BizNews Radio

In this rare role reversal hosted by Morning Shot, BizNews founder Alec Hogg opens up about the wild beginnings of Moneyweb and BizNews, the evolution of digital journalism, and his take on South Africa's future. Original content by Morning Shot, republished with permission.

Iranian-born and bred polymath Dr Iraj Abedian shares unique insights into the existential battle in the Middle East - and South Africa's place in it. The entrepreneur, academic and leading economist spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In his latest Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), describes how SA is becoming another Colombia with the assasination of underworld kingpin André Naude. As for the R700-m National Dialogue, he lambasts President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointing “a pre-tactical team for the build-up to the ANC elections so that they can look good, so that the National Dialogue can in actual fact be this little poodle paraded by the president, run by the vice president with all these cohorts and selected people”. He discussed the “thunderbolt” defection of Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Liam Jacobs to the Patriotic Alliance (PA); the fall of Floyd Shivambu at former President Jacob Zuma's MKP where he had incurred the wrath of Duduzile; the way African National Congress (ANC) SG Fikile Mbalula - who has Presidential ambitions of his own - has poured scorn on those Patrice Motsepi-for-President rumours; the embattled Shamila Batohi's defence for the NPA's spectacular failures; International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola's condemnation of Israel's attack on Iran - and how SA might have contributed to Iran's enriched uranium stock. Meanwhile, De Beer calls for an urgent Referendum to ask for the removal of the current government and a snap new election “because I think this country, if it had an opportunity to say that we would like to have an urgent emergency intervention of a new election, I'll tell you that 90% of this country would say yes.”

South Africa's youth unemployment crisis leaves many young people struggling to secure jobs due to limited experience. D-Lab is tackling this challenge by immersing unemployed youth in a virtual business simulator, equipping them with essential digital and workplace skills. In an interview with Biznews, D-Lab co-founders Alison Jacobson and Ayanda Orrai revealed their 85% job placement rate. One of their candidates, who had spent 11 years unsuccessfully searching for work while trying to run his own business, now holds a senior position in the tech industry. D-Lab specifically seeks out participants with ‘shining eyes' - those who display enthusiasm, potential, and a determination to reshape their futures.

Jabulani Khumalo, the real founder of MKP, headed by former President Jacob Zuma, is forging ahead with his legal battle to reclaim the party for its original leaders who had made huge sacrifices to get MKP off the ground and voted for by millions. In his latest interview with BizNews, Khumalo outlines the case that goes to court next week. “These crazy people have been continuously trying to continue with forgery, forging our documents to be removed (as directors) from the NPC (MK non-profit organisation)…we've been opening cases, but it never ended. Because of that, we decided that no, no, no, let's go to court and get a proper order from the court.” Khumalo says MKP needs to be led by people “who still think straight…not just because you have charisma and then you're saying you want to take over and run the people like you're running your own stokvel or running your tuck shop”. Meanwhile, Khumalo - who had warned that Floyd Shivambu was making a big mistake when he defected from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to MKP - says he feels “real pity” for him following his redeployment “because he had all the powers in the EFF to take EFF forward, but he decided to come into a stokvel that a certain family has made it to be a stokvel of theirs”.

South Africa's proposed R100 billion Transformation Fund aims to boost black-owned businesses, but experts warn it's built on vague assumptions and misplaced trust in state efficiency. Ann Bernstein of the CDE advocates for evidence-based policymaking and greater private sector involvement to achieve real, sustainable economic transformation and inclusive growth.

In a year of by-election results since the national election, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) is showing strong growth. In this interview with BizNews, their performance is highlighted by Elections Analyst Wayne Sussman who says “they are setting themselves up without a shadow of a doubt as the one party which is stronger today compared to where they were in 2024” and could have the opportunity of having “many, many more mayors across the length and breath of this country after the next local government election”. Meanwhile, in urban by-elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has strong support. But it is a mixed bag in KwaZulu-Natal, where in some instances uMkhonto we Sizwe (MKP) does well, in some instances the African National Congress (ANC) is showing recovery, and in some instances the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is being disappointing…Sussman also dissects the results of last night's two by-elections in both of which the ANC increased its vote share, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) saw its support fell from 30% to 11% in one ward, and essentially halved in the other. “And so this is the first time since the 2024 elections beyond KwaZulu-Natal where we see the EFF support starting to collapse.”

