BizNews Radio

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 to his municipality, the incredible things going on in the municipality as well as what the municipality has managed to accomplish in the short time it'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