How do you say 'global consensus' with a straight face?

Loading player...
The G20 was simultaneously a grand success and a disappointing failure, and the key, according to Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen, is that there is an insufficient intersection of priorities and a lack of common purpose.
Whose fault is that? What does it mean? Why is that happening now? These are all questions we discuss, along with the joys of public transportation and the surprising utility and value of art. Listen Up!
24 Nov 2025 English Explicit South Africa News · News Commentary

Other recent episodes

A soft budget and a hard Johannesburg mayoral race

A strong gold price, lower interest rates, stronger consumer spending and marginally higher economic growth suggest a smoother national budget, particularly compared to last year when a surprise VAT increase sparked a crisis in the government of national unity. But does that mean SA is out of the woods? Absolutely not, argues…
23 Feb 24 min

There must be better ways to choose our leaders

Beer and national debt, which is the most important? Barnes and Cohen discuss this crucial question. But more importantly, how are we choosing our government ministers and their entourages? Shouldn’t the ministers choose the president, rather than the president choose the ministers? Just asking. It’s time to: ListenUp! This show airs every Tuesday morning…
17 Feb 23 min

The great national service debate

NOTE: We apologise for the poor audio quality in this edition. Should South Africans spend some time after graduation working for the government? Well-known businessman Mark Barnes thinks they should – in certain circumstances. Journalist Tim Cohen thinks they should not – in any circumstances. Also, is Patrice Motsepe a…
10 Feb 22 min

What’s so bad about anarchy?

South Africa’s economy might be moving forward, but the public sector is sliding into a kind of casual anarchy. Almost every robot in the country is now regarded as a suggestion, not an instruction. Is this fixable? How bad is anarchy? Corporate financier Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen ask the crucial…
2 Feb 23 min

SA’s golden opportunity

The biggest question, when it comes to gold, is whether you say “all that glitters is not gold” or “all that glisters is not gold”. The formally accurate version from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is “glisters”, but what the bard meant was “glitters”, so that works too. Actually, that’s not the biggest…
26 Jan 22 min