In today's BizNews Briefing, Elon Musk walks back anti-Trump posts as the fallout threatens SpaceX and Tesla. In South Africa, both Houses of Parliament pass the 2025 fiscal framework with DA support, while NPA head Shamila Batohi warns of internal sabotage - and earns a presidential summons. Plus, the Free Market Foundation and Solidariteit unveil the economic cost of BEE, and Nvidia ramps up AI partnerships in Europe.

A groundbreaking new report by the Free Market Foundation and Solidarity Research Institute delivers a devastating audit of Cyril Ramaphosa's pet policy. Quantifying the true cost of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment for the first time, researchers reveal how it hollowed out South Africa's economy, blocked investment, entrenched unemployment - and disempowered the very people it was meant to uplift.

In today's BizNews Briefing, the United States and China commit to advancing their Geneva consensus, while back home, the BEE discussion reignites with Sakeliga's resurfaced 2022 address. Farm safety takes centre stage as DA leader John Steenhuisen vows stronger protection for South Africa's farmers, and the Starlink saga continues as Elon Musk faces BEE hurdles. Plus, a new financial scandal dubbed “BHI 2.0” shocks Johannesburg, Tesla's Robotaxi launch sparks scepticism, and the Proteas kick off the World Test Championship final at Lord's.

In today's BizNews Briefing, Donald Trump dishes on US-China trade talks as global markets hang in the balance. Helen Zille teases a bold Joburg mayoral run, with IRR's John Endres unpacking the city's make-or-break stakes. The DA unveils a hard-hitting 10-point plan to combat farm attacks. UIM's Neil de Beer maps SA's future-boom or bust. Plus, Apple's AI and AR fumbles spark fierce criticism.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has drawn up a 10-point plan to deal with farm attacks. In this interview with BizNews, Ian Cameron, the DA spokesperson on Police, says the plan will be submitted to the Minister of Police “and there's a lot of engagement ahead of us regarding rural safety”. The plan includes the establishment of a specialised Rural Safety Unit within SAPS; the strengthening of rural crime intelligence; fixing the criminal justice system with prosecution-led investigations; treating farm murders as targeted, premeditated crimes; declaring farm attacks and stock theft as priority crimes; institutionalising partnerships with local stakeholders; equipping SAPS with forensic tools and skilled investigators; rebuilding trust between police and rural communities; supporting emerging farmers; and opposing Expropriation Without Compensation. “I think what's really positive is the fact that Parliament officially recognises that we've got a problem in rural safety and we shouldn't get distracted by definitions of just what kind or just who specifically always is influenced. The point is, farm attacks have been recognised. Farm murders are recognised. We have a crisis, we need to address it and it's got a significant influence on sustainability in the country.”

A sudden policy shift by South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority threatens to ground over 1,400 light aircraft, cripple aviation training and tourism, and unravel an entire industry ecosystem. Experts warn that a rigid, unconsulted engine overhaul rule could devastate local aviation, all under the guise of safety - despite a spotless safety record. This is a story of regulatory overreach, economic fallout, and the looming silence in South Africa's skies.

The possibility of Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille as the next Mayor of Johannesburg has the country talking. In this interview with BizNews, Zille says although she has not yet made up her mind, she is “tending in the direction of doing so”. If she were to become Mayor, she says, her “only objective will be to restore service delivery and functionality” to Joburg. “And then Joburg will fly. It's got everything going for it. It's got every potential going for it. And that's what it must get right. We've got to get Joburg. We've got to get eThekwini. We've got to get Tshwane…the metros in Gauteng are the next major frontier and South Africa will stand or fall by what we do with the metros in Gauteng.” As for how African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi might feel about the prospect of her as mayor, Zille says: “…he will pull out all the stops to stop me, no doubt about that. So will Herman Mashaba (ActionSA Leader). He's played the race card already.” Meanwhile, Zille stresses that she and her family are committed to staying in South Africa. “And for South Africa to work, Joburg's got to work. It's very simple. We can't have just the Western Cape working. We've got to have the whole of South Africa working. And that's why we put up really good candidates to be mayoral candidates in all the cities, all the cities where we've got a chance.”

