is a major player. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people in Alexandra township are battling to make a living and feed their own families. The CEO of LFP Agri, Louis Pulzone, says it’s the result of decades of underinvestment in agriculture, increasing competition for land and water, rising fuel and fertilizer costs and climate change. There have been promises of renewal including a project for which R1.3 billion was made available by former President Thabo Mbeki in 2001, but little has changed. Pulzone, who describes himself as a social entrepreneur, is committed to unlocking the potential of agriculture in the township in a sustainable way by introducing incubation training programmes, and Hydro Coop. Pulzone told BizNews that a Hydro Coop is a three-by- three metre multi-functional smart farm that is easy to assemble and has the capacity to raise 1,100 broiler chickens and 3,600 vegetable plants. – Linda van Tilburg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joburg councillor Colleen Makhubele says no one bribed her to vote against her coalition partners in the city's multi-party government. She says she's done it before and would do it again. In an expansive interview with BizNews, Makhubele - who ran as COPE's mayoral candidate for the city in 2021 - explains the rationale behind her decision to vote with a PAC-sponsored motion to remove the DA-aligned speaker of council, Vasco da Gama. This despite COPE forming part of the nine-party coalition that has led the city since the 2021 local government elections with a combined total of 140 out of 270 seats in council. Some councillors from COPE, IFP and the ACDP - all of whom form part of the coalition - voted in favour of the motion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices