BizNews Radio
Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
Paul O'Sullivan: Wolves guarding sheep at new SAPS Kidnapping Unit; and 'it's personal' vendetta against State Capture law firm
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),…
Cross-border cattle raiders meet their nemesis in Bees van Blerk
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…
FFM podcast ep5: The FA’C up plays itself on markets as the Blue of Telkom tackles the volatile Red
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…
Prof Piet Croukamp: ANC’s illogical Russian obsession - follow the money, honey
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…
CSIR's Monique le Roux: SA's loadshedding solution in abundant gas, renewables - execution required
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…
How Ukraine views SA's arms-to-Russia scandal, offering Putin immunity, claimed "non aligned" status
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…
Redefining cancer as a metabolic disease: Dr Thomas Seyfried makes stunning revelations about new therapies that could transform cancer treatment
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…
Ian Cameron on "General" Cele's crime stats fantasy - and encouraging data from Western Cape
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…
Washington buzzing in hope of SA coalition government
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…
Don’t put your finger in the eye of the American Eagle – Jean-Jacques Cornish
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…
Frans Cronje: Load-shedding fixed in 12 months - even with embedded corruption, incompetence
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…
DA goes to court to compel Putin Arrest - Glynnis Breytenbach
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…
Paranoid Putin packing for Pretoria, but Russia has little to offer SA - Ronan Wordsworth
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…
Altvest one year on - why private equity revolution slower than expected (and a BizNews listing sales pitch)
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…
R100-million Dinosaur centre as dead as a Dodo? MP Sonja Boshoff
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…
Blooming Success at Chelsea: South African Agapanthus Experts Andy and Quinton
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…
Unpacking Easy Equities deal with Telkom - a product that could take SA by storm
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…
Extradition of Ex-Mozambican Minister Marks Southern Africa’s Anti-Corruption Triumph
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…
Male suicide crisis – how gender equality, feminism, and policy engendered this obscure issue – Richard Reeves
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…
Saldanha Bay Blue Print: How to Run a Successful Municipality – Mayor André Truter
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…