In today's BizNews Briefing, Bronwyn Nielsen covers Donald Trump's latest comments on his feud with Elon Musk, while experts weigh in on what the clash means for Tesla's future. Back home, Gayton McKenzie calls for scrapping BEE at the Black Business Council Summit - amid growing criticism for his no-shows in Parliament. Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Nkabane faces tough questions over secret panel appointments that sparked outrage and reversal.

In his latest Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil de Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), likens the “unraveling” of South Africa's economy to “economic genocide”. He says the country'S BEE and related laws do not constitute a “package of investment”, but a “hand grenade….that will explode economically”. For that he blames the “twats” in Government. “They are absolutely twats. They are clueless….they have no competency.” De Beer laments the long legal delays in holding to account powerful politicians like former president Jacob Zuma and former Free State premier Ace Magashule - and the strategies being used in such cases. Meanwhile, he examines Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's plan to fix the police. He also delves into Floyd Shivambu's redeployment as SG in former President Jacob Zuma's MKP amid mounting international pressure on Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) CIC Julius Malema. De Beer further comments on the legal challenge to the R941 billion NHI Act. And, he gives his take on the break-up (or prank break-up) between US President Donald Trump and SA-born billionaire Elon Musk.

In this special episode of the BizNews Rugby Show, Rory Steyn sits down with South Africa's ultimate ultra-distance icon, Bruce Fordyce, at the Comrades Marathon Expo in Durban. The pair reflect on the evolution of rugby, tales from the road, unforgettable Madiba moments, and the legacy of Comrades legends like Wally Hayward and Gerda Steyn. Fordyce also weighs in on this year's favourites and shares why the Comrades has become more than just a race, but a national celebration. Expect passion, nostalgia, sharp humour and deep insight from two old friends who've seen it all.

For decades, Adrian Gardiner has led the charge in rewilding farm land in the Eastern Cape, but he's still chasing bigger ambitions. His vision is to transform the province into a wildlife jewel, stretching from Plettenberg Bay to the Karoo. In this interview with BizNews about the newly released book The Man Who Changed a Landscape: The Adrian Gardiner Story by Dean Allen, Gardiner recounts his journey and the challenges he faced in realising his vision. It began with a 2,500-acre farm near Port Elizabeth, where he overcame deep scepticism to establish Shamwari, a malaria-free Big Five reserve. Shamwari became a blueprint for 16 similar reserves across the Eastern Cape. Inspired by figures like David Attenborough, the 82-year-old Gardiner's optimism remains unwavering. Gardiner's ambition that he shares with other private and public reserve owners includes the creation of an Eastern Cape National Park even larger than the Kruger National Park. He is also determined to help see the end of captive lion breeding, highlighting the staggering reality that 8,000 lions remain in captivity for their bones and canned hunting. Wildlife, Gardiner says is South Africa's biggest asset, but the most rewarding part of his journey has been the lives he has managed to change. – Linda van Tilburg

The British government has significantly tightened visa and settlement rules in a white paper published in May. The reforms have shortened the list of occupations eligible for sponsorship, ended exemptions for social workers, raised salary thresholds, and imposed stricter regulations on businesses seeking to expand into the United Kingdom. However, according to Saskia Johnston from immigration specialists Sable International, opportunities remain for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to establish operations in the UK. One such route is the UK Expansion Worker visa, designed specifically for foreign companies aiming to set up a brand or subsidiary in the UK. In an interview with BizNews, Johnston noted that the pivot favours established businesses and makes it considerably more difficult for smaller entities. With the goal posts constantly shifting, and the list of eligible occupation shrinking, she said there are still viable pathways for skilled workers to the UK and South Africa's fire engineers are in high demand.

