BizNews Radio

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.

“That went very badly for South Africa.” That is how US intelligence analyst, retired Colonel Chris Wyatt rates the showdown in the Oval Office between Presidents Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa. On the issue of farm murders, Wyatt describes how Trump “lets Ramaphosa step into the bear trap. He opened it up. He left it there and Ramaphosa walked right into it…” Wyatt says the meeting was not a good look for either the African National Congress (ANC) or the Democratic Alliance (DA) whose leader John Steenhuisen was there in his capacity as Minister of Agriculture in the Government of National Unity (GNU). “I don't know if he's turned in his DA membership card for an ANC card yet, but maybe he should consider it. I mean, honestly, this really irritated a lot of DA voters very seriously.” As for billionaire Johann Rupert stating that he often doesn't lock his door at night, Wyatt charges: “That was so disingenuous and dishonest that it's heartbreaking. Johann Rupert, you know, he spoke for himself, not for South Africans in my view. And a lot of people think he sold South Africans down the river - and I'd have a hard time disagreeing with that assessment.” However, Wyatt praises golfer Ernie Els Ernie as “a patriot” who “stood up for South Africans”, while golfer Retief Goosen, who still has family living on a farm, walked a more “careful line, but he didn't shy away from the truth”. Overall, Wyatt says: "What we saw from the South African delegation is an attempt to politic…Trump wasn't politicking.”

Although last night's tense White House engagement between Trump and Ramaphosa has the chattering classes in a frenzy, it matters far less than what happened subsequently. In his assessment of the 44 minutes of South Africa's global attention, the chief executive of the country's leading think tank concludes while it has the potential to be another step on the national path to recovery, the ANC may be structurally incapable of reversing its own implosion - and thus SA's destructive slide. The IRR's John Endres spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In this BizNews Briefing, President Ramaphosa reflects on his high-stakes Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump, offering insights into G20 attendance, golf diplomacy, and more. Plus, Elon Musk slams South Africa's black ownership laws, blaming them for blocking Starlink's expansion.

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

ASP Isotopes teams up with Bill Gates' TerraPower to build a cutting-edge uranium enrichment plant in Pelindaba, positioning South Africa as a global nuclear fuel hub. Alongside a strategic acquisition of helium-rich Renergen and a JSE listing, CEO Paul Mann unveils a vision to transform SA into a critical materials leader, sparking thousands of jobs and delivering innovative energy solutions worldwide.

As Trump's tariffs continue to disrupt global markets and the AI revolution reshapes the investment landscape, market leadership is shifting - and there are surprises emerging among them. One of them is the language app Duolingo, which has quietly outperformed some of the biggest names in tech with a 58.1% return, even pipping Palantir Technologies at 55.1%. In an interview with BizNews, Sean Ashton of Omba Investments delves beneath the surface of index and sector returns and reveals Duolingo's value lies in its strength in leveraging AI within its business model to accelerate content creation, with new offerings potentially including chess, mathematics, and even music. However, both Duolingo and Palantir remain highly valued, with Palantir described by Ashton as 'probably the poster child for extreme valuations in today's market.' Among the other standout performers, cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike has posted an impressive 37.3% YTD return. And where do the Magnificent Seven stand? With Alphabet, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and other dominant tech players, Ashton argues that despite passing on the baton, “if you delve below the surface of indices and even sector returns, it is far from over in tech land. As for Tesla, Ashton points out that the Cybertruck hasn't hit its stride, auto margins have collapsed, and Musk's entanglement in US government affairs has triggered a backlash. But Musk should not be written off. "He's come back from worse many times before.

The breakdown of governance and operational performance at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) amid allegations of corruption and maladministration is laid bare in this BizNews interview with Toby Chance, the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Competition. Describing the role whistleblowers have played in exposing the rot, he says: "I was appointed to my position in July after the formation of the Government of National Unity and very soon after that I started to receive emails from whistleblowers…” However, “they were victimised, they were bullied, and many of them have taken leave…it actually took until February and multitudinous letters from me and questions in Parliament…for the Minister to actually finally take action, which he did in February by appointing TSU International to conduct an independent investigation. And we're now waiting to see the outcome of that investigation.” Meanwhile, Chance is confident that Minister Parks Tau will do “the right thing” once he has received the investigation report. “He doesn't really have any choice. Otherwise, the SABS will collapse...It's not collapsed yet, but it's close to it.” Chance adds that Minister Tau “did inherit a hornet's nest of problems when he came into the job, not just at the SABS, but in many of the other entities in the DTIC's family. And I do think that he wants to clear the decks…”

As President Cyril Ramaphosa meets US President Donald Trump in Washington today, global attention shifts from Cape Town's budget battles to high-stakes diplomacy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lashes out at South Africa's foreign policy, while Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen and venture capitalist Andre Pienaar offer behind-the-scenes views from Washington. Rob Hersov, also in the US capital, shares sharp insights on what Ramaphosa's team is walking into. Plus, Bloomberg unpacks why no one can catch Nvidia in the AI race.

