BizNews Radio
Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
BN@10: Rob Hersov 'reserves a special place in Hell' for SA's appeasing business execs
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…
SA "softening" towards the West in difficult balancing act
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…
Putin’s long game, Prigozhin’s appetite for Africa, and provocation on the Polish border…
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…
Malema’s Cuban Dream for SA: A Basket Case Nobody Would Want to Live in
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…
The ghost of unfulfilled promises
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…
ANC Veteran's League president Zikalala: Coalition with DA - sure. With EFF - absolutely no way.
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…
FFM podcast ep14: The Naspers gravy train; Banyana-inspired women's month; R5,000 extra for August's winning woman
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'…
Corruption fuels coups… - Prof Asamoah on the causes of coups
“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…
David Bacher recaps choppy July - tags SA financial sector’s winners and losers
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…
Cyber mercenaries: Inside the shadowy world of the silent warriors
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,…
How corruption kills - Jack Bloom on almost 30 years of looting in Gauteng
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…
Neal Froneman on why he's working with organised business, attacking criminal syndicates: ‘It’s like the country’s in business rescue.’
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…
WSM: ‘President’ Mbalula? Self-styled Mr Fixit eyes corner office in Union Buildings
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…
Peregrine Capital 25th Birthday - How SA’s oldest hedge fund pioneer generates those 100x returns
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…
2024 Election about "numbers, not politics"
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…
African Leaders Show Little Enthusiasm for Putin’s Charm Offensive - Peter Fabricius
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…
Exclusive Martin Wolf: Insights on SA’s path to success and wake-up call for Democratic Capitalism
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…
How to hedge against volatility with overseas investments – Julian Adshade from Sable International
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…
Putin's "Shadow army" - Wagner - On the move again...
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,…
SA fire-fighting giants extinguishing the World's wildfires – Trevor Abrahams
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…