The “embarrassment of being removed” is “foremost” in the thinking of President Cyril Ramaphosa. So says political analyst Piet Croucamp who deems the break between the president and African National Congress (ANC) Chair Gwede Mantashe as irreparable. “Mantashe was the person who knocked on Thabo Mbeki's door to tell him that time is up - and he was the one who knocked on Jacob Zuma's door to tell him time is up. If there's one thing that Ramaphosa and those around him fear most, it is that one day the National Executive Committee of the ANC makes a decision which could be perceived as a Motion of No Confidence and Gwede Mantashe comes and knocks on your door. And I think that's the big fear that Ramaphosa has.” Croucamp also gives his take on the real reason MKP SG Floyd Shivambu was redeployed; reveals his pick for the next leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA); comments on the performance of the Government of National Unity ((GNU); as well as the Afrikaner Trek to America. He also gazes into the future of South Africa in 10 years' time. “…there will not be a single party that will govern South Africa alone in the next two or three elections…”

Morningstar's latest performance data puts Sean Peche's Ranmore Fund in the top one percentile for virtually every performance period in the last five years. In this interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg, the ace money manager shares insights from a lunchtime meeting last week with the investing guru who inspires him. The result is a treat for beginners and professionals alike.

In today's BizNews Briefing, Bronwyn Nielsen reports on Donald Trump's sweeping new travel ban and MK Party turbulence as Floyd Shivambu is redeployed to parliament amid party infighting. Julius Malema weighs in with scathing commentary. Meanwhile, Danny Jordaan is grilled in Parliament over football leadership failures, and Bloomberg explores looming US-China trade tensions and Meta's metaverse ambitions.

Corruption. Black Economic Empowerment. And that R100-billion Transformation Fund…These are topics being debated hotly on a daily basis in South Africa. In his latest interview with BizNews, Toby Chance, the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Competition, speaks about corruption at the Lotteries Commission were whistleblowers were “really severely damaged…and in many instances their lives have been ruined and their finances have been completely devastated” in the wake of allegations that up to R2-billion of corrupt grants were issued between around about 2011 and 2022. Chance gives an update on the controversy surrounding the appointment of a new licence operator and says: “It would be very surprising to me if there wasn't further litigation coming up around the corner…So they (Ithuba Holdings) really had four bites of the cherry, which I think many of the contesting bidders will find to be unconstitutional and unlawful.” Meanwhile, he also addresses the charge that the DA is “anti-transformation”, and shares the highlights of the party's submission on the R100-billion Transformation Fund. He also outlines the DA's alternative plan to BEE.

Alec Hogg unpacks the ANC's push for strict race quotas in the workplace, with insights from Solidarity's Connie Mulder and DA's Toby Chance. The Fort Hare scandal escalates as whistleblowers are jailed for exposing corruption. Plus: South Africa claims gold at the Chelsea Flower Show, New Zealand attracts record immigration, nuclear power gets an AI boost, and investor David Booth shares timeless financial wisdom.

In this in-depth interview, Alec Hogg speaks with Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute, about the ANC's latest employment equity regulations. Mulder explains how the government's racial targets for workplace demographics are not only impractical but potentially damaging to South Africa's economy. He reveals the hidden costs of compliance, including forced staff replacements and looming fines, and questions the long-term viability of such policies. With data-driven insights and legal context, Mulder warns of the unintended consequences and urges a national conversation on meaningful economic redress and sustainable growth. A critical discussion on policy, ideology, and South Africa's future.