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

African National Congress (ANC) policies are out of step with the majority - between 65 and 79% - of its remaining self-identified supporters. That is the finding of recent polling by the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR). In this interview with BizNews, Hermann Pretorius who wrote the report says: “…the most hard-hitting finding is that on all of these policies investigated in this report, from merit-based appointments, procurement spending, the Expropriation Act, government focus on jobs and choice-based empowerment programs, the ANC is currently at odds with its own voters by at least a two-thirds majority of its own base.” He warns that unless the ANC acts “rapidly” to bring the party back in touch with its own supporters, it might fall “even lower than the 29.7%, which we are polling them at at the moment”. Pretorius outlines what former President Jacob Zuma's MKP - that supports property rights and merit-based appointments - would have to do to “take another few chunks out of ANC support by going where the ANC supporters actually want the ANC to go”. Meanwhile, he warns that the Democratic Alliance (DA) should not to allow opposing messages to come from the DA in government and the DA in the political party. “I sat next to Minister (Dean) MacPherson on the panel at NAMPO when he took this rather bizarre position of defending the Expropriation Act and undermining his own party's position, trotting out ANC talking point after ANC talking point. It was quite astonishing to hear a minister either lie about a piece of legislation he's responsible for or not understanding it.”

In this episode of the BizNews Briefing, Bronwyn Nielsen tracks President Cyril Ramaphosa's high-stakes visit to Washington for his meeting with Donald Trump. With tensions running high, analysts warn against lecturing the US president, advising instead a strategic, focused approach. We hear from retired US intelligence officer Chris Wyatt, the Hudson Institute's Joshua Meservey, and the Brenthurst Foundation on what's at stake. Plus, Deputy President Paul Mashatile urges farmers at NAMPO to stay the course in South Africa.

Capitalist activist Rob Hersov was on the same Washington-bound plane as some of the SA delegation heading for tomorrow's Oval Office meeting. In this riveting interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg he shares what insiders tell him about the hot reception American leadership is preparing for Cyril Ramaphosa.

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

All eyes will be on the meeting between presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday. In this interview with BizNews, US intelligence analyst retired Colonel Chris Wyatt slams the composition of Ramaphosa's team. He says neither Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen nor International Relations Minister Ronnie Lamola is “that credible” in the United States' eyes. “I think both of those are bad decisions that are going to backfire. I don't think that the US government is going to be hoodwinked by … either one of those people.” While Wyatt deems Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau, “probably not a bad idea”, he questions the inclusion of Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni by asking: “You want to send a minister who failed in every previous portfolio. I really don't think that that's the A team. Ramaphosa is taking his B team at best, possibly even a few C or D team members to it.” Meanwhile, he says Ramaphosa “had better have a very good plan….I have termed (it) the single most important meeting in the political life of Cyril Ramaphosa. I think it's more significant than his role in CODESA, more significant than his role when he won the party presidency in December 2017 at the ANC Congress. I think this could make or break South Africa, depending on what happens on Wednesday.”

In this BizNews Briefing, Bronwyn Nielsen previews President Cyril Ramaphosa's high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump, amid domestic uproar over his “cowards” comment about Afrikaner refugees. Hear strong reactions from Neil de Beer, Julius Malema, and Gerhard Papenfus, plus Ret. Colonel Chris Wyatt's conversation with Afrikaner refugee Thea van Staden, detailing her US experience so far. Internationally, focus shifts to Prosus's global tech ambitions and why some analysts think breaking up Alphabet might unlock real value.

“…if the DA (Democratic Alliance) does not…get up and fight, no matter if it costs…the seats of power… if we are going on the trajectory we are today,… the loss of a country will be blamed, not on the ANC (African National Congress)…but because...of the Democratic Alliance not being now able to get up and freely defend us on a surgical basis like they previously had.” This is the warning from United Independent Movement (UIM) President Neil De Beer who says: “…you've got DA ministers sitting in the exact Cabinet of wolves, of the draconian dragons, and having to be silenced because they serve an overlord.” He also gives his take on the members of Team SA facing US President Donald Trump later this week; later this week; lists his reasons for calling President Cyril Ramaphosa “Coward Number One”; and weighs in on Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe's “nepo baby” son Buyambo Mantashe. De Beer says that South Africa is falling apart because it “cannot muster any more defense against an ANC who annihilates us in politics, disregards the GNU, absolutely takes us for fools and continues to run this country as if they are still in power.” He says someone will have to “take out an atomic bomb and drop it in” the GNU because “…we are in bigger trouble than what we thought in this GNU. We are better outside than what we are within”. He also notes that even Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has gone quiet. “This is when the dark crude oil of the ANC just slithers down your body and encapsulates you like being in a barrel of oil.” Meanwhile, De Beer comments on the prospects of another candidate for the ANC's next presidency; as well as former Vlakplaas Commander Colonel Eugene de Kock - who “went to jail for many generals and their sins” - remerging from the shadows in the case of the Cradock Four.

