BizNews Radio
Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
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…
Altvest Mk II: Stafford, GG join Wheatley’s dream - repositioned, now watch it fly
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…
FFM podcast ep13: Playing the Rand; Trust the fundamentals; Beating the benchmark
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…
THE BRICS SUMMIT - GREAT EXPECTATIONS, GREAT CHALLENGES
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…
Time to Rein in 'Unthinkable' Lack of Oversight on Presidency's Budget" – FFP Plus Chief Whip Corné Mulder
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…
Creating collaborative civic coalitions: The Makana Circle of Unity
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…
Composition of coalition "pact" government on the agenda at historic national convention
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…
RW Johnson: Why ANC-SACP persists with disastrous economic policy; Joburg's unfixable water crisis
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…
Frans Cronje: Voters say DA’s W Cape template is shining ever brighter; Great AGOA news
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…