Bad governance involving collusion between councils and management is enabling corruption and capture at some of South Africa's historic universities. That is the charge from National Tertiary Education Union Secretary General Grant Abbott who says: “We've coined the term, you use the Corruption Mafia and that's a very good term. We've also coined the term University Capture in the line of State Capture that we see a lot of that unfortunately happening.” Abbott describes the “systemetic targeting” of whistleblowers and union leaders, including his union president who was kidnapped and tortured before being dismissed. “…it had happened one Sunday night, 12 men arrived at his house. We later learned that three of them were police officers. They did not produce an arrest warrant or anything like that, but you can imagine 12 men arriving at your house and he's at home on a Sunday evening with his wife and children. And they have AK-47s and big rifles and dressed in police uniform, and tell him he must come with them. They proceeded to then take him to an undisclosed location and tortured him for seven hours, allegedly trying to get him to confess to involvement somehow in the attempted assassination on the Vice Chancellor back then.” The CCMA has now overturned the dismissal and ordered his reinstatement. Abbott also comments on the case of the corruption-busting lawyers who now find themselves in the dock alongside some of the people they had investigated. He outlines the union's proposals to stop the corruption at and capture of higher education institutions.

In this episode of the BizNews Briefing, Alec Hogg unpacks the ANC's repeat failures on BEE and mining policy as debt and youth unemployment climb - with insights from DA MP James Lorimer. (Ret.) Colonel Chris Wyatt shares US fallout from Ramaphosa's Oval Office debacle, and Paul O'Sullivan responds to explosive allegations in the Mantengu share price scandal. On the global stage, Elon Musk's XAI rockets to a $113bn valuation - nearly a third of South Africa's GDP.

In his latest interview with BizNews, US intelligence analyst, retired Colonel Chris Wyatt charges that the farm murder last week of a close friend's stepfather has been categorised as a house robbery instread of a farm attack. “This is why crime statistics in South Africa are not trustworthy…They cover this up.” Giving an update on the two groups of refugees in America, he said the outing of many people from the first group - that in fact included a Coloured family - had resulted in death threats against their family members, and their property being jeopardised back in South Africa. Colonel Wyatt expresses outrage at Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean McPherson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) “who cackled like a hyena when Ramaphosa told the joke about the lights being dimmed and mocking President Trump”. He has this warning: “I think that the ruling Government of National Unity (GNU) thinks there's no consequences for their actions. And I think they're going to be sadly disappointed very soon.” Colonel Wyatt also gives his take on the relationship between Trump and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk following his departure from the White House.

Ace corruption buster Paul O'Sullivan has taken a deep dive into the high-profile scrap involving JSE-listed mining group Mantengu - and reaches conclusions that are at odds with messages from the embattled company's CEO Mike Miller. O'Sullivan explained his findings to BizNews editor Alec Hogg, including allegations that high-profile businessman Zunaid Moti is behind alleged share price manipulation.

In today's BizNews Briefing with Bronwyn Nielsen: A second group of Afrikaners quietly arrives in the US; Neil de Beer shares his views on the escalating exodus; economist Dawie Roodt responds to Ramaphosa's renewed push for BEE; Thabo Mbeki reflects on SA–US relations; Ukraine strikes deep into Russia; and Trump targets steel and aluminium imports with fresh tariffs.

In his latest hard-hitting Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM) , slams the way the African Congress (ANC) is operating without a national mandate in the Government of National Unity (GNU). “This government doesn't have a quorum. There's not a singular party in this country that received the right to establish itself on a 50 plus one quorum. So in my opinion, they are not a legitimate government,” he says. De Beer also lambasts the other parties in the GNU for their lack of effectiveness. “It's just a fact that the DA (Democratic Alliance) and the Freedom Front and the rest of the people in the GNU are not keeping them (the ANC) and him (the President) accountable and therefore we as the citizens are sitting in a canoe going up the stream and hearing the thunder of the water.” With a second group of Afrikaner “refugees” arriving in America, De Beer expressed outrage at President Cyril Ramaphosa's defense of the Kill the Boer song and says the matter should be pursued all the way to the International Criminal Court of Justice. (ICJ) As for the President doubling down on BEE policies, De Beer describes the stark contrast between Black Economic Empowerment and Afrikaner empowerment that built economically solid companies that bolstered the economy of this country to turn it into an economic giant. He also has harsh words for Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe as tensions are rising over proposed amendments to SA's mining legislation. Furthermore, he expresses grave concern over the registration move of an apparently fundamentalist political party, the Islamic State of Africa.