Springbok legend Breyton Paulse joins the BizNews Rugby Show to unpack URC playoff drama, Rassie's surprise squad picks, and Jake White's outcry over SA talent heading abroad. Plus, moving tributes to the late Cornal Hendricks and high hopes for the Baby Boks.

A troubling trend for democracy and social discourse is the increasing manipulation of social media platforms like X, where AI-driven algorithms deepen ideological silos and limit engagement with opposing viewpoints. The anonymity of pseudonyms has further enabled nano influencers - often quietly funded - to shape narratives without disclosing their financial backers. In South Africa, recent revelations have exposed multiple political campaigns leveraging paid influencer networks to manufacture public sentiment online. In response, Ludré Stevens is launching Opino, a social media platform positioning itself as Europe's independent, bot-free space. In an interview with BizNews Stevens described Opino - set to launch publicly on 1 June - as a platform with “absolutely no bots, complete transparency, where real people and real companies can interact.” The app will require influencers who receive payment to declare it, ensuring authenticity and preventing covert sponsorships. Stevens emphasised that while Opino shares similarities with platforms like Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky, its defining principles are “no bots, no AI, and no manufactured outrage - just back to basics.”

The African National Congress (ANC) had a strong by-election night last night. In this interview with BizNews, Election Analyst Wayne Sussman says it was “either their second best night or you could say equal their best night since 2024.” In Soweto, they had “resolute” support - despite uMkhonto weSizwe's MKP) Floyd Shivambo and Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) campaigning there. The ANC also had “solid” support in the uMgungundlovu district, (the second most populous district in KwaZulu-Natal) where, in 2024, MKP won 50% of the vote. And the ANC withstood an onslaught from the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the Namakwa Civic Movement to clock up another win in the Northern Cape, where - since the 2024 election - it has won four wards off opposition parties. Sussman identifies Premier Zamani Saul as a possible future party leader. “If I…was the ANC, I would look strongly, not just at him for a leader at the next National Elective Congress, but also someone who's clearly doing something right…” As for the Democratic Alliance (DA) holding on to a ward Stellenbosch, he notes the 7% voter turn-out and points out that “they have some work to do”. Sussman also shares his take on the most competitive races in the next round of by-elections on May 28.

The 59 (not 49) Afrikaner “refugees” that arrived in America earlier this week are under “a lot of pressure”. So says US intelligence analyst (Retired) Colonel Chris Wyatt who is in regular contact with some of them. “They are located in multiple States around the country right now. I will not disclose their locations because of the reprehensible conduct of some media in South Africa and the United States and the social media doxing that's going on, people committing POPI violations and other criminal actions. But what I can tell you is that they're under a lot of pressure. And if they're smart, they're staying off social media because people are trying to expose their families back here and put them in physical harm or jeopardy.” As for the allegation that at least one of the refugees exaggerated threats, Col Wyatt says: “The United States government does investigations into refugees….they get vetted very seriously. So if any of these people have defrauded the US government, they will be sent back.” He also hits back at the African National Congress (ANC) for rejecting claims of ethnic victimisation, and calling it “a cowardly political construct” instead. “People have a real fear. And the government dismissing their concerns is repulsive.”

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

In this BizNews Briefing, President Cyril Ramaphosa pushes back against claims of white Afrikaner persecution, following their controversial resettlement in the US under a Trump-era refugee programme. Gayton McKenzie demands that his department prioritise South Africans for jobs, rejecting foreign hires. Economist Dawie Roodt shares his expectations for next week's national budget, while Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden discusses a challenging year of financial results. The SABC appeals for R7.3 billion to fulfil its public broadcasting mandate, drawing criticism for diverting commercial revenue. On the global front, Tencent bets big on AI integration despite short-term profit pressures.

Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden joins Alec Hogg to unpack the group's worst results in decades, driven by a perfect storm of collapsing iron ore prices and early Lafarge losses. He remains bullish on the cement acquisition, touts a new ultra-low carbon product, and outlines progress on Transnet's rail recovery and Afrimat's rare earth ambitions. Van Heerden shares cautious optimism on SA's infrastructure outlook under a new political era.

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