As public consequences of the ANC's destructive economic policies ratchet higher, Cyril Ramaphosa and his lackeys follow its bat-eared playbook - double down. The President's economically incoherent ramblings in Parliament this week are mirrored in his party's Mineral Resources Bill proposal that reinforces the idiocy which has driven the country into the bottom run of global mining destinations. The DA's long-time specialist, Mineral and Petroleum Resources spokesman James Lorimer unpacks the ANC's latest derangement with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

South Africa's fynbos stole the show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, earning three prestigious awards with an unprecedented display of 25,000 stems of cut flowers. Leading the team in London was Leon Kluge, a renowned botanist and landscape designer with global accolades. Kluge told BizNews that the team - including Tristan Woudberg - faced logistical challenges, from coordinating harvests across 30 farms to transporting delicate blooms via Dubai to London. He said that having overcome funding uncertainty in previous years, South Africa's future at Chelsea looks far more secure, thanks to backing from the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. The display will now return to South Africa to Stanford - the heart of the fynbos cut-flower industry - so everyone who helped bring it to life, as well as the local community, can enjoy it. What was particularly special this year, according to Kluge, was an unexpected set of visitors: London's foxes. They came to drink from a river that he and his team recreated in an amber hue, coloured with rooibos tea to reflect Cape rivers, leaving their footprints in the sand.

In this week's BizNews Rugby Show, former Springboks Juan de Jongh and Rudy Paige join insider Rory Steyn and co-host Patrick Kidd for a lively, wide-ranging conversation on the upcoming URC quarterfinals and their remarkable rugby journeys - from small-town beginnings to the world stage. They unpack the strengths and struggles of the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Leinster, offering sharp predictions and inside perspective on players, matchups, and playoff pressure. The duo also pay heartfelt tribute to the late Cornal Hendricks, a teammate and friend remembered with deep affection.

One of South Africa's top economists, Efficient Group's Dawie Roodt, tears into what he believes is the sheer economic idiocy expressed by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in Parliament yesterday. He says the billionaire ANC leader's redoubling of an approach which has boosted his own bank account but made South Africa the world's worst performing economy with the highest unemployment will accelerate the slide. Roodt spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

South Africa needs a new generation of leaders - maybe a non-politician to run the country. That is the view of Professor William Gumede of the School of Governance at Wits University. “I think…that maybe we need less of the hard people…a lot of our leaders, our political leaders, many of our black political leaders particularly, these are hard individuals, ruthless individuals, self-interested individuals, people who…don't care about inciting violence and dividing the country, blaming other communities. They will walk over the bodies of black and white South Africans to be in power,” he says. In this wide-ranging interview with BizNews, Professor Gumede dissects the Trump-Ramaphosa meeting in Washington; the performance of the Government of National Unity (GNU), as well as the Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance (PA), and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) - and their future prospects. He also outlines the possible strategy of former President Jacob Zuma with his MKP. He delves into the Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC) controversy, and suggests alternatives to current Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) practices. Meanwhile, Professor Gumede is working from the outside to “try to get all of these opposition parties with a constitutional base…to cooperate…to sort of nudge people and politicians to begin to realign our politics to a much more reason-based, common sense-based centre”. He says the country needs “at least a bridging period, a five-year period in South Africa's history for the country to calm down, for the country to be much more pragmatic, and for us to be more inclusive and to get the populists to the sidelines, the people who think that only one colour can run the country or only one political faction and one ideology can run the country.”

President Ramaphosa defends BEE amid growing economic frustration; Washington insider Joel Pollak unpacks how the Oval Office meeting really played out; and Prof. William Gumede charts a political path forward for South Africa. Internationally, Donald Trump pushes to slash foreign student quotas at Harvard while facing legal setbacks on his trade tariffs; Nvidia's Jensen Huang shrugs off the noise as the AI giant posts blockbuster results, surging to a record high. Plus: a proudly South African entrepreneur expands Pret-a-Manger's footprint in Joburg.

Trump Administration insider Joel Pollak shares how the US side reviewed last week's Oval Office smackdown - and it doesn't bode well for SA's immediate future on trade or international relations. Pollak, once tipped as a likely US Ambassador to SA, provides perspective on the Ramaphosa camp's clumsy spinning of a “successful” meeting - revealing the unvarnished truth with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

The business rescue of Daybreak - a poultry farm bought by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) in 2015 for R1.2 billion rand - is not the only horror story involving the irresponsible use of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF). In this interview with BizNews, Zirk Gous, the spokesperson for the Association for Monitoring and Advocacy of Government Pensions (AMAGP), says: “…we need to act on 33 billion rands which are squandered in irresponsible political high-risk investments. And that is an urgent thing.” He says the “core problem” is that both the Government Employee Pension Fund and the Public Investment Corporation are “under total political control…so the people which should be called to account for the pain and the suffering of the Daybreak employees (are the) Minister of Finance, (the) Board of Trustees of the GEPF, the Board of Trustees of the Public Investment Corporation.” Meanwhile, says Gous, they are investigsations options to prevent further bad investments. “…the key to that will be we will have to amend the legislation, the Government Employee Pension Law. We will have to amend the Public Investment Corporation Act to remove the political control.”

In this episode of the BizNews Briefing the body monitoring investments made for State pensioners says the Daybreak disaster is by no means an exception; we hear the story behind the Afriforum's blockbuster video production on challenges to Afrikaners; Ian Cameron explains why analysing farm murders is complex; a global body language expert calls out Ramaphosa; why Rand strength is in prospect; and a JSE debut for Valtera (aka Anglo Platinum).

In his latest interview with BizNews, Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, busts myths and misconceptions about farm attacks. He speaks about the role that illegal foreigners sometimes play in these attacks and gives a breakdown of which nationalities rank in which provinces. He also shares research done of the motives and modus operandi of farm attackers gleaned from interviews with dozens of convicted felons. “So it's simply not as simple as saying that it's one group versus another because it's more complex than that.” Cameron also dissects the latest quarterly crime statistics that show a 10% decrease in murder. He further gives an insight into the current priorities of the Portfolio Committee on Police, one being the return to work of certain cops after disciplinary processes. “Now we've discovered one in the Eastern Cape that, in his disciplinary, admitted to committing an armed robbery. He admitted that he committed an armed robbery and his sanction in the disciplinary was two months of unpaid suspension and he's back at work. It cannot be that that is the type of people, that those are the kinds of people that we allow back in the police.”

Fresh from celebrating his 45 million-viewed documentary on the Afrikaner's struggles, Afriforum's Ernst van Zyl shares his insights on last week's Oval Office smackdown. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In today's BizNews Briefing, Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein breaks ranks with a bold rebuke following SA's Oval Office humiliation. Neil de Beer weighs in on who should have been there. Hekpoort reels from a squatter crisis, Trump faces corporate backlash, and Elon Musk lashes out in Qatar. Plus: Coronation, Stefanutti, Pepkor results, and Rupert's final break from tobacco.

BizNuus Blitsbrief - 'n kragtige oorsig van die belangrikste plaaslike en internasionale nuus, vinnig en feitlik, binne minute. Bly ingelig met nuus wat saak maak.

Hekpoort residents are in an epic battle to get the Mogale City Council to stop an influx of tens of thousands of apparently unemployed vagrants in the area. In this interview with BizNews, attorney Christopher Bean describes the drama surrounding the council's building of 208 low-cost houses in an area where there was an invasion in 2019, and around which between 150 000 and 200,000 people are living in squatter camps without facilities. To add to the crisis, local residents have said that if outsiders get those houses, they're going to burn them down. “…it's no longer a question of providing housing for local people. It's now using this whole area to relocate thousands of people from the Krugersdorp area to another place where there's no jobs, where there's no accommodation, so they have to build shacks. There's no water, there's no sewage, there's no schools, there's no nothing.” Meanwhile, crime has spiralled with one holiday resort being hit with 12 armed robberies in 12 months. “There are about three security companies operating in this area and everybody who is on the farms is armed…”. Bean says they are hoping for a roundtable solution that will become a settlement agreement that “I know will apply in so many other cases all over the whole country….when there is this type of quote, invasion, semi-invasion, no invasion has taken place yet…have some set of rules as to who comes there, what happens when they get here, what are the facilities that we're providing, what opportunities to make a human kind of organisation rather than a squatter camp”.

In today's BizNews Briefing, SA softens BEE rules for telecoms to woo Starlink and mend US ties post-Trump meeting. Bronwyn Nielsen unpacks the policy shift and gathers wide-ranging reactions to Ramaphosa's Oval Office visit - from RW Johnson and Neil de Beer to Julius Malema and Ronald Lamola.

“There was no meeting. It was a hiding to hell. It was an absolute slap to us.” That is the take of Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), on last week's meeting between presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump in Washington. “… it was embarrassing for us, it looked like we were knocking on a door, bare feet, shorts and a T-shirt and asking the neighbour for an ice cream.” He says the biggest insult to Ramaphosa was the fact that none of the members of Trump's delegation bothered to interact with him. “…absolute horrific occasion…when I saw them in the Oval Office, I said, maar dis die wynspan.” As for the pleas for more investment from the US, he says: “Another billion from America so that we can have it looted on Tuesday? No, our track record doesn't speak of trust whatsoever.” As for government's proposal to ease B-BBEE licensing requirements for satellite service providers like Elon Musk's Starlink, he says: “..great idea…but we have to start looking at South African companies that suffer”. De Beer also dissects the controversial EWC statements by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean McPherson on the eve of the US visit, as well as the absence of Special Envoy Mcebisi Jonas from it. He slams the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for another failure with fraud charges being provisionally withdrawn against former Cape Town MMC Malusi Booi and co-accused in the R1 billion housing tender case; and he comments on the arrest of a man for sending threatening messages directed at the president and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, as well as a CEO.

In this episode of the BizNews Rugby Show, Springbok icon Nick Mallett joins Rory Steyn to relive iconic rugby moments, from a Mandela-hosted lunch celebrating 17 straight Bok wins to brilliant tries dreamt up by Henry Honiball and Rassie Erasmus. Mallett also shares unmatched insight into this weekend's European finals, backing Bath's power game and Bordeaux's backline magic to light up Cardiff. With passionate praise for rising stars like Fin Smith and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, it's a rugby lover's dream conversation with a man who's seen - and done - it all.

Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder is breathing fire in this interview where he laments the “catastrophe” inflicted on South Africans in the Oval Office this week. Mulder says Trump asked the right questions to which the SA delegation has no answers because of wilful ignorance or outright denial. Attempts to deflect Trump's criticism, he says, portrayed a picture of South Africa being a criminal-infested economic wasteland. Mulder spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

With 24% of young university graduates unemployed in South Africa, Warren Mkhize found himself struggling to secure work in 2020. Then, during a thunderstorm, he spotted mushrooms growing from the ground, which spark an idea. Researching South Africa's mushroom industry, he discovered its high success rate and lack of barriers to entry. Seizing the opportunity, he founded MycoPro, cultivating organic oyster mushrooms in upcycled agricultural waste. From an initial 10kg yield, his team now supplies 300–400kg monthly to the SuperSpar Group and Asian markets. Mkhize is also promoting mushrooms as a nutritious meat alternative, educating people via social media. He aims to expand MycoPro into other provinces and is researching African psychedelic mushrooms for therapeutic use. “If regulations evolve like they did for cannabis,” he says, “we will explore it fully.”

South Africa's top political analyst, former Oxford Don RW Johnson, provides a realistic assessment of yesterday's meeting between US President Donald Trump and his SA counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, who gets kudos for keeping his cool. But Johnson says it's far too soon to call the Washington adventure a success - and shares what to look out for when those who attended return home.